TALKING TRASH…The Simple Truth About Plastics

In recent years we have seen the demonization of plastic bags provided to their customers by grocery stores and other retailers. Some countries have levied a tax on the use of these bags while others have banned their use outright. The movement against these bags has been so strident it’s as if the elimination of plastic bags would solve all of the earth’s pollution problems. This line of thinking is naive to the extreme.

Walk down any aisle of any grocery store anywhere in the world and you will be surrounded by plastic products that improve the quality of our life – shampoo and laundry detergent bottles, bread bags, cookie and candy packaging, milk jugs, mustard, vinegar, spices and other condiment containers, produce bags, meat, fish and cheese packaging, paper towel and bathroom tissue packaging, and on and on and on. What about all these plastic products? Don’t they also represent potential plastic pollution?

Or have we conveniently ignored all these other plastic products that we find so useful every day?

Are You Supporting Greenwashing and Don’t Even Know It?

Due to the recent rise in consumer demands for sustainable products, manufacturers and marketers are jumping on the latest trend in consumer product marketing to entice customers to buy their products.

However, what most consumers don’t realize is that we are all being subjected to “Greenwashing” – a term describing the act of misleading consumers concerning the environmental practices of a company or the environmental benefits of a product or service.  TerraChoice Environmental Marketing, a North American environmental marketing firm, completed a study called “The 7 Sins of Greenwashing” which reported on the environmental claims made on products carried at “big box” stores throughout North America.  View recent 2009 study here: The 7 Sins of Greenwashing 

Do Biodegradable Plastics Really Work?

Dr. David Wiles, board member of EPI’s International Scientific Advisory Board (ISAB), responds to a common question posed many times in the media such as the article found here: http://motherjones.com/environment/2009/05/do-biodegradable-plastics-really-work

Do  Biodegradable  Plastics  Really  Work?

The correct answer is Certainly, YES.

Let’s see where Ramani went wrong!

In trying to answer the question “Just how long does it take for conventional plastics to break down?” Ramani should have noted that there are dozens of different kinds of plastics available commercially and there is no single answer to the question for all these  different materials. His answers to subsequent questions make it clear that he’s talking primarily about polyolefins. Frequently he includes irrelevant consideration of compostable products. What follows here is a correction of his misleading/incorrect statements that do not apply to the oxo-biodegradable polyolefins developed by EPI.

Your Feedback and Comments

We’re interested to hear your thoughts on what matters in our industry and what matters to you.  The blog was created with you in mind and we encourage everyone to share their feedback and comments in our new blog.  From success stories, experience with your new product application, to consumer response in your community, the blog was designed to let us all share our experiences in the plastics industry.  Let us know what interesting topics you want us to cover in our blog. We are open to your ideas!

Do you think EPI’s blog will be a beneficial resource tool for your business? Tell us what you think!

EPI Launches Online Blog and Forum

EPI Environmental Technologies Inc. the pioneer and leader in oxo-biodegradable plastics (OBP), announced today that on Tuesday, April 20th, an online blog and forum will become a new addition to its corporate website. EPI will focus on including blog articles which educate and inform online visitors the benefits of oxo-biodegradable technology and provide information on the biodegradable plastic industry as a whole.  The goal of the blog is to become the preferred information source on such topics.  Online visitors will be encouraged to offer their feedback on our articles, share success stories of using oxo-biodegradable technology and share reactions from the global communities in which they have implemented EPI’s technology. 

Plastic has long since been an area of heated debate between environmental interest groups, legislative parties and the general public.  This has prompted scientists, plastic suppliers and manufacturers to respond and validate their products.  EPI is dedicated in continuing their efforts to be a reliable, informative industry leader to these groups.