plastic is. We’ve set the bar pretty high. The only plastic capable of receiving the top score of A+ in this system would be bio-based polylactic
acid (PLA) grown according to sustainable agricultural practices and
not made from a food crop such as corn, the most common source of
PLA today.”
Not All Biopolymers Are Created Equal
It’s clear that if you want the greenest plastic, you need a bio-based
one. Even here, the criteria for a high score are specific and demanding. While biopolymers are a promising alternative to petroleum-based plastics, their use can raise concerns about biodiversity and the
diversion of acres planted for food to non-food uses. If we end up replacing petroleum-based plastics with bio-based plastics derived from
unsustainable agriculture, we’ve merely shifted the problem. To
achieve the highest rating in the scorecard, biopolymers must come
from feedstocks free of harmful pesticides and herbicides as well as ge-netically-modified organisms (GMOs). The scorecard’s definition of
sustainable agriculture also covers biodiversity, soil health and air and
water quality.
Lastly, but importantly, the scorecard includes compostability standards for single-use bio-based plastics.
To get an A, the plastic must be certified commercially compostable, meeting either ASTM D6400, ISO 17088
or DIN EN1342 and verified by a
third party such as the Biodegradable
Products Institute, Din Certco or
Japan Bioplastics Association.
Fossil Fuel-Based Plastics
Designers have long valued plastic’s
durability, light weight and flexibility.
Plastic can support an astonishing variety of applications from medical and
scientific uses to cars, toys, bottles and
clothing. Several decades after the initial explosion of plastic uses in the
What’s New in Sustainable Packaging
By Yadim Medore
Growing concern about our environment is driving develop- ment of more and more sustainable packaging options. Here
are some of the most innovative new products:
Renewable Aqueous Coating
Shorewood Packaging has introduced the first renewable
water-based printing paper coating, TerraGreen. Made from
resins and waxes extracted from plant and tree sources, this is
the first water-based coating made from renewable resources. It
is solvent-free and totally free of petrochemicals. It can be applied as a gloss or matte coating on an offset litho press and has
all of the essential characteristics of traditional water-based
coatings. Paperboard packaging that utilizes this water-based
coating can be recycled when collected and processed in a municipal recycling program. TerraGreen coating has been tested
and assessed as “readily biodegradable” by WESSLING Laboratories GbmH.
www.shorewooddigital.com
A Lighter Approach to Liquid Packaging
Ecolean, an innovative lightweight liquid
packaging structure from Sweden, weighs
over 50 percent less than conventional liquid
food cartons or bottles. It has a unique “
bottle” shape, but once empty, it’s as flat as an
envelope. It reduces raw materials consumption (a 1-liter package weighs only 10 grams),
and saves energy during production, transport and waste handling. It’s made from a
thin plastic film, part plastic (PE and PP) and part mineral chalk
( 40 percent by weight). It is currently sold in 30 countries around
the world, but not yet in the United States.
www.greenbottle.com
Pulped Recycled Cardboard
Milk Packaging
A new milk and liquids package,
GreenBottle, has just been introduced in
the UK. Made from 91 percent recycled
materials (waste office paper), it consists
of an outer shell made of pulped recycled cardboard, similar to what is used
to make egg cartons, and a corn-based bioplastic bag liner. The
liner takes up less than . 5 percent of the space of a plastic bottle
if disposed of in a landfill and will biodegrade in about six weeks.
After the milk is gone, the bioplastic bag can be removed and
composted/disposed of, and the outer shell can be recycled or
composted. Possible usages for GreenBottle include juices,
smoothies, yogurt drinks, water, shampoos, hand creams, liquid
detergents, engine oils, etc.
www.greenbottle.com
Water in a Box
A new bottled water company
is packaging water in an old-fashioned milk carton. Because of this,
it can make the same sustainability
claims as a milk carton. The paper-
board is from certified, well-man-
aged forests and the cartons ship
flat to the filler vs. empty plastic or glass bottles. The company
intends to donate 10 percent of its profits to world water-relief
foundations and 10 percent to reforestation foundations.
www.boxedwaterisbetter.com
