Terms To Know
A handy guide to some of the terms used in the green industry.
Bagasse - Remains of sugar cane pulp after juice is extracted; used to make byproducts such as packaging, paper, and absorbent products.
Bio-Based - Materials that are derived in whole or in part from a renewable agricultural resource such as corn and potatoes, via biological processes that contain recently fixed (new; within our lifetime) carbon; also can refer to materials made using biological processes regardless of the source of the raw materials.
Biocompostable - plastic and paper products which disintegrate and biodegrade completely and safely when composted in a municipal or commercial facility (typically used for yard trimmings and food scraps). Biocomposting is usually completed within 90 days. Decomposition rate will be faster if the products are broken down to small pieces or ground up. Certain packages from renewable resources, like those made from PLA and sugar cane, can be composted in your own backyard. For more information on this subject, see our Waste Disposal page.
It is important to note that while Biodegradable Food Service offers a various selection of biocompostable tableware products, appropriate compost facilities may not exist in your area.
Biodegradable - Biodegradable, as referenced by the Federal Trade Commission, refers to the fact that a product will break down and return to nature within a reasonably short time after customary disposal. It should be noted that commercial composters set their own standards for the biodegradable materials they will accept. In addition, every municipality has different compost facility requirements. Contact your local city environmental department or commercial compost facility in order to determine which grade of biodegradables they will accept.
To take this description further, it is important to note that most landfills are designed with one objective: to prevent the decomposition of the items they contain. Very few items that end up there will fully decompose in less than one year (including undeniably-organic grass clippings and leaves from trees). However, this one-year landfill deadline is now among the FTC’s proposed definitions of the term “biodegradable.” Therefore, according to this FTC guideline, some BDFS products may not universally be described as biodegradable!
For more information on this subject, see our Waste Disposal page.
Bioplastic - plastics made from corn, potato or other annually renewable, biodegradable, and compostable sources.
Carbon Footprint - A measure of the impact human activities have on the environment in terms of the amount of greenhouse gases produced, measured in units of carbon dioxide. It is meant to be useful for individuals and organizations to conceptualize their personal (or organizational) impact in contributing to global warming.
Closed Loop Recycling - A closed loop system occurs when a recyclable material is used, discarded, captured, and then recycled into a new product. An example of this would be recycling waste milk jugs to make plastic lumber or other products.
Compost – as defined by the US Composting Council, compost is the product resulting from the controlled biological decomposition of organic material that has been sanitized through the generation of heat and stabilized to the point that it is beneficial to plant growth.
Compostable – The ASTM D6400 (for Compostable Plastics) and the ASTM D6868 (for Compostable Packaging) are industry standards in which products must meet the following requirements: 1. Disintegrate rapidly during the composting process; 2. Biodegrade quickly under the composting conditions; 3. Not reduce the value or utility of the finished compost and allow the resulting humus to support plant life; and 4. Not contain high amounts of regulated metals.
CPLA- Polylactide Aliphatic Copolymer - Biodegradable CPLA is a mixture of lactide and aliphatic polyesters. CPLA is made by copolymerising lactide (made by fermenting cornstarch, cheese whey, etc.) with aliphatic polyester (e.g., dicarboxylic acid or glycol made from fermentation of glycerol). All are renewable resources. CPLA is similar to PLA but differs in that a crystallization process in its formation permits the CPLA resin to stand up to higher temperatures.
GMO - GMO stands for genetically modified organism (GMO) which means an organism whose genetic material has been altered using genetic engineering techniques. These techniques, generally known as recombinant DNA technology, use DNA molecules from different sources, which are combined into one molecule to create a new set of genes. This DNA is then transferred into an organism, giving it modified genes.
It is important to note that TaterWare products are made from GMO-free potatoes. In most growing regions worldwide, potatoes are prohibited from genetic modification. So, we are proud to say that products made exclusively from TaterWare are “100% GM-free. “
Life Cycle Analysis - The key measurement tool for environmental sustainability is Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). LCA is a technique for assessing the environmental impacts associated with a product (or service), covering all stages in a product's life.
Life Cycle Inventory - A product's cycle starts when raw materials are extracted from the earth, followed by manufacturing, transport and use, and ends with waste management including recycling and final disposal. At every stage of the life cycle there are emissions and consumption of resources. The environmental impacts from the entire life cycle of products and services need to be addressed. To do this, life cycle thinking is required.
Monopack - This refers to a package that is made from one material category for easy sorting and recycling. An aluminum can with a paper label is not a monopack. A plastic milk jug and the plastic cap are usually made from the same plastic material (HDPE with the number 2 recycling logo) and is a monopack.
PLA - Polylactic Acid - is a product made from starch-based resins (from corn, wheat, tapioca or potato) and then fermented into a polylactic acid, resulting in a product with a look and feel like petroleum-based plastic. PLA is the one of the most commonly used bioplastics for making products. See CPLA.
Polystyrene - Polystyrene is used for many disposable or one-time-use containers. It goes by many names, Styrofoam being one. Polystyrene is a petroleum-based, non-renewable resource material that is not accepted by most recycling centers. Polystyrene releases 57 chemical by-products during manufacturing and can leach chemicals into food when heated. Polystyrene is listed by the EPA as a possible human carcinogen.
Renewable Resource - A naturally-restoring source that regenerates at a percentage equal to, or faster than, the human consumption rate. Annually renewable resources are those naturally-restoring sources that can regenerate within one year. Renewable resources and energy sources offer improved efficiency, are more cost-effective, and are inexhaustible.
As a commodity crop, potatoes are harvested on an annual basis worldwide. Thus, they can be described as an “annually renewable” resource. All products made from our proprietary TaterWare resin consist predominantly of potato starch (obtained from the US, Europe, and Asia). So, we describe TaterWare as a product made with annually renewable resources. Only three other ingredients (including a catalyst) are used. Although these minority components are not annually renewable, they provide durability, exceptional functionality, and conformance to FDA standards.
Similarly, our compostable EarthFiber Lid is made from annually renewable bamboo and sugar cane crop residuals and other added ingredients.
Recyclable - Material that still has useful physical or chemical properties after serving its original purpose and can be reused or remanufactured to make new products. Plastic, paper, glass, steel and aluminum cans, and used oil are examples of recyclable materials.
Sustainable - A way of life in which the use of natural resources does not destroy them for future use.
What is a “sustainable” product or practice? Why do we sometimes refer to our products as “earth-friendly” or “environmentally preferable,” even when they may end up in a landfill? At BDFS, we always fall back on the one advantage that is unequivocal for our packaging: whenever one of our products is used to replace a traditional plastic or petroleum-based product, some quantity of non-renewable resources is left on the shelves. Thus, choosing our products is one way consumers vote for the principles of a) extending finite petroleum resources, b) keeping traditional plastic out of landfills, and c) promoting the use of annually renewable resources.
