Re: Biodegradable Plastic Emerging

Corn based plastics (aka PLA or Poly Lactic Acid) were invented to address the problem of using petroleum as a source. However it cannot biodegrade or compost unless it is placed into specific, man made, mechanically heated environments which are not readily available to most of the population. Let's look at 3 facts:

1-In order to break down, PLA must be discarded in a commercial composting facility. These are generally huge operations used to process massive amounts of food waste from grocery stores, agricultural waste, restaurant food waste etc. Do you know where your nearest commercial composting facility is? If so, do you take your plastic waste there each week? Almost everyone answers "No, I recycle it or it goes in my trash then to a landfill."

2-The answer to whether PLA can be recycled in today's recycling infrastructure is also, unfortunately, a resounding "No". PLA contaminates the recycling stream and cannot be comingled with current recycled plastics.

3-PLA has significantly reduced performance as compared to traditional plastics, severely limiting it's ability to be applied to many every day needs for which the world relies on plastic in the first place!

These shortcomings have inspired new technology to solve the end-of-life of plastic waste in the recycling stream or in our landfills. ENSO additive technology is one example. This additive can be added to everyday plastics during manufacturing to render them biodegradable in aerobic or anaerobic (landfill) environments. Specific microorganisms found in nature and in landfills are attracted to the additive. They feed on it, multiplying and colonizing. As they metabolize the carbon in the ENSO additive they secrete powerful enzymes to break down the plastic polymer. In this way they can get to the carbon that is within the plastic polymer and begin to use that as a food source as well. This process breaks down the polymer completely in a few years instead of centuries. What is left behind is inert humus (soil) and gases (carbon dioxide and methane).

The good news is that plastic produced using this additive maintains original performance qualities AND can be comingled in the everyday, municipal recycling stream. It works for today's plastic applications.

Stop by the website to learn more. The FAQ page is a great place to start. http://www.ensobottles.com

Thanks, Max