When I checked my IGBA email this morning, I had a question pop into my inbox from a community member (who will remain anonymous) - and why not blog about the answer?
I had takeout today and noticed the Greenware plastic cups and lids. I am curious if you know if it’s more sustainable to produce plastic that is compostable (I presume that’s what Greenware means), but in the end, you’re throwing it away. Or would it be more sustainable to produce it the “same old way” with the idea that a % of it can be/gets recycled?
Great Question! I don't know if there is a definite answer, but I'll give it a shot with some facts.
The person is talking about three things:
1) Is this bio-based cup really more sustainable to use even though it ends up in a landfill like other plastics?
Here's some information about
Greenware plastic cups: http://tinyurl.com/29p6ol2
"Greenware® cold drink cups and lids are a line of crystal clear, American made premium serviceware manufactured from Ingeo™ biopolymer, a resin derived entirely from plants. Ranging in sizes from 7 to 24 ounces, Greenware products are a sustainable solution in foodservice packaging. Sturdy and stylish, Greenware cups feature a rolled rim for drinking comfort and leak-resistant lid application."
Benefits
• Resin derived entirely natural and renewable resource
• Crystal clear for complete product visibility
• Durable material unsusceptible to flavor or odor transfer
• 100% compostable in actively managed municipal or industrial facilities, where available. Industrial compost facilities may not be available in your area.
• Five most popular sizes fit only two lid series
• Many merchandising options
• Biopolymer lids create 100% natural package
• "Sourced locally" and manufactured domestically
• Large, flat and un-interrupted labeling space for outstanding branding opportunities
What is InegoTM bio-polymer? It is a plant-based polymer that dextrose (sugar) is produced from to create plastic products.
"The emissions and energy reductions are even greater when Ingeo(TM) bioresin is compared to petroleum-based plastics. For example, the process of manufacturing PET (polyethylene terephthalate), the polymer most commonly used to make water and soda bottles and the mainstay of the synthetic fibers industry, emits 3.4 kilograms of CO2 per kilogram of resin produced. By contrast, the new Ingeo(TM) manufacturing process emits 77 percent less, with 0.75 kilograms of CO2 per kilogram of resin. The new Ingeo(TM) production technology also consumes 56 percent less energy than the equivalent weight of PET." (http://www.csrwire.com)
** NOTE** PET Plastic is a common resin material used to make plastic containers and is usually marked with a #1 on the bottom of the container, meaning it is recyclable in Champaign-Urbana
A life cycle analysis of the product also showed that decomposition of the bio-polymer was quicker than a standard PET plastic. Here's the EPA's long term vision for the product:
For more info on the bio-polymer, visit this website for a
PDF presentation:
From what I've read, it seems as though even if the product does end up in a landfill, it will still emit less CO2, use less energy to produce, and decompose quicker than the average PET plastic. Whether the product is recycled or not, the bio-based product looks to be the better choice.
2) Is it more sustainable to continue making plastic cups/lids and ensure that a certain percentage is recycled?
There is no good answer for this question, because it really depends on if you recycle and if your hauler recycles the materials you separate out from the trash. Someone might be able to guess or estimate the percentage of materials recycled based on previous trash collection rates, but it is never guaranteed. Therefore, I wanted to point out some things about PET (drink container) plastics and recycling statistics.
Here's what I found from the Container Recycling Institute:
Are PET plastic bottles recyclable?
Coca-Cola's answer
We are currently using packaging containing Recycled PET in a number of U.S. markets, and we believe our use of recycled-content PET will expand over time. (NOTE: In April Coke announced that it will use 10% recycled content in 25% of its PET bottles.)
CRI's answer
Yes, but in 1998 nearly 2 out of 3 PET soda bottles (15 billion) were NOT recycled. There are many companies that could have recycled those bottles into new bottles, or fibers for carpets and clothing and a variety of other products.
Although, plastic bottles have the lowest energy production, lowest solid waste, and emit the least amount of green house gases, according to the Container Recycling institute.
Side Note: This graph amazed me because glass is one of the least recycled materials and it has the highest amount of environmental impacts, but the lowest market cost right now.
Finally, I thought the following graph was interesting to see how many PET bottles were sold and the estimated amount recycled or thrown in a landfill.
From these two graphs and knowing that it takes about 50-80 years for PET plastic to decompose in a landfill (www.usepa.com), it seems that even if we continue making PET plastics not from bio products, there is no guarantee whether they will be diverted from a landfill.
3) Is there any difference between bio-plastics and regular PET plastics, and what are the environmental benefits?
As you can see, from graph #1 and #2, bio-plastics look to be better than current PET plastics because they reduce the amount of CO2 in production, as well as takes less time to compost in the soil. Additionally, they are made from a bio-product that helps reduce the environmental impact post-consumption.
However, there isn't a clear answer to this question. The amount of energy/water/chemicals it takes to produce the bio-plastic vs. the amount of energy/water/chemicals it takes to produce a general PET plastic resin is unclear. The entire life cycle analysis for the bio-product demonstrates that the bio-based product has a lower long-term environmental impact than regular PET plastics, but I'm not convinced that the bio-plastic is more environmentally beneficial pre-production.
The Future
From this information, I hope you can begin to see how recycled content/bio-based products can be more environmentally beneficial than using newly created materials, but I challenge you to look closer at the life cycle of these materials. A lot of companies are conducting life cycle analyses to try to uncover the overall product benefits, and these are readily available to review online. A lot of companies are also green-washing - stating a product/service is environmentally beneficial or "green", but not being able to demonstrate how or why. Green is a great marketing tool, but credibility and actual environmental benefits are much more important in the long run.
Next time you see a cup with an eco-label or that it is made out of a bio-based material, know that you're making more of an environmentally friendly choice for your business and your customers, but also challenge the product to ensure that the product is credible in their claims.