EPI News
March 19th, 2012
by EPI Media / EPI News
EPI Environmental Technologies Inc. has recently been accorded the Emirates Quality Mark by the Emirates Authority for Standardization and Metrology (ESMA). This distinction of technical excellence recognizes the quality and reliability of EPI’s range of oxo-biodegradable plastic additives and products. Moreover, it is also a tribute to EPI’s long-standing presence in the region – serving as the principal advocate for the uptake of eco-friendly oxo-biodegradable plastics technology and crucially, collaborating with governmental organizations to establish national quality standards.
As the pioneer of the global oxo-biodegradable plastic revolution, EPI has been at the heart of progress. Commencing with the initial commercialization of this radical technology, EPI has not ceased to innovate – OxoGreen®, a range of oxo-biodegradable plastic products incorporated with EPI’s premium brand of additive known as Totally Degradable Plastic Additive® (TDPA®)was only recently unveiled. Moreover, EPI initiated and was integral to the establishment of international standards for this technology, including those published by the American Society for Testing Materials (ASTM D6954-04) and the British Standards Institute (BS 8472-2011).
EPI’s vision of reducing society’s environmental footprint by abolishing plastic pollution has always been a global one. Thus, even in EPI’s infancy, long-term collaborations were being established with international partners to introduce oxo-biodegradable plastic technology on a global scale, and to assist in governmental regulation of the industry.
Indeed, EPI’s collaborative partnership with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Government and with numerous businesses in the region spans two decades. Importantly, EPI offers a customized TDPA® oxo-biodegradable plastic additive to ensure optimal performance in the warm climate; unsurprisingly, the degradation performance of EPI’s TDPA® additive is significantly superior to that of all other competitors. Our other achievements also include advising in the development of the UAE’s 5009/2009 oxo-biodegradable plastic national standard, convincing the UAE Government to legislate mandatory bio-degradation requirements for plastic products, attaining official recognition from the ESMA regarding the efficacy of EPI’s TDPA® additive, and most recently, being bestowed with the Quality Mark Award.
“EPI is committed to achieving cost-effective, yet sustainable and environmentally-friendly means of utilizing plastic products. This latest success in our collaborative partnership with the UAE Government and businesses in the region is true testament to the strength of EPI’s vision. Furthermore, our unparalleled record for innovation, underpinned by rigorous scientific validation of our technology, places EPI at the forefront of the degradable plastics industry. Our commitment to disseminating oxo-biodegradable plastic technology globally remains undiminished, and we would welcome opportunities to engage in new collaborative partnerships to share our expertise and innovation,” said Joseph Gho, EPI President and CEO.
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.
March 8th, 2012
by EPI Media / EPI News
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
United Arab Emirates Organization for Standardization (ESMA) Awarded EPI the Emirates Quality Mark
(Pictured from left to right: Adelene Ong (EPI’s Technical Director), Joseph Gho (President & CEO of EPI), Engineer Mohammed Saleh Badri (Director General of ESMA) and Abdulla Al Muaini (Director of Conformity Affairs Department)
Vancouver, Canada – (March 8, 2012) – The United Arab Emirates have made it mandatory to use oxo-biodegradable technology for plastic products in an effort to control and diminish plastic waste from their environment. All plastic products which are locally produced and those that are imported into the UAE will need an ECAS Registration Certificate issued by the Emirates Authority for Standardization and Metrology (ESMA). EPI’s additives and products have been certified to have complied with UAE standard.
On January 30th, 2012, Joseph Gho, President and CEO of EPI Environmental Products Inc. was presented with the Emirates Quality Mark Award, at a ceremony held in the offices of ESMA (Dubai). In attendance were Engineer Mohammed Saleh Badri (Director General of ESMA), Mr. Abdulla Al Muaini (Director of Conformity Affairs Department), EPI’s President & CEO, Joseph Gho and Adelene Ong (EPI’s Technical Director).
Engineer Mohammed Saleh Badri, Director General of ESMA pointed out that companies that have received the Emirates Quality Mark will have a strong marketing advantage in the UAE and International markets as consumers have confidence in these products which meet the specification and technical requirements set by ESMA.
EPI President and CEO Joseph Gho responded “It is with great pleasure that EPI receives this distinction of excellence. I applaud the UAE Government for their initiative in recognizing the detrimental implications of plastic pollution on the environment and their wise decision in adopting oxo-biodegradable technology to address this problem.”
EPI was incorporated in 1991 and since that time has been the pioneer and world leader in the development and commercialization of oxo-biodegradable plastics technology, a technology that enables essentially non-degradable conventional plastics to degrade and biodegrade in the environment. EPI additives are now sold in more than 60 countries and our unwavering commitment to provide real environmental benefits has established EPI’s daisy logo as the most widely recognized and trusted brand associated with environmentally responsible plastic.
Mr. Gho also introduced OxoGreen, EPI’s new line of oxo-biodegradable plastic products incorporated with EPI own premium brand of additive known as Totally Degradable Plastic Additive® (TDPA®). OxoGreen plastics are primarily polyethylene and polypropylene to which a small percentage of our additive is added to make these products controlled life plastics. With its controlled lifespan and its ability to biodegrade in the appropriate environment, oxo-biodegradable plastic has proven to be very popular in many countries: they are safe, easy to use, and cost effective and provides an environmentally responsible solution to the issue of plastic waste accumulation.
The ESMA certification and the Emirates Quality mark award have created huge opportunities for EPI as customers are confident that they are using a technology that will provide them real environmental benefits.
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.
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February 24th, 2012
by EPI Media / EPI News
Vancouver, Canada – (February 24, 2012) – EPI Environmental Products Inc., (EPI) is proud to announce that they are in the process of updating and implementing the appropriate and required Quality Management System to qualify for ISO 9001:2008 and also for the Environmental Management System (EMS) for ISO 14001:2004 certification with the guidance from IMSM, ISO Specialists.
ISO 9001:2008 Quality Management is the global standard for quality management which will boost EPI’s success, profitability and market potential. The certification of ISO 9001 will improve and measure EPI’s proficiency in management systems, customer service, staff motivation and continuous improvement to allow EPI to deliver the highest quality products and customer service.
The certification of ISO 14001:2004 Environment Management will assist EPI in reducing their waste and lower costs. It will allow EPI to arrange a fully integrated and effective Environment Management System (EMS) serves as a tool to improve environmental performance and offers a clearly structured and systematic approach to assist in achieving goals.
By working towards achieving these ISO Standards, EPI is demonstrating a commitment to quality and is serious about delivering the highest quality of products through tested processes.
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.
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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.
