Subscribe to My Feed
Loading ...Buenos Aires Bans Non-Biodegradable Plastic Bags
Saturday, September 13th, 2008The Province of Buenos Aires (PBA) just became the latest Latin American jurisdiction to prohibit retailers from offering non-biodegradable plastic carry bags. The provincial government is trumpeting the new law as one banning polyethylene (PE) and other plastic carry bags, but a careful reading of the law shows that it only bans non-biodegradable plastic bags. […]
Biodegradable Containers Made from Sugarcane Waste
Monday, August 4th, 2008Synopsis in English: Three biotech enterprises and a university from the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais (MG) have developed a biodegradable material made from sugarcane waste (bagasse) which they believe will be shortly be available for the manufacture of packaging and containers. The three firms (Viveiro Flora Brasil, Lótus Soluções Ambientais, Floema Nutrição Vegetal) and […]
“Eco-Sustainable” Packaging Made from Yucca
Sunday, October 21st, 2007Synopsis in English: Brazil’s National Economic and Social Development Bank (BNDES) has announced that it will back a local firm that produces biodegradable packaging and products made from yucca (otherwise known as manioc or cassava, depending on where you are). BNDES will provide R$2.3 million in the form of fixed-income financing (bond) in CBPAK Embalagens […]
Are Biodegradable Plastic Bags Really Better?
Saturday, September 22nd, 2007In my rant last June about unnecessary plastic wrap being praised by Chile’s Environment Minister simply because it is “biodegradable,” I promised a guest post from an expert who can explain better than I can the debate over whether “biodegradable” plastic bags are really a substantial improvement over conventional plastic bags. I’m happy to publish […]
What’s Wrong with This Picture?
Wednesday, June 6th, 2007It’s the type of photo-op you probably see on environment ministry or agency websites around the world, especially as World Environment Day (05 June) approaches. The Environment Minister, praising some company or group or individual for doing something deemed environmentally-friendly, often followed by a representative of the company touting the measure as a sign of […]