Biodegradable plastics a solution to overflowing
landfills - The Barbados Advocate, 23/11/2006
The Barbados Advocate
-
Thursday, 23/11/2006
Biodegradable plastics a solution to
overflowing landfills
A NEW
range of biodegradable plastic products is being
described as the solution to the problem of overflowing
landfills across the world.
Chief Executive Officer of Symphony Environmental, Michael Laurier, said that for small developing island states, the problem of disposing of plastics was serious, but his products could offer a solution.
The solution is not to ban plastics, the solution is not to incinerate plastics, because it creates poisonous gases and the process is rather expensive. The solution to this problem is to make plastic vanish.
The range of products was introduced to officials attending the ACP/EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly during a ceremony hosted by Symphony Environmental and Brydens Limited on Tuesday evening at the Barbados Hilton.
The new technology that makes it possible for plastic to vanish is called OXO-degradation. Oxo-biodegradable plastics can be programmed at the time of manufacture to degrade in as little as few months or as much as a few years. This is possible due to the addition of a small amount of a pro-degradant additive in the manufacturing process, which changes the behaviour of plastics, Laurier said.
The plastic degrades to become carbon dioxide, water, and humus, and does not leave fragments of petro-polymers in the soil. It is also safe for long-term contact with any food type at temperatures up to 40 degrees Celsius, and is ideal for frozen food packaging. Most flexible and semi-rigid products can be made from oxo-biodegradable plastics, including shopping and garbage bags, films for packaging, bottles, among others.
Director of the Environmental Protection Department, Jeffrey Headley, said that plastics were one of the waste streams of concern in Barbados because of the length of time they take to degrade and their wide use. However, he said, that the introduction of a wide range biodegradable plastics would provide a solution to this problem and have a positive effect of conserving land space, and on Barbados environment. Headley said that the Ministry of Environment looked forward to working with any organisation offering products to help Barbados fragile environment.
Group Chairman of ANSA MCAL (Barbados) Limited, of which Brydens Limited is a subsidiary, John Bellamy, noted the frightening impact of humans on the environment, but said the excellent and affordable bio-degradable plastics could help reduce this stress if the products and principle behind them become widely accepted.