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February 1, 2008
Environment solutions for your home
Posted By HELEN LEVCHUK
China, a vast country with its huge population and manufacturing sector, is entering its new year by announcing an important new step in ecological responsibility. With the eyes of the world on the upcoming Beijing Summer Olympics, plus increasing pressure from the global community to join the fight against global warming, the government recently announced that as of June 1, all supermarkets, department stores and shops will be prohibited from handing out free plastic bags. Instead shoppers will be encouraged to use cloth sacks or baskets.
This may sound like a small step but considering China's population -1,321,851,888 as of July 2007 - this is a major move to begin engaging every person on the planet to join forces in the eco-consciousness sweeping the world. We are all part of the planet. We are all part of the problem. We can all be part of the solution by reducing our personal "environmental footprint."
Plastics of all types are world wide problems. North American households have a notorious collection of them. Slowly but surely plastics are undergoing major transformations to make them less dangerous to humans and the environment. The days of petro-chemical based plastics are numbered and ultimately they will go the way of the dinosaur, ending up intact in landfills for centuries to come.
Right now there is a race among manufacturers to come up with biodegradable "plastics" suitable for green box or backyard composting. It is an obvious and first step move to get where the action is heading.
Bioplastic comes from plant sources such as cornstarch and soy rather than petroleum. Another bonus with products of this type is that per tonne their manufacturing process produces up to three times less carbon dioxide than plastic.
Bioplastic waste bags are starting to appear at most supermarkets, hardware and retail stores. If you can't find them, ask for them, in fact push for them. Remember, as of April, paper and bioplastics will be the only options for curb side waste collection.
A few years ago, plastic wraps were made from super-clingy polyvinylidene chloride (PVDC or PVC)-until it was discovered they were extremely toxic, in part because of the phthalates that gave the products their stretchy quality.
Now most major manufacturers such as Glad and Saran have switched to less controversial low-density polyethylene (LDPE) which is phthalate-free. The best product in this category is Saran Premium Wrap that, in its bid to fulfill the company's commitment to use more environmentally responsible ingredients in their products, has also dropped the use of chlorine in this product.
All major manufacturers have a 1-800 information line so it's easy to find out if your favourite brand is phthalate and chlorine free. Both the FDA and Health Canada warn that using plastic wraps and containers for anything other than their original purpose can cause health problems. In other words plastic food containers and water bottles are not meant for reuse.
The type of plastic in containers from cottage cheese, margarine, sour cream etc. begins to break down almost immediately after its original use and breakdown can cause leakage of chemicals into the food. Putting hot food into this type of container speeds up the break down, increasing the risk of chemical contamination.
Toss all plastic food containers into your blue bin for recycling and never re-use. Opt instead for name-brand plastic containers such as Tupperware, Gladware and Ziploc that are PVC and phthalate-free and are specifically manufactured for reuse.
Plastic water bottles are another major eco-blight. Even the most popular brands made from #1 polyethylene terphthalate (PETE or PET) known as the most guilt-free, recyclable plastic has its problems. According to the Container Recycling Institute, 86 per cent of plastic water bottles used in the United States end up in a landfill or becomes litter.
The problem: too many bottles, not enough manufacturers to reprocess them for re-use in new products. You can do your small part in lessening the plastic bottle overload by carrying your water in one of the snappy new water bottles made of aluminum or stainless steel. These are the smart new accessories that make the fashion statement, "I'm eco-hip."
http://www.stcatharinesstandard.ca/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=884056
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