Sustainability
Why Sustainability Matters
Everyone can agree, the way we are living and using the earth's resources is not sustainable. If we want to save our planet for generations to come we need to find better ways to reduce the harm we inflict on the environment around us.
But just how bad is it? The statistics will shock you.
The Real Cost of Plastic Disposables
- 380 million metric tons of plastic is created each year, approximately half of that is for single use plastics.
- Containers and packaging are the leading cause of plastic waste in the united states at over 14.5 million tons per year. (EPA)
- 500 Million drinking straws are used each day in the US.
- When disposed of plastic breaks down into microplastics, and then into even smaller nanoplastics. These smaller plastic fragments are causing serious harm to the earth's waters and grounds. In fact studies have shown that the fragments end up in soil that is used for farming. This means the plastics are making it into our food chain. It will be years before we know the full effect of the damage this is causing to wildlife and human health.
- According to plasticoceans.org We have produced more plastic in the last 10 years than the previous 100 combined.
Recycling - does it help?
The short answer is yes, recycling helps, but it's not a perfect solution, and it's not enough.
- Less than 9% of all plastic gets recycled
- In 2018 the EPA reported that approximately 46 million tons of paperboard and paper were recycled which was a rate of 68.2%. This means recyclable materials are being disposed of as waste on a regular basis.
- While recycling of Polystyrene (Styrofoam) is possible, it is extremely expensive, and most recycling plants will not accept it. Recycled polystyrene can't be used to make entirely new foam products and is typically only used to make smaller products like packing peanuts.
Why Compostable products are the answer
Molded Fiber
- Molded fiber is created from natural plant fibers. Trees can take up to 30 years to mature, while natural plant fibers take as little as one year making it an incredibly sustainable resource.
- Less water and energy is required to produce natural molded fiber than Styrofoam, paper, and recycled paper.
- When molded fiber is manufactured it results in less CO2 being emitted than plastic.
Bamboo
- Bamboo plants take up to 2 years to mature, whereas trees take more than 30 years to mature. This means bamboo is a rapidly renewable resource.
- Our products are created from the sheath that the plant naturally sheds at maturity.
- No harmful dyes, bleaches, resins or other chemicals are used in our bamboo products.
PLA and CPLA
- PLA is a plastic alternative that looks and feels like plastic, but is actually created from a resin made from corn starch.
- PLA is 100% petroleum free.
- PLA products compost fully within 6 months at commercial compositing facilities.
Product Certifications
Our products are rigorously tested and are certified by these industry agencies:
| ASTM International (ASTM) |
|
|
| BPI Certified | This certification can be found on several of our products and shows that they have gone through comprehensive testing to ensure their compostability. | |
| FDA | Our products meet FDA approved guidelines for food contact. | |
| Kosher | Our products are certified Kosher | |
| ISO 9001 | Certification of production methods to meet a high level of quality management and system standards | |
| ISO 14001 | ISO 14001 addresses “Environmental management”. This means what the organization does to:
|
|
ASTM D6400 or ASTM D6868 compliant for compostability (ASTM was originally known as the American Society for Testing and Materials)