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New, earth-friendly EF/Bags share the same
properties as all other polyethylene bags:
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Require less energy to manufacture, and
less weight and volume in storage, transportation, and
ultimately landfills.
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Lightweight, yet tough and durable,
encouraging repeated reuse before disposal.
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Just as easy to recycle as other
plastics -- the patented metal salts additive does not pollute
the recycling stream.
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EF/Bags will also completely degrade
-- whether they're disposed of properly, or if they,
unfortunately end up as litter.
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It's the bag
that recycles itself!
Product
description:
EF/Bags are available in two formulations:
Degradable EF/D Bags: begin
to break down within 18 months of disposal
Compostable EF/C
Bags: begin to break down within 30-60 days, because
they contain
additives that foster a more rapid break down when disposed of in
commercial composting facilities.
Degradation:
EF/D Bags begin
to break down within 18 months with oxidation and
fragmentation, followed by complete mineralization into the
soil.
EF/C
Bags Begin to break down within 30-60 days in
well-managed commercial compost systems. In more general
compost or soil applications, EF/C Bags completely break down
in 12 to 24 months
ASTM
Testing:
EF/D bags meet all the
degradation standards defined in test D3826 of the American
Society for Safe Testing and Materials (ASTM)
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Technical Specifications
For those interested in more
specifics, see below for:
| bag characteristics, including FDA approvals for food use |
| degradation rates |
| ASTM test results |
Bag Characteristics:
| Comparable in appearance, strength, elasticity,
density, and water resistant qualities to other poly-ethylene
bags. |
| No harmful residues. EF/Bags are manufactured using
a patented additive of salts. In contrast to other
polyethylene products, there are no harmful residues from either
degradation or disposal. |
| Completely degrades, unlike bags with a cornstarch
additive, which breaks into shreds, but doesn't completely
mineralize. |
| Meets FDA requirements for direct food contact. |
| Also recyclable. EF/Bags can also be recycled in
the same ways as any ordinary poly-ethylene film. |
Shelf life:
EF/D Bags
can be stored for up to 18 months without loss of
properties, unless exposed to heat in excess of 120 degrees
Fahrenheit or direct sunlight continuously for several days.
EF/C Bags can be stored
for up to 9 months, under similar conditions.
EF/C Bags
comply with all the safety and eco-toxicity requirements of the
American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) D6400-99
except for the arbitrary period of complete mineralization that
is set at 6 months (180 days). Like many natural, organic
tissues found in nature, EF/C Bags mineralize and degrade in 12
to 24 months. |
