Scientists working on an alternative to polluting plastic have discovered a biodegradable material derived from fish waste that would otherwise be thrown away, which could be used in a variety of products including packaging and clothing.

Canadian researchers say fish heads, bones, skin and guts heading for landfill can be turned into useful material that could replace crude oil-derived polyurethanes, which are found in everything from shoes and clothes to refrigerators and construction materials.

Existing polyurethanes come with a large carbon footprint and are slow to break down.

But the team, led by Francesca Kerton, who is based at the Memorial University of Newfoundland, found that fish-oil based plastics could provide an environmentally friendly solution while also tackling food factory waste.

Previous studies have developed methods for producing plastics from fish waste, but the latest research goes further in determining how the material might be easily broken down again at the end of its useful life.

To produce the new material, the researchers used oil extracted from bits of salmon left after the flesh had been removed and processed for human consumption.

They developed a way of converting the fish oil into a polyurethane-like polymer, first by adding oxygen to the oil in a controlled way to form epoxides, molecules similar to those in epoxy resin.

Then, carbon dioxide was added to the epoxides and the resulting molecules combined with nitrogen-containing chemical compound amines to form the new material.

“It is important that we start designing plastics with an end-of-life plan, whether it’s chemical degradation that turns the material into carbon dioxide and water, or recycling and repurposing,” Ms Kerton said.

“When we start the process with the fish oil, there is a faint kind of fish smell, but as we go through the steps, that smell disappears.”

Since last summer, the team has been tweaking that process to simplify and speed up the breakdown of the fish oil-derived plastic.

Experiments suggested the new material might biodegrade readily when required.

In one, pieces of the plastic were soaked in water, some with lipase, an enzyme that breaks down fats in fish oil.

Under a microscope, the researchers saw microbial growth on the samples, including those that had been placed just in plain water. The team said the results offered an encouraging sign that the new material might biodegrade readily.

Polyurethanes are traditionally made using crude oil and phosgene, a toxic gas, and the process generates isocyanates, which are powerful irritants to the eyes and gastrointestinal and respiratory tracts, with links to severe asthma attacks.

In addition, the final product does not readily break down in the environment and the limited biodegradation that does occur can release carcinogenic compounds.

Past research has resulted in polyurethanes made using plant-derived oils to replace petroleum, however the researchers said these were not without their downsides either as the crops, often soybeans, require land and resources.

Source: independent.co.uk

The 10p compostable carriers will replace Co-op’s “bags for life” ahead of the minimum fee for single-use plastic shopping bags at all supermarkets in England doubling to 10p in May.

The Co-op is to remove plastic “bags for life” from sale in all of its 2,600 stores and replace them with 10p compostable carriers.

The supermarket warns that the low-cost, reusable bag has become the new single-use carrier.

The bags will be phased out from April 30 with all remaining stock expected to be sold by the end of this summer.

The retailer is replacing single-use bags with compostable versions to ensure that customers are able to buy a low-cost, low-impact alternative bag with a sustainable second use.

The minimum fee for single-use plastic shopping bags at all supermarkets in England will double to 10p in May.

The Co-op has welcomed the increase, but is now calling for a policy to require major retailers to report on all reusable bags, as well as single-use bags, to track the true impact of carrier bag levy.

Co-op is urging the government to require supermarkets to report their data on all plastic bags, not just single-use ones

Co-op’s other recommendations include requiring all single-use carrier bags to be certified compostable and to introduce a minimum 50p price for reusable bags to encourage customers to reuse them instead of treating them as single-use.

Greenpeace data suggests supermarkets distributed more than 1.5 billion bags for life in 2019, weighing a total of 44,913 tonnes – a 56% increase on the previous year.

Bags for life use more plastic in their production than conventional single-use carriers, which has in turn increased the amount of plastic in circulation.

The Co-op said its new initiative would remove 29.5 million bags for life, weighing around 870 tonnes of plastic, from sale each year.

Jo Whitfield, chief executive of Co-op Food, said: “Increased use of bags for life has led to a sharp rise in plastic use.

Morrisons earlier this month said it will replace plastic ‘bags for life’ with a paper alternative

“With over 1.5 billion bags sold each year by retailers, this remains a massive issue for our industry as many shoppers are regularly buying so-called bags for life to use just once and it’s leading to a major hike in the amount of plastic being produced.

“To help tackle plastic pollution and the use of unnecessary plastic, we will be ceasing the sale of bags for life when current stocks are exhausted.

“We’re also ensuring all of our members and customers have access to a low price point option that’s more environmentally friendly, alongside more durable bags at a higher price point.”

Helen Bird, strategic engagement manager at waste and resources body Wrap, said: “All bags, regardless of the material they are made from, impact on the environment.

“The most important thing to reduce this impact is reuse. Just as we all now carry a mask about ourselves, we should be doing the same with shopping bags.

“Supermarkets have a responsibility to incentivise this and we would like to see transparent reporting on all types of shopping bags – whether they are made of traditional plastic, compostable plastic or paper.

“There will be times when we forget to bring a bag and in these instances we can still reuse those bags, and at the end of their life we recycle them at supermarket collection points.

“For Co-op’s shoppers this means that they are able to reuse carrier bags and if they have a food waste collection then they can use it as a caddy liner.”

Earlier this month, Morrisons became the first UK supermarket to completely remove plastic carrier bags from stores.

It replaced the bags with a 30p paper bag it says can hold up to 16kg of shopping and is recyclable and water resistant.

Source: mirror.co.uk

The designation is already drawing sharp criticism from industry associations.

The Canadian government has officially added “plastic manufactured items” to its list of “toxic” substances on Schedule 1 of the Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA).

The move, announced on May 12, was first proposed by the federal government last October.

While drawing praise from some environmental groups, industry associations, including the Ottawa-based Chemistry Industry Association of Canada (CIAC), expressed disappointment with the announcement. “We remain concerned that today’s decision sends the wrong message to global chemistry investors, namely that Canada is ambivalent about the enormous investment prospects for the circular economy for plastics,” CIAC said in a May 12 statement. “[We’re] disappointed that safe inert plastic materials that play such important roles in Canadians lives are being labelled as toxic substances.”

CIAC also said it would keep working toward extended producer responsibility systems in all provinces and advocate for better recycling access and stronger technology around mechanical and chemical, or advanced, recycling. “By making plastics completely recyclable and transforming waste into new plastic items and other products, we can help Canada realize its goal of zero plastic waste,” said Elena Mantagaris, vice president of CIAC’s plastics division.

And in the U.S., the American Chemistry Council (ACC) said in a statement that a CEPA listing is misleading and counterproductive. “Banning efficient plastic products will likely lead to forced substitutions with alternatives that increase greenhouse gas emissions and prevent the transition to a low-carbon future,” Joshua Baca, vice president of plastics with the ACC, said in a May 12 statement.

And the Washington, D.C.-based Plastics Industry Association weighed in with its own criticism. “Our two countries are powerful plastics economies,” said president and CEO Tony Radoszewski on May 13. “This development is a symbolic gesture to activists and threatens tens of billions of dollars of commerce. The idea that plastic is toxic is the true danger. Such a label could have ramifications far beyond some single-use items. It could fast-track more bans on other consumer products that are fully recyclable. Our main concern should be improving recycling.”

Industry opposition to the CEPA designation is not new. In December 2020, two months after the government announced its intention, Calgary-based Nova Chemicals Corp. filed a formal objection on the grounds that plastic manufactured items are not “toxic” within the meaning of CEPA, nor according to a recent science assessment. “The assessment made no mention of plastic manufactured items causing harm to biota or the environment,” Nova said. “The potential harm identified in the science assessment relates only to a handful of specific macroplastic items…[and instead] the proposed listing is of a category (Plastic Manufactured Items), which would contain every product manufactured from plastic in Canada. This category…was not addressed in the science assessment.” Nova went on to add that a “toxic” designation “would blur the line with those substances that are truly toxic and are properly managed under CEPA Schedule 1.”

Also in December 2020, the Plastics Industry Association filed its own formal objection with the Canadian government, arguing that the listing would amount to a technical barrier to trade that violates World Trade Organization rules and a violation of the “spirit of cooperation” in the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement on trade. It also noted that the COVID-19 pandemic “has reinforced that plastic products, whether it be in healthcare or food service, have been essential to survival during this uncertain time.”

Source: Canadian Plastics

Scientists consider plastic pollution one of the “most pressing environmental and social issues of the 21st century,” but so far, microplastic research has mostly focused on the impact on rivers and oceans.

However, a new study from researchers at Cornell and Utah State University highlights the increasing threat of airborne microplastics “spiraling around the globe,” The Guardian reported.

Plastic waste breaks down into smaller pieces until it becomes microscopic and gets swept up into the atmosphere, where it rides the jet stream and travels across continents, the Cornell Chronicle reported. Researchers discovered this has led to a global plastic cycle as microplastics permeate the environment, according to The Guardian.

“We found a lot of legacy plastic pollution everywhere we looked; it travels in the atmosphere and it deposits all over the world,” Janice Brahney, lead author of the study and Utah State University assistant professor of natural resources, told the Cornell Chronicle. “This plastic is not new from this year. It’s from what we’ve already dumped into the environment over several decades.”

In the study, published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, researchers tested the most likely sources of more than 300 samples of airborne microplastics from 11 sites across the western U.S. To their surprise, the researchers found that almost none of the atmospheric microplastics came from plastic waste in cities and towns. “It just didn’t work out that way,” Professor Natalie Mahowald from Cornell University, who was part of the research team, told The Guardian.

It turns out that 84 percent of atmospheric microplastics came from roads, 11 percent from oceans and five percent from agricultural soil dust, the scientists wrote.

“We did the modeling to find out the sources, not knowing what the sources might be,” Mahowald told the Cornell Chronicle. “It’s amazing that this much plastic is in the atmosphere at that level, and unfortunately accumulating in the oceans and on land and just recirculating and moving everywhere, including remote places.”

The scientists say the level of plastic pollution is expected to increase, raising “questions on the impact of accumulating plastics in the atmosphere on human health. The inhalation of particles can be irritating to lung tissue and lead to serious diseases,” The Guardian reported.

The study coincides with other recent reports by researchers, who confirmed the existence of microplastics in New Zealand and Moscow, where airborne plastics are turning up in remote parts of snowy Siberia.

In the most recent study, scientists also learned that plastic particles were more likely to be blown from fields than roads in Africa and Asia, The Guardian reported.

As plastic production increases every year, the scientists stressed that there remains “large uncertainties in the transport, deposition, and source attribution of microplastics,” and wrote that further research should be prioritized.

“What we’re seeing right now is the accumulation of mismanaged plastics just going up. Some people think it’s going to increase by tenfold [per decade],” Mahowald told The Guardian. “But maybe we could solve this before it becomes a huge problem, if we manage our plastics better, before they accumulate in the environment and swirl around everywhere.”
Source: ecowatch.com

Plastic plates, straws and cutlery could be banned in Scotland, along with polystyrene food and drink containers, to help stem the tide of plastic that is killing sea life/

The government in Edinburgh has launched a public consultation on whether to outlaw some of the most environmentally damaging single-use plastic items.

Under the plan, expected to take effect next year, it would be illegal for businesses to supply customers with plastic forks, knives, spoons, chopsticks, plates, trays, bowls or balloon sticks, as well as single-use cups made of expanded polystyrene, including their covers and lids.

Scotland already has a moratorium on plastic-stemmed cotton buds.

The list of items targeted by Holyrood are those most commonly found washed up on European beaches and account for most litter found in the sea, the government said.

If implemented, the ban would bring Scotland into line with rules already introduced in Wales in 2020.

In England a more limited ban on plastic items came into force at the start of October 2020, involving only straws, stirrers and plastic-stemmed cotton buds, but not cutlery, plates or polystyrene cups.

Officials say millions of pieces of plastic are used in Scotland each year, including an estimated 300 million straws, 276 million pieces of cutlery, 50 million plates and 66 million polystyrene food containers.

The consultation also proposes banning oxo-degradable products – those that quickly fragment into microplastics, such as such as many carrier bags.

The EU is due to introduce a single-use plastics ban next year, although the decision-making process has been slowed as officials weigh up what to include, amid heavy lobbying from the plastics industry.

Scottish environment secretary Roseanna Cunningham said: “There is no longer any doubt that plastic waste is having a hugely damaging impact on our oceans, rivers and land ecosystems. We must act now to reduce our reliance on single-use plastic and drive forward a move towards more sustainable, environmentally friendly alternatives.

“Failure to do so is a dereliction of our duty to our children, who will inherit a natural world polluted by the plastics we have thrown away for the sake of convenience.”

She said it was important that the introduction of a ban during the pandemic was carefully considered because of the effect on businesses.

Source: independent.co.uk

Polystyrene foam commonly used to package consumer goods will be phased out in Australia by mid-2022 as part of a national plan to combat mounting plastic waste.

Conservation groups have welcomed many aspects of the plan, which also includes an end to polystyrene food and beverage containers by the end of 2022, but also criticised its largely voluntary approach to reaching ambitious goals, calling for those targets to be mandated.

The Morrison government also announced it would support “coordinated global action to address marine plastic” through the United Nations, which is developing a treaty on the issue.

The National Plastics Plan, launched in Brisbane by the federal environment minister, Sussan Ley, and the assistant minister for waste reduction and environmental management, Trevor Evans, also included targets to cut plastic pollution from washing machine outflows and from cigarette butts.

By July 2022, Australia should have phased out plastic packaging products that do not meet compostable standards, as well as polystyrene used in loose and moulded forms for a wide range of consumer goods.

By December 2022, polystyrene should be gone from food and beverage containers, and PVC packaging labels will also have been phased out, the plan said.

Ley said the goal was for Australia to be using much less plastic, and to change the way Australians “produce, consume and recycle plastic”.

She said plastic bottles, packaging and consumer goods were creating “mountains of pain” for the environment.

A spokesman for Ley said she expected industry to voluntarily meet the deadlines but the government reserved the right to regulate if needed.

WWF-Australia said the plan’s 38 actions were a breakthrough in tackling plastic pollution.

The government said it would work with industry to have microfibre filters fitted to all washing machines sold in Australia by 2030.

WWF’s plastics campaigner, Katinka Day, said it would put Australia at the forefront of efforts to cut microfibre waste but noted the target was nine years away and called on washing machine companies to move faster.

One study suggested up to 1.5m microplastic fibres were released when clothes from synthetic fibres were washed.

The government has previously announced targets for 2025 including that all packaging be “reusable, recyclable and compostable”, 70% of plastic packaging be recycled or composted and packaging materials have an average of 50% recycled content.

Day said the voluntary approach would not work and a “strong regulatory target” was needed. Evans disagreed, arguing the cosmetics and personal care industry’s voluntary phase-out of microbeads in products showed the voluntary approach could work.

Labor’s assistant environment spokesman, Josh Wilson, said the plan failed to provide national leadership and coordination and was out of step with action being taken by the states and territories.

“On this government’s watch, plastic recycling has fallen from 12% to 9%, while just 18% of plastic packaging used in Australia was recycled in 2018-19, and packaging only incorporates 2% recycled content,” he said. “All these measures are off-track with the 2025 targets.”

Jeff Angel, the director of the Boomerang Alliance of 53 non-governmental organisations concerned about plastic pollution, said the plan was a “substantial effort”.

He welcomed support in the plan to eliminate single-use plastics from beaches by supporting local businesses to switch to alternative products, but said government would need to keep pressure on the industry if it was to meet its 2025 targets.

“Labels saying something is recyclable are meaningless if that does not happen in practice,” he said. “We believe regulation will be necessary.”

Angel said cigarette butts were the most littered item in Australia, and a taskforce announced in the plan needed to find solutions that could include removing butts from cigarettes entirely.

Brooke Donnelly, the chief executive of the Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation, which is leading the delivery of the 2025 targets, said the focus on phasing out single-use plastics by 2025 was excellent.

She said timelines had been agreed across the plastic supply chain since the targets were announced in 2018, and the organisation had a “range of tools, programs and resources” to help businesses make the changes needed.

“There are already plenty of Australian businesses that are making these changes in their packaging,” she said.

On cigarette butts, the government said it would initiate an “industry-led cross-sectoral stewardship taskforce”.

A spokesman for British American Tobacco Australia – the country’s biggest manufacturer of tobacco products – said the company was “not aware of the details” but welcomed “any opportunity to work with the government to address butt litter”.

He said the company was working to develop alternatives that were “more biodegradable”.

He added: “Unfortunately, feasible alternatives are yet to be identified and the only proven strategy to deal with butt litter is for consumers to dispose of them correctly.”

Research last year found plastic bags and flexible packaging were the deadliest items in the ocean. A study in the journal Science last year estimated between 19m and 23m tonnes of plastic in 2016 found its way into rivers and the ocean.

Other research has estimated there is 30 times as much plastic at the bottom of the ocean as there is floating on the surface.

Source: The Guardian

Motivation to move towards green and sustainable growth not only becomes a part of the social responsibility of many companies, but it is also a factor that helps the company adapt to the business environment in the future.

For decades, disposable plastic has gained worldwide popularity due to its ease of use and low cost. However, the overuse of disposable plastic has put many countries at alarm due to plastic waste pollution.

Today, if the environment issue is central to the sustainable development of many countries, business is the spearhead that taking the lead of changing consumer behavior through green initiatives in manufacturing, products and services. The driving force for green development not only comes from social responsibility, but also a factor that helps businesses improve their competitiveness.

Lessons on green transformation from multinational corporations

In the F&B industry, McDonald is one of the world’s largest fast food retailers that are leading green transformation trend by practicing energy efficiency, thereby cutting energy consumption by 25% in their business operations. McDonald’s also set up ‘green’ parking lots for hybrid vehicles.

Similarly, Coca-Cola – the giant in the beverage business – also announced a plan to focus on regenerating the entire product packaging life cycle – from design and manufacturing to recycling solutions, energy saving.

Starbucks is known worldwide as one of the successful coffee chains, and is also on the list of companies leading the green transformation trend by recycling coffee grounds or using environmentally friendly bags.

In the manufacturing industry, Honda has taken various measures to fulfill its environmental responsibilities as an automobile manufacturing company. The company has invested a lot of resources in the production of fuel-efficient vehicles and is constantly looking to develop hydrogen fuel cell vehicles.

Or Dell, the leading manufacturer of computer, also offers a program of safe disposal and efficient recycling. Accordingly, Dell allows customers to return any Dell-branded device to the company free of charge to encourage safe disposal and reduce the total amount of improperly disposed electronic waste. The company even agreed to accept computers, printers and monitors from other brands for safe disposal.

It is undeniable that green transformation has helped businesses shape their sustainable development strategy, which is development associated with environmental protection. Building a green brand and fulfil social responsibility also increase the business’ competitiveness.

“Going Green” for Vietnamese business

“Go Green” or “green transformation” is an inevitable global trend. In Vietnam, many businesses have grasped the trend and ‘greening up’ by using renewable energy, building green industrial parks, and fulfil environmental protection commitments, especially when consumers have begun to choose or buy products from green brands.

According to report, eco-friendly products are forecast to account for 20-30% of total plastic products worldwide in the next 3-5 years. Countries around the world have issued many policies to promote green consumption trends, especially Europe and the United States. In Vietnam, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc at the G20 Conference on June 29, 2019 also made public that by 2025, Vietnam aim to end the use of disposable plastic products. This also shows the green direction that the Government is oriented.

Some Vietnamese businesses in the F&B sector are bringing green transformation into their operating models, such as Vinamilk, The Coffee House, Highlands Coffee.

In Vietnam, An Phat Holdings is the first Vietnamese enterprise to successfully produce compostable material and products; and achieves remarkable results. In addition, An Phat Holdings also owns AnBio JSC, which specializes in providing green conversion solutions through material and product trading, cooperation in research and business strategy consulting towards “Go Green” goal, supporting businesses to deploy solutions, consulting technology and production process for domestic and foreign businesses.

An Phat Holdings and AnBio target businesses in Vietnam and other countries that have policies to limit single-use plastic products to protect the environment such as: Europe, America, Thailand, Korea, Indonesia… With the goal of becoming a supplier and comprehensive strategic planning for businesses in the field of green, environmentally friendly products, AnBio confidently meets customer’s requirements, ensuring product quality criteria and variety of products at the most competitive prices.