May 23, 2008 – 10:13 am
With our increasing interest in and push for anything and everything green, many people are now questioning the “green” terminology that’s being thrown around to describe the degrees of “green-ness.” As I found out, not only are products made with varying levels of recycled content, there are also many different classifications of environmental friendliness. I came across one article while researching biodegradable, degradable and compostable green plastics that raises some good questions – mainly, “What’s the difference?” According to Scientific American’s article, “How Green are Green Plastics?” biodegradable products are usually made from plant or animal sources, degradable products are oil based and compostable products are made of plant materials such as corn, potato, cellulose, soy and sugar.So, what does all of this mean? And what is the best alternative for us as customers? Here is the breakdown I found on GreenLivingTips.com:
Biodegradable: Green, but can leave traces of toxins.
Degradable: Made from oil, but breaks down into harmless materials.
Compostable: Green from beginning to end.
While it seems that compostable plastics are the greenest choice, let’s dig a little farther. Because so much energy is needed to produce these green plastics, determining the degree of green-ness is then based on the method of production and the energy consumed during production. In that case, compostable plastics don’t seem as green. What can we take away from this? Always read about your green products and ask questions. With so much of our technology and daily lives now focused on improving emissions and reducing waste and energy consumption, we must keep learning as much as we can about what it truly means to be green.
Click here to learn more about the information in this article.
-Julia Gonsecki
Web Development Assistant
Let us know! How do you keep your practice “green”? Share your tips by posting a comment.
