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Change your footprint, not your process
Plastics can take up to 1,000 years to decompose, as such, our communities have tried to find ways to impact our environment through waste reduction and recycling programs. However, what if there was a way to increase the rate at which the plastics decompose, so that they take up space for a shorter amount of time in the landfills that our societies are accustomed to using?
Introducing Eco-One®, an organic additive that enhances the biodegradation of plastic products. Plastics are made of long chains of monomers, forming polymers. These polymers are incredibly stable and are not easily biodegradable—making them perfect for primary packaging but difficult to decompose quickly. This is where Eco-One® resins help to catalyze the biodegradation process.
The Eco-One® additive helps to attract microbes to the surface of the plastics. When the microbes secrete their enzymes, the plastic is rendered hydrophilic allowing moisture or water to adhere to the surface of the plastic. More and more microbes colonize on the surface of the plastic and create a bio-film composed of the microbes themselves and water.
The accumulation of water expands the plastic matrix, giving the microbes access to the entire polymer matrix. The microbes break down the larger polymer chains into simpler monomers, which are more easily biodegradable. The polymers are transformed into biomass (inert humus which enriches the soil) and biogases (methane and carbon dioxide).
Products using Eco-One do not require UV light or oxygen to biodegrade and will biodegrade at any landfill depth. This helps to shorten the time span the plastic would have occupied the landfill space from hundreds of years to approximately 10 years or less. ASTM D5511 tests, which represent biologically active landfills, have shown 12.5% biodegradation in 67 days
Eco-One® is FDA compliant for contact with food in polystyrene (PS), polyolefin [all polyethylene (HDPE/LDPE) and polypropylenes (PP)] and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) applications. In addition to this, Eco-One does not affect the functionality or composition of the plastic, ensuring that the recycling process, shelf life, and storage process remains unchanged.
Eco-One® resins can be used for most types of flexible, non-rigid, and rigid packaging as well as in a variety of plastics (e.g. extruded, blow molded, injection molded etc.).
Ready to incorporate Eco-One® resins into your primary packaging? Contact our team today. (here)
Interested in more eco-friendly alternatives? Read regarding our metal-free and refillable components (here)