Radical Rubbish Reduction Aided by Convex Compostable Packaging
Convex Plastics, June 1st, 2007
Greensack compostable bin liners can significantly reduce landfill waste by making it really easy to collect and compost organic waste
Using Convex compostable bin liners has helped a New Zealand government department achieve a radical reduction in landfill waste.
In just one year the Wellington national office of Te Puni Ḳkiri (Ministry of Màori Development) has reduced their waste down from around 18 large black bags a day to only 2 to 4.
The Ministry has achieved this remarkable result by taking a two-pronged approach to reducing the landfill waste generated by their 280 national office staff. In July 2007 they started using Convex Greensack compostable bin liners for the collection of organic waste on each of their 11 floors and in the cafeteria. Since then, Living Earth Composting contractors have collected the bin liners once a week and taken them away to be composted with their contents into soil.
The Ministry’s second major waste reduction initiative occurred around September 2007 when they removed all the rubbish bins and replaced them with under-desk paper recycle boxes and black desktop cubes for every workstation. In supporting the ‘Push Play’ concept, it is the responsibility of every individual to empty their own paper recycling boxes and desktop cubes at the recycling station and Utility Rooms located on every floor.
Te Puni Ḳkiri Purchasing Officer, Liz Rangihuna says, “The Greensack bin liners have definitely contributed to our great result. They are functional, easy to use, and a very good option for compostable waste.”
Made from cornstarch produced from renewable corn plantations, Greensack film behaves exactly like organic waste when disposed, and takes only five to six weeks to degrade after composting. Trials by the Ministry of the Environment at the Living Earth Composting Plant in Wellington have confirmed that the Greensack films break down well in a composting environment.
The Greensack film is opaque and has similar strength qualities to Polyethylene. Processed the same as conventional plastics, Greensack can be glued, heat sealed, laminated onto cardboard or paper, and printed with high quality graphics. The film can also be used for a variety of purposes, including fast food packaging, magazine wraps, agricultural film, car tidy bags, and bin liners for organic waste.
Convex Plastics Managing Director, Owen Embling, says Greensack films make it really easy for both companies and individuals to make a positive contribution to reducing landfill waste. He says, “Greensack enables you to dispose of organic waste cleanly and conveniently. By composting organic waste you not only reduce landfill waste - you also reduce methane emissions and help enrich the soil.”