Tag Archives: compost tumblers

What’s the Point of Biodegradable Plastics?

If you’re checking out this website, chances are good you’ve heard of bioplastics: “biodegradable”, “compostable”, and the worst of all, “degradable”.

Every time I get a product marketing itself as any of these terms, I feel obligated to hold onto it.  I have a few garbage bags, some cups, and utensils all claiming this other form of degradation.

I need to ask, how much do you trust these products to be non-toxic and actually doing what they say?  What’s tough about this is that the average (and expert) composter at home isn’t going to have an easy time composting any of these bioplastic products…remember the Sun Chips bag?

If I tried to compost these items in the largest compost heap, I couldn’t get temperatures to stay high enough for long enough to take care of these…how do I know?  Commercial composting facilities don’t like receiving this stuff, either.  It definitely takes more than one full cycle to get them reduced.

I find it strange that this product exists, as landfills aren’t designed to have air flowing through them, but actually the opposite.  Therefore these products shouldn’t show any real results, right?  Let’s not forget about cost.

I never understand how bioplastic cups are still around in the marketplace.  They cost a lot more than the standard cup, and most of them are still plastic underneath.  If they’re something better than oxo-biodegradable (plastic + heavy metals), they still biodegrade at a high cost in comparison to paper cups.  This exact comparison is why styrofoam cups still fly off the shelves- they’re cheaper than paper cups (although they will never degrade and don’t infuse oxygen into landfills…ha!).

Therefore, if you’re trying to start a composting program where you work, remember that you don’t need to buy all the compostable products out there.  Paper cups are definitely compostable, way cheaper than compostable cups (which are often a sham anyway), and are often cheaper than plastic cups.  Did I mention they don’t leach?

While paper production isn’t a perfect process, I’d still choose it over any bioplastic product whenever possible.

Sun Chips Bags Still Too Noisy?

Sun Chips Still Too Noisy?

I had so much stuff planned for tonight, and then I stumbled upon this video about a new Sun Chips bag.  Reading people’s comments about the bag being too noisy heavily increases the chances of me attempting to stomp my own face into a jar.  What is the issue here?  Are you really going to stop eating something based on its packaging?

First of all, kudos to Frito-Lay for trying to design a compostable bag.  Someone’s gotta start the movement sooner or later.  Be clear about whether it is actually biodegradable, or a product that just breaks down into smaller pieces causing problems.

To all my fellow composters out there:  Good luck composting this bag at home.  It isn’t easy.  The bag is designed for disposal in a commercial composting facility (example video of the process found HERE) that maintains crazy high temperatures that can even process stuff like chicken bones.  If you’re going to try it anyway, be sure to shred it up before adding to the pile.  If you try to compost it whole, it will be more trouble than it’s worth (think of how unshredded leaves and newspaper clump up your finished product).

I don’t know why something like this gets me so riled up…I guess it’s because there’s really no reason to complain that a chip bag is too loud.  It’s just a chip bag.  If you’re complaining the bag is too loud, your friends (if you have any) think you complain about everything.  If you liked Sun Chips before the bag was created, why wouldn’t you like them now?  The product is the same.

Hell, I feel just as lame because I’m going to buy one of these new bags just to make a new video reminding you yet again why you should be happy that a major corporation is attempting to try something innovative for once.

There is one major flaw on Frito Lay’s part: A good portion of people that buy this bag will think that they can just dispose of this in the regular trash and that it will magically biodegrade…it won’t.  Landfills are anaerobic, which means there’s no oxygen.  Whether your bag is designed as biodegradable or not won’t make a significant difference…don’t let anyone tell you different, not even waste hauling companies.

I guess that I’m not really helping by saying that, either…because now even more people will be disenchanted that their bag isn’t going to do anything differently in the dump.  Well, apply that thinking to all of your waste from here on out.  Reduction is the key here, and it will lead to satisfaction and simplicity.  I promise.