LEARNING A NEW LANGUAGE AND GREENWASHING Part 1.
November is here and it has been an exciting few weeks in yachting with lots of events happening – the largest being the METS show this month. Now is a time Captains are making choices about new systems to put onboard and looking for new innovative products and ideas.
With so many new products on the market and everybody claiming their product is ‘sustainable’ it is hard to know what is the right product and what actually makes it sustainable or better for the planet. Greenwashing, (the process of conveying a false impression or providing misleading information about how a company’s products are more environmentally sound), has sadly become is a common practice with some mainstream companies spending more money on their image and PR than actually changing how they run their businesses and make their products.
So what is the answer? Who can you trust? Shopping with reliable companies that you develop a relationship is a good start. Don’t be blinded by good images and marketing speak.
Another thing to do is learn a little about all they different terms that are used and they symbols you find on products so you know what each of them mean and why they are important. Here is Part 1 of a guide to some language and labels commonly found. As this is such a complicated issue we will deal with the labelling and language of plastics this month.
BIODEGRADABLE V’s COMPOSTABLE
These terms are used a lot when marketing products and can get confusing. One thing to remember is that “While all compostable products are biodegradable, not all biodegradable products are compostable”
Compostable products are made by organic elements or plants that are able to degrade in a relatively short time, they break down into only natural element which leave nothing toxic in the environment (humus). For this to happen these items need a specific compostable environment to degrade which includes warm temperatures, nutrients, moisture and plenty of oxygen.
Biodegradable is a term used to refer to the breaking down of a product into smaller particles, literally the fact that it degrades and gets smaller. It can be applied to any material that can be broken down by microorganisms (like bacteria and fungi) and assimilated/absorbed into the natural environment. This happens over a much larger period of time and needs no specific conditions.
HOME COMPOSTABLE
This means that the biodegradable packaging will break down under specific home composting conditions back into water, carbon dioxide (CO2) and biomass
INDUSTRIAL COMPOSTABLE
OK Compost label meets the requirements of the European standard for compostable packaging, EN 13432. Carrier bags and packaging with the OK Compost label are guaranteed to compost within 12 weeks in an industrial composting installation (at temperatures from 55 °C to 60 °C).
BIOPLASTICS
You may have seen a surge onto the market or plastic looking items that advertise themselves as being compostable/biodegradable/made from plants etc. These belong to a new family of Plastics called Bioplastic. According to European Bioplastics, a plastic material is defined as a bioplastic if it is either bio-based, (i.e. produced from a renewable biomass source such as vegetable fat, oils, corn starch etc) OR biodegradable, OR features both properties.
WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT??
A common mistake is with new bioplastics (such as those found in new alternative Coffee Pods / Single use Plastic Cups and Cutlery etc). These are often labelled with the word compostable and a symbol which instantly makes you imagine that in the environment they will break down in the same way that an apple core would for example if it ends up on the ground. However what this label and wording generally means (there are some exceptions) is that in an INDUSTRIAL COMPOSTING FACILITY with perfect conditions this material will breakdown as organic matter. They reality is that there are very few of these facilities in Europe and there is currently no recycling bins especially for these products – if they end up in the environment or the home compost bin they stay for a long time or if they end up in the Plastics bin they can contaminate recycling chains.
We want to do the right thing and so we purchase these products thinking are better but it is important to look at the whole cycle and think about where these items will end up and if they really are the better choice. Some companies such as Vegware have set up closed loop systems where they collect their own compostable bioplastics back to recycle in their own facilities. We need to press for these facilities to be more common place in public areas and home collection as well.
Are BIOPLASTIC’s Good or Bad?
Bioplastics themselves are an great alternative to traditional plastics which we know are destroying our planet. They are plant based, in the correct facilities breakdown into non toxic waste and don’t use petroleum which are all positives. Also some of the newer bioplastics such as types made from Sugar cane (BioPE and BioPET) have an identical composition to traditional plastics meaning they can be recycled together (yay!). To have this available is great but reducing our plastic reliance and switching to alternatives where we can should still remain a lkong term goal. Bioplastics is a term used to encompass a lot of different types of plastic so always check with each company about how and where you can recycle their products.
We are really excited to announce that our new website – made to meet the unique needs of Yachts and their crew is up and running NOW. With everything to help you reduce plastic use, buy more ethically, sustainably and locally made products and a huge range of Bulk Cleaning and Toiletries for guests and crew all in one palce and packed with information – please check it out and let us know what you think!
Hannah
+34 634 326 981
Hannah is an ex-stewardess who now runs Viveco and Viveco Yachts, an Eco Yacht, Hotel and Home supply shop in Mallorca.
