Desperately Seeking Biodegradable

This month’s blog post comes to us from Double A Paper, the best choice for our environment. Their commitment to the environment is impressive and humbling, and their mission is to create “a better paper for a better world”.

Desperately Seeking Biodegradable

 

You’ve heard about biodegradable materials since grade school. But times have changed, and with all of the new synthetic materials available, it’s hard to know what’s biodegradable and what doesn’t fit the bill.

The true definition of biodegradable, according to Webster’s Dictionary, is “capable of being broken down, especially into innocuous products, by the action of living things (such as microorganisms).”

Are Plastics Biodegradable?

Believe it or not, some are. Those made with renewable raw materials, microorganisms, petrochemicals, or mixes of all three will break down. For example, polylactic acid (PLA) plastics are made from fermented plant starch and can be composted. In the right scenario, they will dissolve into the earth without a trace within three months; but could take as long as 100 – 1,000 years, depending on how much circulation they receive while composting or sitting in a landfill.

How About Styrofoam?

Amazingly, this material is still as non-biodegradable as it was when it was first produced. It can break down between a few years and a million years, but is more likely to be on the longer end of that estimate. Made with petroleum, this product has been banned by places like Orange County, California and Portland, Oregon.

If you’re looking for a biodegradable alternative, there are many options.

What Materials Are Definitively, Without a Doubt Biodegradable?

o Paper, including waxed paper
o Fruits and Vegetables
o Flowers
o Wood
o Some Plastics that Include Corn Oil, Orange Peel, Starch, and Plants

However, these materials must have the right conditions, such as a compost bin that will help break down the materials with heat, water, and microorganisms. Composting works by accelerating the natural decay process through offering microorganisms an optimal environment: nutrients, warm temperatures, oxygen, and moisture. They consume the composted materials and their waste products are nutrient rich soil, which can then be used for your garden or other growing area.

Many biodegradable materials make great composting. For example, any foods that are not meat, like vegetable peelings and ends, coffee grinds, egg shells, and even non-food items like paper towels and napkins. But don’t include any meat, animal waste, animal bones, or anything that would foster harmful bacteria and microorganisms.

What’s Not Biodegradable?

o Most Plastics
o Styrofoam
o Metals
o Chemicals
o Paint
o Rubber
o Glass

Some Biodegradable Alternatives to Try

o Instead of plastic, try biodegradable plastics
o Instead of Styrofoam, see if you can bring your own biodegradable container to a restaurant
o Instead of plastic bags, use your own reusable cloth tote or satchel
o Instead of foil, use wax paper
o Instead of plastic straws, use paper ones

Double A Paper is 100% biodegradable. We’re proud to offer a product that won’t harm the Earth, but we’re even more focused on the process of producing it, from seed to sapling to the letter you place on someone’s desk. One of our most important guiding tenets is sustainability.

Order your Double A Paper from www.penny-wise.com and feel the difference.

Setting “Green Goals” for a Better Environment

lifestylegoals

This month’s blog post comes to us from Double A Paper, the best choice for our environment. Their commitment to the environment is impressive and humbling, and their mission is to create “a better paper for a better world”.

With trees budding, and flowers blooming, spring is a great time to make a commitment to be more sustainable. There are little swaps that you can do in your everyday life to be more eco-friendly. While it’s hard to change your lifestyle overnight, setting sustainable goals for yourself and your family is a great place to start. Teaching children to be more sustainable by setting green goals helps them to develop a more eco-friendly lifestyle that they can carry into adulthood.

Kids Are the Future

As parents, it’s crucial that you teach your children to make the right choices and be sustainable. Teach them to think about the impact of their everyday choices, and show them that even small choices affect the environment. One day, your children will be adults, become consumers, and have a real impact on the world with their values and decisions. Setting “green goals” is a great way to get your children, and the entire household, thinking about sustainability and each person’s individual impact. It can be as simple as making one sustainable choice each day, like saying no to a plastic straw with your drink. If someone in your family enjoys using a straw, buy them a reusable one!

Simple, Sustainable Goals for Families

•Donate Old Clothes: Instead of throwing away your old clothes, donate them to a local thrift store or donation center.

• Replace with a Sustainable Swap: Every time someone in your family runs out of a household (laundry detergent or dish soap) or personal care item (toothpaste or deodorant), swap it out with a more natural and eco-friendly choice as part of your sustainable goals for the year.
• Try Meatless Mondays: Have your family commit to eating vegetarian or vegan one day a week to reduce meat consumption. Meatless Mondays can help your children expand their palate, try new foods, and eat more vegetables.

• Reduce Single-Use Plastics: Almost everyone uses too much plastic unnecessarily. Teach your kids to use reusable items instead of plastic by making it one of their green goals. When packing lunches, use plastic containers and reusable silicone bags instead of traditional plastic bags. Get a cute lunch box instead of a brown bag. Have your children use a reusable water bottle whenever possible. Another easy swap is reusable to-go mugs for coffee. Some coffee shops, such as Starbucks, give discounts to customers who bring their own mugs.

• Check Out Your Local Farmer’s Market: Do you have a farmer’s market in your area? See what local produce and vendors you can shop from instead of shopping at the supermarket. You can support small, independent businesses and eat seasonally, which is more sustainable because the foods do not have to travel as far. You may be surprised at what your local vendors offer.

Tree Buds

With small changes, your household becomes a little more sustainable and conscious about the environment. Teaching children at a young age, through “green goals”, helps them to be more aware of how their actions affect the environment. If everyone made an effort, each day, to be more sustainable, the impact on the world would be astounding. You can start by making green goals in your household and encouraging everyone to participate – even if it’s something small.

Check out our selection of Double A Paper and recycled products at www.penny-wise.com