Marine Degradable Bioplastics Are The Key To Saving Our Seas From Plastic
53,333 blue whales. 1,333,333 elephants. 615,384 school buses. What do all of these numbers have in common? Take a minute, think about it. What could blue whales, elephants, and school buses possibly have in common? We’ll give you a hint: they’re all really heavy. Give up? Well, that number of blue whales, elephants, and school buses is how many of each of those add up to 8 million metric tons. But what’s the significance of 8 million metric tons? What could possibly weigh that much? That’s the amount of plastic waste that is dumped into oceans every single year. Isn’t that shocking? To put this in perspective, there are only 25,000 blue whales left in the world. That means we dump twice the weight of the world’s living blue whales’ worth of plastic into the oceans each year. It’s mind-boggling!
We all know that marine plastic pollution is a worldwide issue that not only threatens marine wildlife, but humans as well. Any plastic that is consumed by marine animals that humans then consume as seafood has the potential to transfer harmful effects to us. One of the easiest ways to help plug the plastic faucet at its source is to choose products that are made from marine degradable materials. But what does marine degradable mean? Basically, a product that is certified for biodegradation in a marine environment will either list successful passing of ASTM D6691–an American test standard for marine biodegradation–or will show a TUV OK biodegradable MARINE certification. The difficult catch in marine certification is that organizations don’t want to encourage people to toss trash in the ocean just because it will biodegrade. Therefore, the OK MARINE certification can only be reported for products that are meant for marine usage (like fishing gear for example).
When products or materials are marine degradable, this means they will disintegrate (ie, physically break down) into pieces smaller than 2mm in just 3 months, and will be completely biodegraded (ie, chemically broken down to innocuous elements and compounds) in under 6 months. This makes these materials much less likely to harm marine wildlife. From plastic bags, to microplastics, to balloons, to kilograms of congealed plastic waste–any of these have the potential to be fatal to marine life. In fact, in 2006 a Cuvier’s beaked whale was found dead after a single plastic bag entangled its intestines. A whale was taken down by a single plastic bag. We tend to brush off animal deaths that are caused by plastic internally; if we can’t visually look at it and see the damage that plastics have done, then plastics aren’t at fault, and we can continue justifying their usage to provide convenience for ourselves . But these animals deserve an ecosystem where they don’t need to worry about consuming something that clearly resembles food but will eventually kill them.
It’s a tough position to be in. While we want to have the convenience of single-use plastic products, we do so at the expense of our oceans and marine wildlife. At UrthPact, it’s our goal to keep 25 billion pieces of plastic from oceans and landfills. And while this is just a tiny dent in the 51 trillion pieces that are already floating around in our oceans, we want to do everything in our power to make a difference. Every single straw, coffee pod, or piece of cutlery we produce and sell is one less plastic piece headed to a landfill or the ocean. Each little dent we make is a piece of the larger solution. By beginning the transfer over to marine degradable and compostable materials, we truly have solved the single-use plastics problem. Now, we just have to share that solution with the world. Things are changing. What can you do to make a difference?
The Summer Of Sustainability – How Plastic Pollution Effects Wildlife
A sea turtle with a straw in its nose. Whales washing ashore with stomachs filled with plastic bags. Birds feeding plastic pieces to their chicks. Wildlife all over the planet suffers at the hands of plastic pollution, whether they are terrestrial or marine. We tend to only consider marine species when looking at the plastic pollution problem, but it affects terrestrial species just as much. This past week we celebrated World Lion Day, World Elephant Day, and World Hirola Day. Each of these species has been affected by plastic pollution. Elephants in particular have suffered, as landfill waste has overflowed into their habitat, and many animals have suffered from consuming plastic waste.
Besides elephants, a huge range of wildlife are negatively affected by plastic pollution. Some of the most common are marine mammals, seabirds, sea turtles, and camels. It’s estimated that 54% of all marine mammals have been impacted by plastic pollution in some way, whether it’s ingestion or entanglement. ⅔ of all seabirds worldwide are negatively affected as well. All 7 species of sea turtles have problems with plastic, especially plastic bags which can mimic jellies in the marine environment. Jellies are a key food source for sea turtles, and therefore it’s estimated that over 50% of all sea turtles have ingested plastic debris at some point. Camels are also impacted mainly by plastic bag waste, and they account for half of the camel deaths on the Arabian Peninsula each year.
Plastic waste negatively impacts wildlife in a variety of ways. One of the main ones is due to the fact that animals consume and ingest plastic waste thinking it’s food. This can lead to a variety of problems. Animals cannot digest or pass plastic once it’s in their digestive system. Therefore, it clogs up their digestive tract, giving the feeling of being full (since there’s no room in their stomachs) but without any of the essential nutrients they need. They basically starve to death with a stomach full of plastic. Ingested plastic debris can also cause internal injury and tear the delicate soft tissues of the digestive tract. AND plastic debris tends to pick up chemical pollutants in the environment before they are ingested, which are then leached into the animal’s system as the body attempts to break it down. Entanglement is also a dangerous consequence of plastic pollution. Not only can it cause external injuries that can become infected, it can drown air-reliant marine life due to immobilization from entanglement. The same can be true for entanglement on land; animals can be rendered immobile, and can die of starvation or dehydration.
Plastic affects more than just humans. For hundreds of thousands of years after it is produced, it affects an enormous range of ecosystems and wildlife. From toxic chemical effects on microorganisms to entangling the internal digestive system of something as large as a sperm whale, plastic affects all walks of life. And it’s our job as humans to protect the other species that call our planet home. We created this plastic problem, and therefore it’s our job to solve it. Beach cleanups and pulling plastic waste from open water are great starts. But it’s time to plug the problem at the source. We need everyone working together to solve the plastic pollution problem. What can you do?
The Great Straw Predicament – How Can You Satisfy Both Customers and the Planet?
Plastic drinking straws have been one of the top targets of the single-use plastics movement because of their easily disposable nature and a viral video of a sea turtle having a straw removed from its nose. Straws are something that can easily be replaced with more sustainable alternatives, whether those alternatives be reusable or single-usage. But what’s the BEST choice? How can you check all the boxes with a straw alternative: planet-approved, customer satisfaction, and ensured contaminant-free? Industries have many different choices for single-use straw alternatives, and different industries will have different organizational and customer needs to satisfy. And individual users will have different straw usage needs than larger industries.
When it comes to individual and personal usage, reusable straws may be the best option. Proper cleaning and safety are the most important considerations with the reusable options, but when being used in an individual setting, these can be easily accounted for. However, restaurants use hundreds of straws daily, so it’s not feasible to properly scrub hundreds of reusable straws. This requires a single-use option that not only takes the planet into account, but the cost of the product and the customer as well. Many single-use alternatives fall flat on customer expectations and experience, making it difficult to satisfy your customers that require or request a straw.
Paper straws are one of the biggest offenders of customer DISsatisfaction. While they are reasonably priced and (assumingly) harmless to the planet, most people are not going to have an enjoyable drinking experience. Especially when that paper straw is combined with a plastic to-go lid that only emphasizes the structural problems of the straw. Liquid quickly turns the straw to mush (even the best on the market will only last about an hour or 2), which leads to a bad taste in your mouth, and more likely, the need for a second straw to finish your drink. It’s also important to point out that paper straws aren’t necessarily as environmentally friendly as we all think. Because paper is an “inherently compostable” material, paper straws are not required to be certified by any governing body like BPI or TUV before claiming they are compostable or ocean-safe. While 100% paper is compostable, paper straws are NOT 100% paper — they include glues, inks, and most importantly, coatings to make them somewhat liquid-proof. Meanwhile, home compostable bioplastics sport certifications from a variety of sources stating their qualifications as compostable and marine-degradable, including TUV’s OK compost HOME and INDUSTRIAL certifications, a BPI certification, and successful ASTM D6691 test results.
Paper straws were a good first step. Industrial compostable PLA straws were also a good first step. The single-use industry has been working tirelessly to find a material that satisfies everyone’s needs: the buyer, the user, and the planet. Home compostable bioplastic straws like those made from PHA provide that solution. They meet the price point, perform as the customer expects and give a positive drinking experience, and will break down anywhere on Earth in under a year. The material and technology are groundbreaking, and the home compostable revolution is here to stay. As the Summer of Sustainability continues, it’s on all of us to encourage our local businesses to make better choices for our planet. The solution has arrived; let’s put it to use.