BJ Tipton, UNC recycling
coordinator, and I had tried to get actual information from them on their
make-up and compostability prior to dining services’ decision.
Instead of providing details, they instead fired back a very defensive attack
on BJ for even asking questions; but NO further life cycle details on the
product. Unfortunately, I think their name, Dispozo, sums up their world
view.
From their website, http://www.dispozo.com/enviroware.html
, they are proud to note that they’re designed to break down into carbon
dioxide and methane in landfills…As noted in the recent report, “Stop
Trashing the Climate” [http://www.stoptrashingtheclimate.org/] and
by work done by the Sierra Club Zero Waste Committee, it is now known that
methane from landfills is a MAJOR source of climate warming gasses. Methane
is over 100 times more efficient in holding in heat than CO2 in the critical next
ten years which is believed to be the “tipping point” after which
there is no return by NASA’s Jim Hansen and many other climatologists.
UNC is not doing the environment
any favors if these are designed to go to landfill and not to be composted.
Pete Pasterz
From: GreenYes@no.address
[mailto:GreenYes@no.address] On Behalf Of Blair Pollock
Sent: Wednesday, July 30, 2008 5:53 PM
To: GreenYes@no.address
Cc: Amy Brooks
Subject: [GreenYes] Dispoz-o?? Is it compostable? Is it biodegradable?
What is it?
Importance: Low
Does anyone know about the claims this company is making for its
product 'environware'? I am not at all sure it's a truly compostable (as
opposed to 'biodegradable'?) product and hope someone can provide some
insight here? The dining services at UNC Chapel Hill just selected them as
their vendor for 'disposables'. Emphasis below is not mine.
Blair
Pollock
Solid
Waste Planner
Orange
County Solid Waste Management Department
P.O.
Box 17177
Chapel
Hill, NC 27516-7177
(919)
968-2788 or direct: (919) 968-2800 x161
(919)
932-2900 fax
Recycle
on vacation this summer in North Carolina: find out how wherever you're headed:
(800) 763-0136 or
http://www.p2pays.org/localgov/PAYT/ncwaste.asp
http://www.dispozo.com/enviroware.html
enviroware™
products
are formulated to interact with micro-organisms that are present in standard
landfills, composting landfills and in our natural environment. These micro-organisms
attack the molecular structure of the plastic and metabolize those structures,
breaking it down into organic
compounds. enviroware™ products do not contain any dyes or
pigments that could be harmful to the environment. In addition, enviroware™
plates, trays, bowls and hinged containers are the only plastic resin based
products in the world that are both 100% biodegradable and are manufactured in
an environmentally friendly manner that does not use hydrocarbons in the
manufacturing process. http://www.dispozo.com/
Breakthrough in
Biodegradable Plastic
Dispoz-o Products,
Inc., one of the largest domestic manufacturers of disposable products for the
food service industry, has developed a revolutionary line of 100% biodegradable
plastic cutlery, straws, stirrers, plates, trays, hinged containers and bowls.
enviroware™ is certified by an
independent testing agency as 100% biodegradable. In addition, enviroware™
is FDA approved and meets the strictest standards of the Food Grade HACCP
certification from AIB.
enviroware™ products are
formulated to interact with micro-organisms that are present in standard landfills, composting
landfills and in our natural environment. These micro-organisms attack
the molecular structure of the plastic and metabolize those structures,
breaking it down into organic compounds. enviroware™ products do
not contain any dyes or pigments that could be harmful to the environment. In
addition, enviroware™ plates, trays, bowls and hinged containers
are the only plastic resin based products in the world that are both 100%
biodegradable and are manufactured in an environmentally friendly manner that does not use hydrocarbons in the
manufacturing process.
“There have
been a lot of products introduced into the market claiming to be biodegradable when in fact these products
are not biodegradable but only compostable”, states Joseph Lancia,
President & CEO of Dispoz-o Products. “The major difference between
our enviroware™ products and these compostable products is that
the compostable products have to be sorted, segregated and taken to large
industrial composting landfills in order for them to degrade. This takes
additional labor and time, and
there are very few industrial composting landfills available in the US.
Therefore, most of these compostable products end up in standard landfills where they do not degrade.
These compostable products are typically very expensive, have an inferior
quality and appearance, and deteriorate when exposed to heat. So in the end,
the consumer has paid a premium for a product that is inferior and is not truly
biodegradable. Our enviroware™ line of products are cost
effective, maintain the same properties and characteristics of our standard
plastic products, require no special handling, are recyclable and 100% certified biodegradable.
This is truly a revolutionary breakthrough.”
DISCLAIMER: