permaculture

[lbsaltzman@aol.com]

What we have to get away from is so much packaging.  I really resent when I 
go to a market and they have organic bananas or other produce wrapped in 
plastic to distinguish them non-organic produce.  Or corporate organic farms 
and distributors who package produce in plastic containers.   Fortunately I 
grow my own and buy from local farmers so I don't buy much of the packaged 
stuff.  We have to all start demanding that packaging be eliminated wherever 
possible.







-----Original Message-----
From: Laura Frazier <farmgirlarts@gmail.com>
To: slowfooddc@lists.ibiblio.org; permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org
Sent: Thu, 11 Oct 2007 11:59 am
Subject: [permaculture] Compostable Packaging



In an effort to begin replacing petroleum-based packaging, some major
orporations are turning to plant biomass (corn and potato starch) for
ompostable packaging for foods.  There are so many things we use that are
etro-based which will require replacement that it boggles my mind.  If we
ontinue to turn to food sources for the replacements, what are we going to
at?  Very complex, eh?
Laura
*     foodnavigator.com
ompany to produce compostable food packaging*
By Ahmed ElAmin
  11/10/2007- *The Instone Group has joined the race to grab a slice of the
iodegradable food packaging market by launching a subsidiary that will
arget the produce and meat segments.*
New Ice, the new company, will develop, produce and market a range of
ompostable food packaging. It will add more capacity in the market for
hose processors who want to make the switch to more
nvironmentally-friendly packaging.
*"The company  has been operating in stealth mode for a few years and is
onths away from introducing a new class of biodegradable food and beverage
ontainers that are compostable,"* Instone stated.
The packaging will target packagers of produce, meats and poultry.
New Ice has applied for process patents covering its potato starch
ormulation. The formulation replaces plastic and Styrofoam food container
roducts, the company claimed.
The packaging is being designed to conform to international ASTM 6400
tandards for compostable materials.
New Ice is building its first manufacturing line in Durango, Colorado and is
urrently testing pre-production products, said Giles Instone, New Ice's
ounder. The company also has established offices in the UK and Australia.
*"We have spent the last six years researching and developing a new class of
roducts that will revolutionise the entire life cycle for compostable food
ontainers,"* he said. *"We've conceived an approach using a new process
hat will give food packagers an opportunity to be environmentally
esponsible, while protecting the quality of the food products that they
ell."*
The packaging products will not be available for a few months, he said.
New Ice is the not the first player to enter the biodegradable and
ompostable packging market. Over the past five years packaging suppliers
ave been introducing various forms of biodegradable materials to replace
lastics and foams.
These materials are made from a variety of plants, in the main corn, in
esponse to projections that consumers and recycling regulations will drive
emand for environmentally-friendly packaging.
Some companies predict that the market will grow by about 20 per cent a
ear, and the products are an alternative to petroleum-based packaging such
s the widely-used polyethylene terephthalate (PET).
Earlier this month Cargill announced it was teaming up with Japan-based
eijin to produce polylactic acid (PLA). A similar alliance has been formed
etween DuPont and Plantic.
Materials such as PLA and PHA are made from a variety of plants.
To produce PLA manufacturers use a chemical polymerisation process to
ransform renewable raw materials such as corn into a biodegradable
iopolymer.
Meanwhile biodegradable polymers such as polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA), PHV
nd PHB are produced by the actions of genetically modified micro-organisms.
Demand for bioplastics in Europe experienced its first boom last year,
ccording to a survey by the European Bioplastics Association, which has
bout 70 members. Currently bioplastics account for less than one percent of
he European plastics market.
PLA is a plastic biopolymer, wholly derived from corn, which is compostable
nd biodegradable  * Copyright - Unless otherwise stated all contents of
his web site are (c) 2000/2007 – Decision News Media SAS – All Rights
eserved. For permission to reproduce any contents of this web site, please
mail our Syndication department: contact our Syndication
epartment<http://www.foodnavigator.com/feedback/index.asp?type=4&page=%2Fnews%2FprintNewsBis%2Easp%3Fid%3D80477>.
ull details for the use of materials on this site can be found in the Terms
 Conditions <http://www.foodnavigator.com/misc/misc.asp?idmisc=6>. *
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