Bioplastics

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Read more: What are bioplastics? Factsheet [PDF]

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Better solutions to consumption problems

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“However this virtuousness soon dissipated once Michael Braungart – co-author of Cradle-to-Cradle – entered the spotlight. Michael’s light-hearted cynicism pointed to the fact that we are not too overpopulated at all, but rather we are just too stupid. Braungart emphasised that in our quest for sustainability all we have been doing is coming up with solutions to the problem by being to “less bad” rather than producing products and services that are actually beneficial to our environment. In Braungart’s eyes, eco-efficiency is merely a form of “guilt management”, and being “less bad” doesn’t actually make us any better.  “Braungart doesn’t believe our current rates of gratuitous consumption need to be reduced at all—in fact, he actually views consumption as fundamentally good. If we do it in the right way, that is. He believes the fundamental flaw of today’s society actually lies in the fact that our design is “bad”. Braungart asserts that we don’t need to be reducing anything a...
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Kiwi firm leads way with its sweet plastic bottle

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Source: NZ Herald,  By: Dr Michelle Dickinson Find your nearest plastic bottle or tub and turn it over. You are likely to see a number inside a triangle which corresponds to it being a recyclable product. The actual numbers run from 1-7 and describe the type of plastic that the object is made from. No 1 is PET, short for polyethylene terephthalate, and used in fizzy drinks bottles, No 5 is PP, or polypropylene, probably housing your takeaway meal. Although all plastics with these numbers - apart from No 7 - can theoretically be recycled, in fact many items such as polystyrene food trays with No 6 on the bottom must be sent to landfill because of their possible contamination with meat products.Scientists and engineers call plastics "polymers", which derives from Greek origins: "poly" means many and "mer" means parts. Plastic to us describes the way a material responds to force. If you remove the applied force and it springs back like a rubber band w...
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Symbols on plastic bottles

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These are the various symbols indicating different types of plastic bottles. Here's what they all mean. PET/PETE PET is the most commonly used type of plastic for consumer products, such as drink bottles and certain types of packaging. It's intended for a single use only, as repeated use can cause bacterial growth. These bottles can also release heavy metals and chemicals which cause hormonal imbalances. This is a difficult plastic to decontaminate. HDP/HDPE HDPE plastic is the stiffer plastic used in milk gallon jugs, detergent bottles, and some toys and plastic bags. HDPE releases very few chemicals, and experts recommend trying to get water bottles made of this plastic as it's the safest one. PVC/3V PVC is a flexible plastic used to make food wrapping, teething rings, toys for pets and children, and bottles of cooking oil. It releases two toxic chemicals which can potentially cause hormonal imbalances. Experts recommend finding an alternative if possible. ...
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