[GreenYes] Re: Can you feed the stuff to the fish?

[Alan Muller <amuller@no.address>]

At 03:12 PM 11/2/2006 -0500, RicAnthony@no.address wrote:
>In a message dated 11/2/2006 12:06:44 P.M. Pacific Standard Time, 
>stevew@no.address writes:think bio-plastic bottles are a 
>great idea except the "recycling problem" is definitely a 
>concern.....should definitely support other bio-plastic products 
>such as cups, and foodservice containers.
>
>I worry about all the food service containers and utensils that are 
>dumped into the environment  becoming fish and bird food before 
>totally decomposed.
>Rick

Well, there are several issues here that are only loosely connected:

o       The feedstock that a plastic (or other container) comes 
from.  Oil, coal, starch, cellulose.....

o       The extent and mechanisms by which it is "biodegradable," 
"compostable," etc.  (are there any standards for the use of these 
terms on labels?)

o       How it fits into existing "recycling" programs and channels.

I'm certainly not a polymer chemist, but I think it is likely that 
any material that can be polymerized can be 
depolymerized.  Traditionally people in the plastics industry devoted 
themselves to making materials durable--resistant to sunlight, heat, 
mechanical strain, etc.  Now we are sort of saying we want some of 
our plastics to last just long enough to do the job, them "poof!"  We 
are asking these materials to be pretty smart and socially responsible....

Alan

Alan Muller, Executive Director
Green Delaware
Box 69
Port Penn, DE 19731 USA
(302)834-3466
fax (302)836-3005
greendel@no.address
www.greendel.org 

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