Accelerating the Breakdown of Petroleum-Based Plastics

Convex Plastics, February 11th, 2009

An increasing number of companies are choosing to reduce carbon emissions and landfill waste by paying a small premium to make their petroleum-based packaging degradable.

By adding a propriety additive such as Convex Plastics’ re~solve, most forms of standard plastic packaging can be altered to breakdown within just a few months – rather than 1000s of years.

re~solve films (also known as EPI or oxo-biodegradable bags) can degrade in landfill, compost or water – and their break down rate can be customised to suit specific applications.

Convex Plastics is currently in the process of developing several re~solve packaging films for clients, with the first due to be commercially launched this month.

Convex Plastics Managing Director, Owen Embling, says re~solve films are proving to be a popular first step forward for many companies wanting to minimise their impact on the environment.

He says, “Although they are not sourced from non-renewable materials, and are therefore not the ideal environmentally friendly packaging solution, it is often all a company can achieve within their budget – and re~solve films do deliver some significant environmental benefits when compared to normal plastics. They also exhibit the same strength characteristics as normal polyethylene films and can be recycled in normal recycling outlets.”

Oxo-biodegradation occurs when a proprietary additive, such as EPI (marketed by Convex Plastics as re~solve) causes the plastic to oxidize when exposed to oxygen, heat, sunlight or mechanical stress. The polyethylene molecules break down into smaller molecules, which are digested by microorganisms such as fungi or bacteria, leaving only water, carbon dioxide and biomass, which are all natural substances.

In North America, several newspaper publishers, including the Dallas Morning News, have recently switched to oxo-biodegradable newspaper bags for their home-delivered publications, and the US-based company, Paradigm Group, is now producing oxo-biodegradable rubbish bags.

Tony Galizia, Senior Vice President of Paradigm Group says, "Today's consumers want a responsible and sustainable approach to protect our environment when using low-cost, convenient, and disposable products. These bags are just as strong as ever. They are not affected by moisture and can be used again and again until the breakdown process."

To find how you can make your plastic packaging more sustainable with re~solve, please contact Convex Technical Manager Andrew Sheerin at: Ph. 07 847 5133, Mob. 021 190 3898, Email. andrew.s@convex.co.nz