January 26th, 2012
by EPI Media / EPI News, Products
Vancouver, Canada – (January 26, 2012) – On January 18th, 2012, EPI Environmental Products Inc., of Vancouver British Columbia, launched its new line of OxoGreen oxo-Biodegradable Plastic Products.
Even after more than 20 years of being in the oxo-biodegradable plastic industry, EPI felt there needed to be more 100% degradable and bio-degradable products available to consumers globally.
For this reason, the OxoGreen line of products was created.
This year in Canada, not only will OxoGreen produce 100% degradable garbage bags but whenever possible, these bags will also be made from 100% recycled materials.
OxoGreen will be establishing relationships with its current TDPA licensees to become partners in the manufacturing and distribution of the OxoGreen products initially for the North American market and thereafter will proceed to move forward on a global initiative.
EPI is the Pioneer of the Oxo-Biodegradable Plastic Additive, TDPA (Totally Degradable Plastic Additive), which when added to the manufacturing of plastic, makes them degradable.
Although the Environmental Protection Agency of Canada has been pressuring municipalities to recycle plastic bags, less than 7% were being recycled due to low participation and lack of suitable facilities.
Unfortunately recycling plastic bags is not the total solution. It is too costly of a proposition as per the following example as quoted by Jared Blumenfeld, the Director of the Department of Environment in San Francisco, “After 10 years, the recycling rate for plastic bags in San Francisco – which is pointed to as a model nationwide – is 1 percent, so 99 percent failure”.
Recycling Position (San Francisco, Dept of Environment director) for 1 ton of recycled plastic bags:
· Recycling and processing cost: US$4,000 / ton
· Resulting value of the recycled material: US$32 / ton
For this reason, using an OxoGreen Oxo-Biodegradable product is making the right choice.
Sandy MacLean has joined the EPI team to head up our OxoGreen Division.
For more information, please visit OxoGreen at http://www.oxogreen.com
Source:
Arnoldy, Ben. “Seldom Recycled, Plastic Grocery Bags Face Bans in S.F.” The Christian Science Monitor. Christian Science Monitor, 29 Mar. 2007. Web. 26 Jan. 2012. <http://www.csmonitor.com/2007/0329/p01s03-ussc.html/(page)/2>.
About EPI Environmental Products Inc.:
January 6th, 2012
by EPI Media / EPI News
Vancouver, Canada – (December 21, 2011) – EPI Environmental Products Inc. is pleased to announce the receipt of a ‘Certificate of Conformity’ from the Emirates Authority for Standardization and Metrology (ESMA), authorizing EPI to supply their TDPA® oxo-biodegradable plastic additives and products in the United Arab Emirates.
The UAE Government has recognized the potential detrimental implications of plastic pollution on the environment. Nevertheless, a complete ban on plastic products is undesirable, while attempting to recycle all discarded plastic is impractical. The Emirates Authority for Standardization and Metrology (ESMA) has been mandated to enforce compliance of all new plastic bags with the bio-degradability requirements specified in the UAE Standard 5009/2009.
Effectively, all new plastic bags must be 100% degradable; thus, if discarded in the environment, the plastic must degrade without causing any harmful contamination. Therefore, the manufacture and supply of plastic products in the UAE is strictly contingent on their degradability credentials having been approved by the ESMA. Quality control is further ensured by periodic independent testing. EPI’s TDPA® oxo-biodegradable plastic products have been accredited by the ESMA to conform to the relevant standards. As they are 100% degradable and recyclable, when discarded, they will bio-degrade into carbon dioxide, water, and biomass, which are all inherent constituents of the natural environment.
Indeed, as the pioneer in the development and commercialization of oxo-biodegradable plastic additives, EPI is well-positioned to enter a collaborative partnership with the UAE Government to achieve our shared ambition of achieving sustainable and eco-friendly means of utilizing plastic products. Through a corporate philosophy of innovation and rigorous scientific validation of its technology, EPI remains the industry leader, as demonstrated in the superior degradation performance of EPI’s TDPA® oxo-biodegradable plastic additives compared to those of competitors.
The problem of pollution caused by degradable plastic waste is immediately apparent; moreover, if timely action is not taken, it represents a future environmental calamity. EPI applauds the UAE for their initiative in taking such positive action in dealing with this very real problem, and would like to thank all those involved in the certification process, for their dedication to a cleaner, healthier tomorrow.
About EPI Environmental Products Inc.:
Established in 1991 in Canada, EPI Environmental Products Inc. (EPI) with its UK subsidiary EPI (Europe) Ltd. has become a world leader in the fight against plastic waste. EPI licenses proprietary technology that causes plastic to degrade. Plastic bags, plastic film, plastic packaging and other single-use plastics can remain in the environment for decades. When these products are manufactured using EPI’s additives, they will degrade and subsequently biodegrade when discarded in soil, in the presence of microorganisms, moisture, and oxygen.
