Bottled Water Business Is on the Decline

After nearly two weeks of disappointments in Copenhagen, environmentalists can celebrate one small piece of news today: Bottled water sales are down and are expected to continue to fall next year, according to the Beverage Marketing Corp.

The $11 billion bottled-water industry saw nothing but growth for three decades, peaking in 2007 when each person consumed 29 gallons of bottled water a year, MSNBC reports. That number was down 3.2 percent in 2008 and is expected to drop another 2 percent this year.

The fall in consumption may have to do with a movement to make people aware of the effects plastic has on the environment. Because it takes plastic up to 1,000 years to break down naturally, water bottles contribute greatly to the buildup of trash in the environment.

• Continue reading • Comments (0) 18.12.2009. 20:52

Novomer's green plastic coming soon

This one is about the the $800,000 funding from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYERSDA) will soon help Novomer commercialize its polypropylene carbonate (PPC) materials made carbon dioxide.

Novomer said it will use Kodak Specialty Chemicals' existing facility at Eastman Business Park in Rochester, NY, for a pilot project to create the PPC plastic for packaging and coating applications (examples are bottles and shrink wrap). Other potential PPC markets include surfactants and fibers. The Rochester Institute of Technology is helping with the product processing development, according to Novomer.

The technology, however, was developed at Cornell University.

• Continue reading • Comments (0) 17.12.2009. 21:21

Liquid Planet Introduces Biodegradable Tea Packaging

Sachet is wrapped in a NatureFlex corn-resin overwrap, which comprises of a naturally-occurring plant starch.

Liquid Planet, a Montana-based tea company, has launched organic tea packaged in single serve, biodegradable and compostable sachets and clear overwraps. The company claims that it is the first company to do so on commercially in the world.

• Continue reading • Comments (0) 16.12.2009. 21:16

Government wants your input on plastic bags

Conservation Minister Bill Blaikie wants your thoughts about what to do with plastic bags.

Blaikie said in a news release today the province wants ideas from consumers, vendors and bag manufacturers. Proposals already before government include:

* plastic carry-out bags sold and distributed in Manitoba contain a minimum of 25 per cent post-consumer recycled material, increasing to 50 per cent within five years;
* all larger stores that distribute plastic bags have take-back programs for recycling plastic bags;
* all plastic bags sold or distributed in Manitoba be imprinted with a message reminding users to recycle or reuse the bag; and
* all compostable or biodegradable plastic bags sold or distributed in Manitoba be required to meet national or international standards and be certified as such.

• Continue reading • Comments (0) 08.12.2009. 20:55

Alternative packaging from biodegradable farm waste

Two young American businessmen have developed a green alternative to ubiquitous polystyrene packaging -- made from farm waste and mushrooms -- that uses 10 times less energy to produce, and biodegrades into a natural fertilizer.

Called EcoCradle, the product can also be used as insulation and is grown, not manufactured, with no greenhouse gas emissions, such as CO2, as a byproduct, co-inventor Eben Bayer, 24, told AFP in an interview.

"We have developed a platform that we think is perfect for replacing the polystyrene that is used in packaging, because... it is biodegradable and it's created using almost no energy, almost no CO2 emissions," he added.

• Continue reading • Comments (0) 06.12.2009. 21:14