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Biodegradable Products are the Future

By

Lauren A. Iacovacci

Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements

for a Degree in Writing

Business Option

May 11th, 2010

WRT 465/Thesis Advisor: Prof. Briggs

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Abstract

This project examines the proposition that through the use of

biodegradable products and recycling the United States will eventually be able to

achieve environmental sustainability. For this to happen it will require the help

from large companies and organizations to change the way they treat natural

resources.

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Contents

Introduction ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [4]

Biodegradable Materials ---------------------------------------------------------------- [7]

Certification ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- [12]

Businesses and Biodegradability ----------------------------------------------------- [15]

Coca-Cola Company ------------------------------------------------------------------- [17]

Frito-Lay North America Incorporated ---------------------------------------------- [20]

Samsung --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [23]

Poland Spring --------------------------------------------------------------------------- [24]

Other Businesses ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [26]

Recycling -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [31]

Businesses and Recycling ------------------------------------------------------------- [36]

Possible Hardships --------------------------------------------------------------------- [37]

Conclusion ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ [41]

Works Cited ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- [44]

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Introduction

Humans have a complicated relationship with nature because we like to

use all of the natural resources available to us and we rarely ever replace them.

We have polluted the air we breathe with toxic chemicals such as hydrochloric

acid, methanol, sulfuric acid, and ammonia. These chemicals cause numerous

negative health effects on humans such as cancer, sterilization, respiratory

problems, and even gastro internal problems. We have also polluted our oceans

with oil and other harmful wastes such as radioactive material, pesticides, oil and

sewage.

However, there is also a history of Americans who have been fighting to

protect our environment since the early 1900s. These people have fought for

conservation, wilderness preservation, stopping pollution, and the use of less

harmful products. In the most recent years, the United States has begun a new

„Going Green‟ revolution. Going green “is a phrase referring to individual action

that a person can consciously take to curb harmful effects on the environment

through consumer habits, behavior, and lifestyle” (Lohas.com). Going green

includes actions such as limiting the use of plastics and harmful products,

recycling, and fighting pollution.

There are many different levels of going green. Some people have

decided to live a personal life style that is more helpful than harmful to our

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environment by only using natural chemicals and only eating natural food. Going

green also exists in many businesses around the country which provide products

from hybrid cars to cups that are biodegradable.

One effort of going green is the effort to moderate and reduce the impact

of shipping and manufacturing on the environment. People are beginning to look

at how much oil and water it takes to manufacture a product in determining

whether or not they will purchase it. This development can have positive or

negative effects on a business‟s growth and stability.

Going green is a major component of eventual absolute environmental

sustainability. Environmental sustainability involves the use of various methods

to ensure that the resources used in the process of making products are not

exhausted or permanently damaged. Large companies, state organizations, cities

and other places have begun to derive new techniques in which to create

sustainability. Some techniques include reducing the water and energy used for

recycling and assuring there are less residual harmful chemicals used in the

process. Another technique is to make sure the product returns to its natural state

by creating a biodegradable product. Using biodegradable products has become

more and more popular with large companies. These companies have an

obligation to keep their customers happy and since more people have been going

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green, that means they must begin the changes to make their products less harmful

to the environment.

Most large companies now offer a sustainability report to the public that is

issued annually and includes reports on their environmental stability. These

reports show how the company is making plans to lessen their negative effect on

the environment, reduce water use, reduce waste, and recycle. Businesses all

across the United States have begun these processes. The least a company or

organization can do is reduce their impact on our environment, but this can be

challenging at times because of the regulations on marketing their products and

making sure the products are correctly certified.

Obtaining absolute environmental stability requires two components; the

ability to recycle products or return them to their natural state through

degradation. To achieve absolute environmental stability, large corporations and

businesses of every size, need to begin by recycling their materials or

manufacturing their products using biodegradable materials. Corporations are

going to begin increasingly responding to their customers and employees needs of

becoming part of the green revolution and will improve their efforts to save our

environment.

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Biodegradable Materials

One of the two ways a corporation can achieve sustainability is through

developing new materials for their products that are biodegradable and safer for

the environment. A term called “green chemistry” emerged on the market in the

1990‟s. According to New Scientist Magazine, two US chemists, Paul Anastas

and John Warner developed this term which names the new technique in which to

prevent harmful chemical effects on our environment before they start rather than

fixing them once they have been introduced to our environment. They later

developed a “call for renewable starting materials, fewer harmful solvents, more

efficient catalysts and minimizing energy use by, for example, designing reactions

that could work at ordinary, ambient temperatures” (Everts 35). By creating this

new chemistry, businesses and manufacturers can reduce their effects on our

environment and prevent harmful long term challenges with resources. A

company will not have to invest in a new chemical in which to make their product

and take a chance with an unknown substance because they can rely on „green

chemistry‟.

By using resources we already have available to us, businesses can be less

harmful to the environment without completely depleting the resources we have

left. While using resources that are already readily available to us we can reduce

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the amount of oil and water it takes to make the products. Thus, we will not be

completely depleting the sources we have already harmed.

New materials used for manufacturing products have lessened the harmful

chemicals used on the environment. Each product now has its own lifetime.

Some only last a few days and some last a few months, but the lifetime of these

products are significantly smaller than the lifetime of materials used in the past.

New Scientist magazine has explored these new materials in depth:

“Several companies are now marketing alternative

plastics derived from renewable sources.

NatureWorks of Minnetonka, Minnesota, which is

owned by the food and agricultural conglomerate

Cargill, makes food containers from polymer called

Ingeo, derived from corn starch. Bacteria covert the

starch into a resin that is an alternative to

polyethylene terephthalate (PET), the strong, rigid

plastic currently used for containers such as water

bottles and yogurt pots. In the future, the company

says, the raw material for Ingeo could come not

from fresh corn but from agricultural waste.”

(Everts 37)

These new materials can be life changing for the consumers, the producers

and future generations. If we can successfully switch from using bioplastics to

using materials that derive from organic sources then we will benefit greatly.

Even though there are new advances in plastic technologies, reducing the use of

them will help reach the goal of a completely sustainable environment. It is better

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to use resources that already exist than to create something that is incredibly

harmful and toxic to our health.

Recently, biodegradable materials and products have become a popular

way to go green and enhance a company‟s stability. “Biobased materials are

considered a means to reduce the consumption of nonrenewable resources and

reduce the environmental impact associated with the creation of materials and

products, such as increased CO2 emissions and so forth” (Astm.org). When a

product is biodegradable it means that it is “capable of decomposing under natural

conditions” (Sciencedictionary.org).

Biodegradable material can be degraded aerobically or an-aerobically.

When a material is degraded aerobically it means that the process needs to include

oxygen to break down its chemical bonds. When a material is degraded an-

aerobically it means that the process does not need oxygen in order to break down

its chemical bonds. Materials are mostly broken down by bacteria, fungi, and

other organisms that are found in nature. These products and materials are

transported to an industrial waste management facility or are put into a personal

compost pile. When chemicals are released by products that are not biodegradable

they are often harmful to the facility and persons handling the waste.

Most biodegradable products are alike, but their differences will be found

in the length of time it takes for them to decompose. According to the Be Healthy

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and Relax website, disposable diapers, plastic bags, aluminum cans, plastic jugs,

steel cans, glass and polystyrene foam can take up to two million years to

decompose in our environment. Other products and materials can take only a few

days to completely degrade. For example, an apple is made mostly of carbon,

oxygen and hydrogen. When degraded these chemicals then become carbon

dioxide and water. However, not every product or material gives off only these

harmless chemicals. Some products give off toxic and harmful chemicals that can

compromise our health and environment. If the apple had been sprayed with

pesticide, like the ones mostly found in our grocery stores, it would produce

different chemicals when decomposing rather than an organic apple would.

According to the New Biodegradable website, the benefits of having

biodegradable materials include availability, cost, performance, their controlled

lifetime, their ability to be reusable and recyclable, the ability to be non-toxic and

the ability to commercialize them. New biodegradable products have been made

available all over the United States. When shopping at your local grocer you are

likely to find products that are biodegradable in many aisles including cleansers

and beverages. While some products that are new to the market like the Dasani

Plant Water Bottle are only found on the West Coast, most products can be found

across the United States. If a product is not yet available in one part of the

country it is in the process of being released.

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These products are minimally more expensive than regular products.

When a consumer is comparing products in their local store they are more likely

to buy something that is minimally more expensive if it is biodegradable. They

will not spend their money on a product that is harmful to their health and their

loved ones because it is inexpensive. New ways of manufacturing do not raise the

price of the product dramatically. A new biodegradable water bottle will only

cost a few more cents than the previously harmful bottle.

These products perform just like the original products. They mostly look

exactly the same, but have a slightly lighter feel. Some companies are designing

them to look like they are made to be carried in your hand. They are still durable

and won‟t break during accidental drops. However, some of their caps are

marginally smaller than they were before. This is a positive aspect because there

is less plastic needed to make the product, but it can also be frustrating to the

consumer. Trying to twist off a cap that is sealed when it is a fraction of the

previous size is a challenging task. This is a small burden to live with compared to

long term health effects that could be caused by previous bottles made with

harmful materials.

New biodegradable materials are made to degrade faster than they would

have in the past, which in turn helps our environment and prevents massive

amounts of pollution and waste. Instead of filling our landfills to maximum

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capacity and not knowing where to put more waste that is building up each day,

these products will decompose rapidly and make more space for incoming waste.

If a new biodegradable product is not disposed of correctly, there is less of

a concern for its effects on our environment. While the sight of pollution is

disturbing, it is comforting to know that in a couple days or weeks the product

will no longer exist there because of its rapid decomposition.

New biodegradable materials are also non-toxic. This makes them safe for

contact not only with our bodies, but also our food. Instead of having to worry

about whether the container our food is in is harming our health we can focus on

the taste and satisfaction we receive from it. These new materials can potentially

save us millions of dollars if we can prove that it lowers our chances of

contracting cancer or any other harmful disease.

Certification

In order to create a new product a company must first make sure their

materials are properly tested in order to be certifiably biodegradable. The

Biodegradable Products Institute (BPI) is a non-profit organization that has

created its own label to certify products that are fully compostable and

biodegradable.

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www.Bpiworld.org

There are certain standards that biodegradable products need to adhere to

become certified by BPI. A product will go through many tests in the

certification process and the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM)

is their main supplier for these tests.

ASTM was formed over one hundred years ago and was originally created

to improve railroads. ASTM produced a new kind of steel that is now used

worldwide and is much safer than the original product that was used on railroad

tracks. The society has since been working to create safety standards for

materials used in products such as fiber optics and homeland security.

They are now the leaders in standardizing tests for biodegradable

materials. The society has a series of tests that certify biodegradable products

which include the ASTM D6852 test. This test “provides a vendor with a

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standardized process to develop and compile information on the total resources

consumed in creation of a product, define what fraction of the resources are

biobased, and transmit the information in a clear and logical way” (Astm.org).

Other tests used are ASTM D6400, which makes sure the plastic product is fully

compostable and ASTM D6868 which confirms that other plastic materials used

on the product are certifiable. These are tests used by BPI to certify products and

qualify them for the use of their compostable label.

ASTM D6400 is a test for plastics that are made into products which are

“designed to be compostable in municipal and industrial aerobic composting

facilities” (Bpiworld.org). The specifications of this test are to ensure a label that

markets the product as being fully compostable is entirely true. Through these

tests scientists have been able to discover the rate at which plastics should

biodegrade and what (if any) chemical emissions are produced during the process.

This test focuses on the packaging label of a product rather than the product itself.

Consumers and manufacturers must understand that when a product is certified

through BPI it needs to be completely biodegradable, from the package itself to

the marketing wrap that is around it.

ASTM D6868 is a test for biodegradable plastics “which have a plastic

film or sheet attached” (Bpiworld.org). These films and coatings also have to be

fully compostable in a composting facility. This test decides whether the plastic

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covering on the product affects the biodegradation process. This test also pertains

to the label around the packaging of the product. For example, if Coca-Cola

claims that their Coke twelve ounce soda product is one hundred percent

biodegradable then everything that is on the bottle and the bottle itself needs to

pass the tests provided by ASTM to be able to receive the BPI label.

By corporations increasing their use of biodegradable materials in their

products they can start to achieve sustainability. They will be satisfying their

customers and their employees who are looking for a healthier way of living.

There is also a lot of profit that will develop from the use of these new

biodegradable materials. These products will create a new market for the

company and could raise their levels of consumer consumption.

Businesses and Biodegradability

Companies have begun rapidly responding to the going green movement.

They have discovered that their employees are loyal to protecting the environment

and want to work for a company that also has the same loyalty. They are also

realizing that protecting the environment in which they work in will ultimately let

their company grow and could create new business opportunities. However,

while some businesses choose to create sustainability most have been mandated to

change their product production by law.

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On October 8, 2009 executive order 13514, Federal leadership in

environmental energy and economic performance, was mandated by President

Barack H. Obama. This order mandates that government agencies must comply

with environmental requirements including the reduction of waste and the use of

“environmentally preferable materials, products, and services.” The mandate also

requests that businesses with federal contracts must complete sustainability

reports yearly. The order has already changed the way businesses function and

has made them more conscious about the effect they have on our environment.

Businesses that are now being affected by the latest mandate have started

the sustainability process by obtaining a corporate sustainability officer. “As of

2005 nearly all of the 150 largest companies in the world have a sustainability

officer” (Radzinski). These companies include Google, AT&T, Coca-Cola, Pepsi

Co. among others. A sustainability officer needs to be heavily trained and be

willing to teach others how to obtain this new goal of becoming more aware of

their effect on the planet. The company will then write their own set of guidelines

as to what their goals and accomplishments will be for not only economic, but

environment and social stability as well. Companies that are very focused on this

topic will include detailed information in their reports. From there they will

assign employees to accomplish and continually keep track of their progress. This

process does not come easily and requires a large amount of time to accomplish.

While constructing a stability report may not be as challenging, it still takes effort

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and concise details to complete. The time a company decides or is mandated to

complete a sustainability report to the time the report is actually published is

usually a year to two years.

Coca-Cola Company

Coca-Cola‟s 2007 to 2008 sustainability report includes an extensive

amount of information on their plans for environmental sustainability. The report

touches on information about their water use, packaging, and climate protection.

Coca Cola‟s water usage in 2007 was “approximately 300 billion liters” (Coca-

Cola.com). This usage is due to the massive amounts of product they

manufacture each year. They are now considering new ways to lessen the amount

of water they use during this process.

According to their sustainability report, they are “among the world‟s

largest purchasers of sugar, high fructose corn syrup, citrus, and coffee” (Coca-

Cola.com). With the use of these products they are creating a negative effect on

our environment. Using so much of these materials is decreasing the availability

to other manufacturers. Also, the way in which they accumulate these materials is

most likely not helping our resources. Coca Cola is aware of these effects and

they have taken the initiative to start simplifying their production while keeping

their business flourishing.

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“In 2007, approximately 98% of our global unit case volume was

delivered in refillable, recyclable or bulk primary packaging systems” (Coca-

Cola.com). Coca Cola says they are striving to reduce, recover, and reuse their

packaging materials to prevent harm to the environment. In the United States,

50% of their packaging products were either non-refillable or aluminum cans in

2007. “We are in the process of setting specific global targets, in addition to local

targets, in all three areas and will report progress on them in future sustainability

reports on our website” (Coca-Cola.com).

Coca-Cola has been making new changes to some of their products

including making the cap on their bottles smaller to reduce the use of plastic. The

company has recently launched a new Dasani Water ® bottle that is made out of

“up to 30%” plant material. Dasani ® calls their new bottle a PlantBottle ™.It is

“made through an innovative process that turns sugar cane and molasses into PET

plastic” (Dasani.com).

The Dasani Plant Bottle Water advertisement in magazines in “printed on

100% recycled paper”. It features the bottle inside of a plant leaf that looks like it

is growing out of the ground. The image is clear and very colorful, making the

consumer more attracted to it. The bottle is also shown with a green cap instead of

the regular blue one. On the backside of the ad it says “Better by Design”. By

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using a superlative in this sentence it automatically makes the consumer think

their product is superior to others.

www.dasani.com

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“PET stands for polyethylene terephthalate, a plastic resin and a form of

polyester. Polyethylene terephthalate is a polymer that is formed by combining

two monomers: modified ethylene glycol and purified terephthalic acid”

(Napcor.com). PET plastic is not only used in the packaging for water bottles, but

also for cosmetics, salad dressings, oils, and household cleaners. The National

Association for PET Container Resources (NAPCOR) markets their containers as

being completely recyclable so they may be used more than once. NAPCOR also

markets that they are light weight, durable, easy to travel with, and also lessens

the energy needed to transport them. This new water bottle is currently only

available on the west coast.

Frito-Lay North America Incorporated

Frito-Lay North America, Inc. is a company that is owned by Pepsi Co.

They have recently launched a new product in their SunChips® line. SunChips®

have been on the market for many years and Frito-Lay has succeeded in providing

consumers with a healthier alternative to the regular potato chip. SunChips® are

multi-grain and come in many various flavors including original, harvest chedder,

garden salsa, and french onion. Recently, SunChips® have taken on the goal of

becoming more eco-friendly. This year Pepsi Co. launched its brand of

SunChips® that are now in a compostable bag.

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“We dream of a world with less waste. That's why

we've introduced a bag made from plants so it's

fully compostable. Every 10 ½ oz. SunChips®

package is designed to fully break down in just 14

weeks when placed in a hot, active compost bin or

pile. If it takes a little longer, don't worry about it.

Mother Nature will get to it soon enough. Truth be

told, our new bag sounds a bit different than our

previous bags. That's because plant-based materials

have different sound properties than the materials

used to create our old bags. So although this version

is a little bit louder, we hope you'll appreciate the

change and the positive environmental impact it

will have.” (Sunchips.com)

This is a series of images that show the degradation of a SunChips® bag

in comparison to a regular bag. According to SunChips® this was done in a

“green yard waste compost facility” in Chico, CA. The new bag was completely

gone in 8 weeks.

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www.sunchips.com

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SunChips® bags are certified by BPI and meet all of their standard

requirements. The bags are indeed louder than previous bags, but that is a small

price to pay for a completely compostable bag. This is the first eco-friendly bag

introduced in the snack market. SunChips® has taken on the challenge of

creating an absolute sustainable environment and hopefully other snack

companies will soon follow.

Samsung

There are many companies that have begun to offer products that are fully

compostable and biodegradable. These products range from table ware and

beverage cups to cooking supplies and are being made out of plants, vegetables,

cornstarch and sugar cane. Even Samsung has released a new phone called

Reclaim which is “the first mobile phone in the U.S. built using “Bio-Plastic”

materials extracted from corn. This Bio-plastic material is 100% biodegradable.

The Bio-Plastic materials make up 40% of the phone‟s casing” (Samsung.com).

www.samsung.com

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This phone has a keyboard and will make calls and send emails just like

any other phone, but it is safer for the environment. It is available in a green or

blue color. It also comes packaged in a recyclable cardboard box which is safer

for the environment. If more people bought these phones rather than new gadgets

that come out every couple of months we could significantly lessen the effects

they have on our environment and be another step closer to achieving absolute

environmental sustainability.

www.samsung.com

Poland Spring

While some companies make the mistake of declaring their product as

completely biodegradable when it is in fact not, some companies are now just

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claiming they are helping the environment by cutting back on their usage of water

and materials. Poland Spring has made the cap of their water bottle significantly

smaller in order to preserve the amount of plastic used in the product‟s

manufacturing. They use the catchphrase “Less plastic. Less impact.” for their

water bottles. These new bottles are now called “Eco-Shape ® Bottles”;

“Presenting the lightest ½ liter bottle we‟ve ever

produced.* The Poland Spring ® Brand Natural

Spring Water Eco-Shape ® bottle is purposely

designed to be easy to carry and hold – and has

been made with less plastic. So it‟s easier on the

eyes and easier on the environment. Change is

good, but change for the sake of the environment is

better. The new Eco-Shape ® bottle from Poland

Spring ® Brand Natural Spring Water – the natural

spring water that makes a difference. Let‟s all

make a difference, don‟t forget to recycle.”

(Polandspring.com)

Poland Spring is one of the first large beverage companies to introduce a

recyclable bottle. This bottle will appeal towards consumers because they know

it is safer for the environment and because it is produced with them in mind.

With the bottle being easier to hold because of its new shape it makes the

consumer feel as though they are being catered to. In fact, Poland Spring made

the bottle in such a form because that is the way they could reduce the amount of

plastic used in the product.

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Poland Spring is a company owned by Nestle Waters of North America

which is a world leader in bottled water and also owns Nestle Pure Life,

Arrowhead, Calistoga, Deer Park, Ice Mountain, Ozarka, Zephyrhills, Perrier, S.

Pellegrino, Acqua Panna and Contrex. Nestle Waters has been one of first

manufacturers to switch from glass containers to plastic PET (polyethylene

terephtalate) containers. This is a part of their Water Brochure which is a report

on their use of water and how they are improving their uses and effects on the

environment. The company started a recycling program over ten years ago.

“Some 1.2 million tones of PET bottles were collected and recycled worldwide in

2001, 15% more than in 2000. Of this, 40% was collected in North America,

30% in Europe, 20% in Asia Pacific, and 10% in Australia, Africa and Middle

East” (Nestle.com). The report includes a large amount of information about how

the company is helping the environment and the countries of the world. Nestle

Waters is one of the largest companies that has begun to take part in changing the

way we manufacture products to lessen the effects on our environment.

Other Businesses

Among the large companies that are beginning to choose a more

sustainable production approach are also colleges. Western Connecticut State

University (WCSU) is a part of the Connecticut State University (CSU) system.

Their most recent building is the new Science Building which was completed in

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2005. “The new science building is the first state-funded building project to seek

LEED Silver certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. The Council

works to promote environmentally responsible and sustainable buildings”

(Wcsu.edu). When a building is LEED certified it means it meets Leadership in

Energy and Environmental Design standards. This certification is a rating system

determined by the US Green Building Council. The science building on WCSU‟s

Midtown campus is designed to use natural light more than electricity which not

only saves energy, but also costs for the college.

www.wcsu.edu

WCSU has recently begun a green program on each campus and is trying

to limit the use of paper in the student computer labs and libraries among other

goals. Students are asked to print double-sided so they do not use large amounts

of paper. There is also a large blue recycling bin next to every printer which

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encourages students to recycle their extra paper instead of using a regular waste

container. WCSU has also provided trash containers that are divided into three

separate parts; plastic, paper and general waste. This helps make the process

easier when removing waste from the buildings because everything is already

separated.

The café in Warner Hall of Midtown campus offers Greenware® drinking

cups. These cups are made entirely out of plant materials. According the makers

of Greenware®, Fabri-Kal, the cups are manufactured for the purpose of breaking

down in a compost pile or in an industrial compost facility. The use of these cups

will help to protect the air when they degrade in a designated facility.

www.fabri-kal.com

Fabri-Kal also makes various sizes of cups, containers and other products

such as lids and medicine cups. The Greenware® line made by Fabri-Kal offers

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various sizes of drinking cups and portioned containers for food such as fruit and

yogurt. Greenware® is “made in the U.S.A from Ingeo® biopolymer… [the]

product line is 100% compostable in actively managed municipal or industrial

facilities, where available” (Fabri-kal.com). They strive to produce a product

that is eco-friendly and also fulfills their customer‟s needs. Their catchphrase is

“Green means grow with Greenware®” (Fabri-kal.com). Fabri-Kal encourages

companies to use Greenware® to show their employees and customers that they

are trying to make a difference by going green which is why WCSU has chosen

their product to be available to students.

WCSU has also recently accumulated notices on paper towel dispensers in

the bathrooms on campus. They explain that using one paper towel is less

harmful to the environment than using two or more and they include statistics

about the amount of paper we use and its effects on our forests. These notices

about the use of less paper towels comes from the Roots & Shoots organization at

Western Connecticut State University which is a part of the larger Roots & Shoots

organization that is present in nearly 100 countries.

This organization‟s goal is to get young people to realize their effects on

the environment, animals, and community. Once they realize the harmful costs to

their actions they then devise a plan to help stop the problems. By the use of

notifications around their communities and public events, they have started to

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make a change across the world. The program is backed by Jane Goodall, who is

an environmentalist and anthropologist who studied chimpanzees for many years

and began the Jane Goodall Institute. The institute‟s main concern is the

preservation of primates and their natural habitats. The Roots & Shoots program

is an operation of the Jane Goodall Institute.

Roots & Shoots has helped to create a knowledge base for young citizens

that will eventually produce enough change to affect everyone. By reaching out

to young citizens the program is hoping to start the process with the younger

generation so that they will continue to teach the generations of the future as well

as the older generations now. This organization is a part of Western Connecticut

State University and has helped students realize that they need to be more aware

of our environment. It also gives the university a positive attribute that could help

an incoming student decide if they would like to attend the institution over

another one they may have been accepted to. By changing the way the university

functions it will hopefully increase its student body and also help the economy.

This program is another effort in the support to create an absolute sustainable

environment.

New changes in the way businesses, states and people function in their

environment are not only started through new programs like Roots & Shoots. The

movement to ban harmful products has been increasing rapidly on the west coast.

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There are a few operations that have started to change the way people and

businesses operate on the east coast also. There is now an awareness of not only

the use of sustainable products, but also the need to recycle.

Recycling

There has recently been a plastic grocery bag fee being enforced on

consumers. Some states have proposed a bag tax, but legislation has not yet been

passed. Within the states, municipalities have enacted bans on disposable

shopping bags and some municipalities have enforced stores to offer a reward for

consumers who use their own re-usable bags. They do this by taking a certain

amount of money per bag off of the customer‟s total purchase. San Francisco has

issued a non-disposable bag ban and there is a bag tax being considered in

Connecticut which would “impose a 5-cent tax on all disposable shopping bags”

(Nytimes.com).

Lawmakers see this tax as not only helping the environment, but also

providing a means to help the state out of financial debt. “Connecticut fiscal

experts estimate that a nickel tax on plastic and paper shopping bags would

initially raise about $20 million a year. Supporters of the plan say half the money

would pay for new recycling efforts and the rest would be used to save

environmental programs in danger of budget cuts” (Nytimes.com). Unfortunately

this proposal has people divided about the issue. Some feel that it is not okay to

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force the public to pay a tax on non-disposable bags when the economy is in a

recession and many people are having trouble even being able to afford groceries

every week. Not only would consumers have to pay if they used non-disposable

bags, but if they want to buy new eco-friendly bags they will need to purchase

them themselves. Enforcing people to pay for things they cannot afford seems to

be the main reason why the legislation has yet to be passed in Connecticut.

Richard Conlin, a Seattle City council member has been working on the

legislation for Seattle‟s bag ban and states:

“Seattle Public Utilities (SPU) estimates that 360

million disposable bags are used in the city every

year, most made of plastic. Almost 75 percent of

these come from the city‟s 575 grocery, drug and

convenience stores (out of a total 3,600 retail and

restaurant businesses). While Seattleites have a

good record of recycling paper bags, most plastic

ends up in landfills. But paper bags will also be

subject to the fee because, taking into account the

environmental costs of logging and shipping; they

have significant adverse environmental effects”

(Seattle.gov)

In Seattle, Washington legislation has also been passed that enforces a

foam ban going in effect July 1, 2010. This legislation is geared towards the food

service industry and would ban items such as “plates, trays, and hot and cold

beverage cups used at restaurants, delicatessens, fast food outlets and coffee

shops, and meat trays and egg cartons used at grocery stores” (Seattle.gov). This

ban would also enforce that the businesses effected need to use fully compostable,

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biodegradable, or recyclable materials as an alternative. Conlin has been working

towards a greener environment and has stated:

“Cities across the world are adopting policies to

discourage throwaway plastic and plastic-coated

paper products in the food service industry. As a

result, manufacturers and suppliers are responding

with new products - including compostable plastics

made from vegetable sources, such as corn starch

and sugar cane. Over the next two years there will

likely be a variety of new products on the market.

More than 20 U.S. cities have banned polystyrene

food packaging, including Portland, Ore., San

Francisco, Oakland, Calif., and Suffolk County,

N.Y.” (Seattle.gov)

Conlin is making a conscious effort to help our environment and also

produce business and profit for companies. It is important to realize that while

these new products are going to save our environment and health, they are also

going to create a new revenue and job market that is greatly needed during this

recession.

Although there are many more changes on the West Coast, there are new

changes being proposed on the East Coast as well. In Bridgeport, Connecticut the

new BGreen2020 Sustainability Plan suggests “policies and actions to be

implemented in the next decade to improve quality of life, social equity, and

economic competitiveness of the city while reducing carbon emissions and

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increasing the community‟s resilience to the effects of climate change and

increasing energy costs” (Rpa.org).

This plan has many goals and one of them is to reduce waste and increase

recycling and composting.

“Although state-mandated since 1991, only about

4% of Bridgeport‟s collected refuse is recycled.

This does not compare well with Connecticut‟s

statewide rate of 30%. Without major changes,

Bridgeport will also fall short of 58% 2024 target

set by the Connecticut Municipal Solid Waste

Management Plan (Connecticut Department of

Environmental Protection Waste Management and

Disposal Plan, 2006). Bi-weekly pickup of

residential recycling materials, insufficient

recycling infrastructure, and a lack of information

about recycling fosters this low rate. Bridgeport‟s

non-recycled garbage (96% of the city‟s waste) is

burned in the waste-to-energy facility located on

Black Rock Harbor. The resultant ash is trucked

across the state to a landfill that is predicted to reach

capacity in 2018. Future disposal will likely be at

greater distance and greater expense. The

composition of the city‟s municipal solid waste,

including recyclables and organics, indicates there

may be many alternatives to turn this waste stream

into an asset rather than a liability” (Rpa.org).

Bridgeport officials feel that by promoting recycling they will increase

their recycling rates from 35%. With this new plan, Bridgeport will not only be

more eco friendly, but will also make people that would otherwise not have

considered Bridgeport as a place they would want to live or work, possibly

reconsider their decision. Now that one major city on the East Coast has begun to

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change their effect on the environment maybe more will follow suit. This could

develop into the absolute sustainability that is looking to be accomplished.

Senator Joseph I. Lieberman has been actively involved with recycling

efforts in Connecticut for many years. In 1991 he supported the passing

legislation for “American Recycles Day” which devotes November 15th

of every

year to educating everyone about recycling. Lieberman also supported the bottle

bill legislation in Connecticut. The bottle bill now requires that all water bottles

such as Poland Spring, Evian, Dasani and many others have a five cent deposit in

Connecticut. This deposit helps to support recycling efforts in the state and also

the curb side pick-up. Most people use at least one water bottle every day. Some

people have begun to switch to aluminum containers that are filled with tap water

so they can save money on water and also save our environment at the same time.

For the people who do not use this technique, biodegradable water bottles is their

only hope. Instead of throwing the bottles away or having to put them in a

recyclable container that gets picked up every other week by sanitation services,

they can now put them in their collection of bottle returns.

People who think they are being forced to change their ways will be the

ones who hinder the efforts of going green and absolute environmental stability.

Many people are comfortable with the way they operate every day and

introducing new techniques or ideas makes them feel uncomfortable with their

surroundings. To get these people to change their outlook they need to be

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influenced by an outside source. By showing them that their favorite or most

used product is now being offered in a more environmentally safe packaging is

one way to change their ideals.

Businesses and Recycling

In order to obtain absolute sustainability a company must focus not only

on the use of biodegradable products, but also the process of recycling their

materials. By enforcing the recycling of their products a company can assure that

they are protecting the environment and not harming it any further. Some

companies are beginning a recycling regimen through their own efforts and some

must now adhere to recent passing of legislation.

New materials are more likely to be reused or recycled. Companies have

begun to make a special division which focuses on recycling and reusing their

products. Coca-Cola has a special section of their plant which is devoted to the

recycling of plastic caps from their bottles. Coca-Cola has also created a

television advertisement that targets consumers to recycle their bottles. Their

catchphrase is “Give it Back”. In the commercial they show people drinking

Coca-Cola and placing the empty containers in a recycling bin. That person‟s

bottle then becomes the next person‟s new bottle and the cycle continues. This is

effect advertising for their new campaign and will hopefully save them money in

production costs as well as encourage people to take action and recycle.

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Another company that offers a safe alternative is Service Paper Company

based in Portland, Oregon. They offer many different biodegradable products that

suit the needs of their clients. “Lately, there has been a surge in buyers” says,

Melissa Gruse who is a branch administrator. Melissa says companies‟ ideas to

be more aware of their effects on the environment starts with their customers.

Since many people on the West Coast have decided to go green or live a more

eco-friendly life they are starting to affect the companies they either buy or don‟t

buy products from. These companies will want to keep all of their clients so they

will start to make the changes that will better the environment. The companies

will then see that their employees are more satisfied with their lives and jobs and

in return the companies will continue to grow. In these tough economic times,

companies should be doing all they can do to keep their business flourishing and

their employees satisfied. Making these changes also shows that the company

cares about the future and about how they affect it.

Possible Hardships

Although these efforts to make our environment more sustainable have

been fairly successful, they have also encountered problems. Producers of

biodegradable products must make sure that they are correctly displaying and

marketing their product or they will encounter possible hardships.

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By providing correct information on their products, consumers are more

likely to trust them as a company and rely on them in the future to supply them

with eco-friendly choices. Customers are more willing to trust large companies,

such as Coca-Cola, to provide them with true biodegradable products so it is in

the company‟s best interest to make sure they correctly complete every aspect

during the manufacturing of the product.

If the company claims that their product is completely biodegradable then

they need to prove the information by either using the BPI logo or describing in

detail somewhere on the product‟s label exactly what is, or isn‟t biodegradable.

Most products made by large companies are not certified by BPI because they are

only partially biodegradable.

Companies have to be careful with the way they produce and market their

products in order to avoid „Green Washing‟. Green Washing is a term used to

describe a company‟s efforts to go green without completing the entire process to

save themselves money and effort. They may claim their product is green

because it has fewer percentages of harmful chemicals in it, but in reality the total

percentage is so slow that it doesn‟t actually qualify as being a green product.

The same rule goes for biodegradability. The product needs to meet

certain standards before the company can claim that it is biodegradable. A

consumer will know that they are buying a true biodegradable product if the BPI

label is on the packaging.

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“The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) seeks to prevent deception and

unfairness in the marketplace. The FTC Act gives the Commission the power to

bring law enforcement actions against false or misleading marketing claims,

including environmental or “green” marketing claims” (Ftc.gov). The FTC issued

Guidelines that describe how the commission will apply “Section 5 of the FTC

Act, which prohibits unfair or deceptive acts or practices, to environmental

marketing claims” (Ftc.gov). These Guidelines include details about how the

company has to specify the marketing of their product “as to whether it refers to

the product, the packaging or both, or just a component of the product or its

packaging” (Ftc.gov).

An example of unspecified marketing is if a box of individual wrapped

granola bars is labeled “recycled package”. This could mean that the entire box

and its contents is made out of recycled material, but the granola bars are

individually wrapped in plastic, which is not made of recycled material. The

company would then need to change the marketing of the product to say “recycled

cardboard box”. “Environmental claims should not exaggerate or overstate

attributes or benefits” (Ftc.gov).

In section 260.6 (b) under the General Principles heading, the FTC Guides

for the Use of Environmental Marketing Claims states that:

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“It is deceptive to misrepresent, directly or by

implication, that a product or a package is

degradable, biodegradable or photodegradable. An

unqualified claim that a product is degradable,

biodegradable or photodegradable should be

substantiated by competent and reliable scientific

evidence that the entire product or package will

completely break down and return to nature, i.e.,

decompose into elements found in nature within a

reasonably short period of time after customary

disposal” (Ftc.gov)

They give an example of a soap being advertised as „biodegradable‟, but

not having specifications on the product itself about why it is biodegradable. The

company needs to provide the information that they have about their product and

why it is biodegradable on the product‟s label so that consumers will not be

misled.

In June, 2009 the FTC took action against Kmart, Tender and Dyna-E in

regards to their false „biodegradable‟ product claims. According to the FTC,

Kmart marketed their American Fare brand of disposable plates as biodegradable,

Tender Corp. marketed their Fresh Bath moist wipes as being biodegradable, and

Dyna-E International marketed their Light Load disposable towels as being

biodegradable. “The FTC alleged that the defendants‟ products typically are

disposed in landfills, incinerators, or recycling facilities, where it is impossible for

waste to biodegrade within a reasonably short time” (Ftc.gov). The issue was

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settled when all three companies decided to remove their products until they could

correctly market their products in accordance with the FTC.

A company needs to take the correct and complete steps to assuring their

product is in fact biodegradable before selling it. Companies that are not

certifying their products are probably only trying to increase their profits instead

of trying to achieve environmental sustainability.

Conclusion

With the emergence of new technologies and techniques we can finally

begin to save our environment from any further harm. It began in our local

communities with people becoming more involved in the going green movement

and has continuously spread to large companies and organizations. With the

stress of our environment slowly deteriorating and the constant worry of negative

health effects, it is now more important than ever to stop this problem before it

goes any further.

Stopping the destruction of our natural resources and the use of harmful

chemicals will not fully be achieved in our lifetime, but any effort we make to

start a change will help the process. With large companies and organizations

deciding to go green and set goals for environmental stability we are able to see a

healthier future. Soon all companies and organizations will be aware of the

damage they are doing and will need to change the way they function. With more

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and more people becoming aware every day they will need to change or face the

loss of valuable customers and ultimately the decline of their entities.

In order to achieve absolute environmental sustainability, a company must

complete two necessary components; recycling their materials or creating new

materials that will return to their natural state through degradation.

A company can start its‟ changes by completing a sustainability report.

This will help them focus on how to better use their resources and produce safer

products. It will provide them with goals in which to strive for and stay organized

with. The help of legal mandates and legislation will also help further their

successful change for the better. With new materials becoming increasingly

available on the market it is easier for manufacturers to produce a less harmful

product. They now have the option of making a biodegradable product as well as

creating recycling processes. At the very least, companies have begun to realize

that they need to at least reduce the impact of harmful chemicals and products on

our environment.

We will now have a more stable environment in which to live in if the

major suppliers of the products we use begin to change their habits. Having more

readily available eco-friendly products will successfully change the way the

majority of people in the United States think about our environment and our

health. Without the harmful products and chemicals we have now, we can return

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to a simpler time in which harmful diseases and the decline of our planet is less

prevalent.

As long as these companies can comply with certification standards then

we can begin to have a larger supply of sustainable packaging. These products

will soon become the preferable choice when a consumer is choosing their

products. Years from now we will be shopping at grocers that only carry these

products and having to choose between sustainable and non-sustainable

packaging will not be a concern. However, if large companies try to collect

profits for products that are falsified they will have to face the legal complications

and hopefully this will hinder them from making the wrong decisions.

It will be challenging to completely change the way all people think in

aspects of their health and the environment, but if we do not try to make an effort

to create a change then we will never know what good could have evolved from

it. We have started with small measures by choosing products that are more green

and safer for the environment. When all large companies and organizations

completely make a change to eco-friendly products and manufacturing we will be

on track to a better future.

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