Boulder, CO, November 1, 2003 Green, consumers are a rapidly growing market-segment: 63
million adult Americans or 30 percent of the U.S. adult
population, make purchasing decisions based on their personal,
social and environmental values (as per the 2001
LOHAS
Market Report.) And, they're looking to patronize companies
that uphold similar values. And, there's no better place than
the point-of-purchase for retailers to prove to their customers
that they are ?walking the talk? of environmental conservation.
That's why many retail businesses are taking a hard look at the
way their products are currently packaged ? especially the
plastic bag that's carried out of the store.
The EPA reports that, in 2001 alone, more
than 90% of the plastic used to manufacture all containers and
packaging that year was later discarded, without being
recycled. (11,240 thousand tons manufactured vs. 10,160
thousand tons discarded.) And, for plastic bags in particular,
less than 5% ever reach a recycling facility. Instead, they
wind up tangled in trees and waterways, choking land and marine
animals that mistake them for food, or enduring in our already
overflowing landfills. Plastic bag disposal has now become a
huge, global problem.
Starting in the 1980s, some manufacturers
attempted to solve the growing litter issue by creating a
plastic bag with starch added to it. But, this didn't solve
problem because, while starch bags break apart, they do not
completely mineralize (i.e. do not completely convert to carbon
dioxide and water). So, fragments of plastic still remain in
landfills and composting facilities.
The continuing evolution of plastic
technology now brings us a step closer to a solution:
completely degradable plastic bags. The new product is marketed
under the name Earth-Friendly EF/Bags. They're strong enough
for repeated re-use. But, they also contain a new patented
additive of metal salts that enable degradation to go beyond
simple breakdown. The plastic fragments mineralize completely
and return to dust in the soil. And, because the additive
itself is a natural element, it will not pollute the recycling
stream. So, EF/Bags are also just as highly recyclable as any
other plastic bag.
Darrin Dennison, owner of Sprouts Whole
Foods & Vitamins Markets in Midland, Texas, recently switched
from paper bags to EF/Bags at the check-out. He says, "We love
them! And, our customers really like them too. They get really
excited when they learn the bags are not only reusable, but also
degradable, and that they're not going to end up in the trees
like so many other companies' bags!"
Earth-Friendly EF/Bags are manufactured by
Roplast Industries of Oroville, California, and distributed
exclusively by Bags, Inc., of Boulder, CO. EF/Bags are
available in two formulations: Degradable EF/D Bags and
Compostable EF/C Bags. Both are FDA-approved for direct food
contact, and their degradation claims have been tested and
verified by ASTM, the American Society for Testing and
Materials. EF/D Bags will break down within 18 months of
disposal. EF/C Bags contain a larger amount of the additive,
and are designed to break down within 30-60 days of disposal in
the controlled environment of a commercial composting facility.
If disposed of in any other manner, EF/C Bags will break down at
a more natural rate of 12-24 months.
Founded in 1996, Bags, Inc.
began primarily as a distributor of stock industrial packaging.
An early adopter of technology, Bags developed its first Web
site in 1996 and now uses the Web as the main source of
marketing and advertising. Bags, Inc. is an integrated supplier
of earth-friendly packaging products for retail, industrial,
food service and promotional businesses.
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