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Mexico City’s new ban on plastic bags has inspired visions of a journey back in time even as local makers of the packaging worry they could become obsolete.

The city’s government this week banned single-use plastic bags to complement worldwide efforts to protect the environment, sparking protests from companies that produce them.

“We have to take plastic out of circulation,” said Andree Lilian Guigue, the official overseeing the ban in Mexico City, one of the world’s biggest metropolises. “Plastic and other waste products that damage the planet end up in the ravines, woods and public spaces of the city – and nobody cleans it up.”

The ban that began Jan. 1 prohibits the sale or distribution of the bags pervasive everywhere from Walmart to corner shops.

Same fries, same shakes, new packaging.

One London McDonald’s location is leaving plastic packaging behind, doling out wooden cutlery, paper straws and paper cup lids to patrons as part of a closely tracked pilot project by McDonald’s Canada’s corporate office.

The McDonald’s restaurant at 1033 Wonderland Rd. South is one of only two locations in the country testing plastic-free packaging.

“These restaurants are at the forefront of helping McDonald’s and our franchisees achieve our packaging reduction goals,” McDonald’s communications manager Leanna Rizzi said in an email.

The other location in Canada testing the more eco-conscious utensils and packaging is in Vancouver.

The fast-food giant is tracking customer response at both locations.

“We are encouraged by the general consumer reactions to date,” Rizzi said.

“We are gathering information on what guests like about the new packaging to learn about customer expectations and preferences.”

The McFlurry spoons and lids are still plastic at the Wonderland Road location, but the forks, knives, other spoons and coffee stir sticks at the store are made of wood. Cup lids are made of recyclable wood fibre with straws made of paper.

“When I go to other places and get a plastic drink lid, I say to myself, ‘Why are we still doing this?’” said Melissa McNicol, who dropped by the Wonderland Road South restaurant.

“It’s a great idea,” Mo Almusawi said while eating lunch with his children at the restaurant. “I think it’s a good move for the environment.”

The lessons McDonalds Canada learns from its two Green Concept stores will help shape chain-wide policy, the company says.

McDonald’s Canada’s move comes amid increasing public scrutiny over the toll disposable, single-use plastics take on the environment.

Fast-food giant A&W and Recipe Unlimited Corporation – the parent company of Harvey’s, Swiss Chalet, New York Fries and several other chain restaurants – phased out plastic straws at Canadian locations this year.

Starbucks is swapping plastic straws for strawless drink lids at its stores by 2020.

McDonald’s Canada says its eventual goal is to source 100 per cent of its food packaging from renewable or recycled materials.

The plastic-free packaging isn’t the only item McDonald’s is testing in the region. The company is trying its new plant-based burger at 17 locations in London and 11 others across Southwestern Ontario.

 

REFS

Published on lfpress.com

London McDonald’s one of two Canadian stores piloting plastic-free packaging

 

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Let’s have a look at how «McDo» dealed with the French plastic ban.

I went to “McDo” located close to the Chateau de Versailles on the 4th of January 2020.

Le Chateau was built by Louis XIV, the man who put France on the Map.

Here’s what I saw:

Plastic Straws

McDo removed plastics straws and didn’t provide a (paper) substitute.

They launched an information campaign on the cups to inform their customers.

How smart!

Well done !

Plastic Lids

They replaced the plastic cup lids with paper lids.

Why not remove the lids all-together?

McDo provided instructions on their cups on how to use the new paper lids.

Well done!

Paper Cups

McDo kept the paper cups with plastic coating.

The cups are single-use packaging, not recyclable and contaminated with food after use.

In-Store Marketing

McDo’s in-store marketing material contained plastic straws .. an illegal item since January 1, 2020. Let’s put it this way … plastic straws haven’t left McDo completely.

Customer Information

No in-store customer information to educate the customers about what changed since January 1 (besides info on the cups).

I spoke to employees and their knowledge about the ban was a bit limited.

I think they should have (1) educated their employees; (2) used their paper trays cover to provide more info.

Waste Collection

No separate collection of waste.

“One bin fits all”; or shall we say “One bin fits none”?

Clam Shells

They kept the paper clam shells with plastic coating.

The clam shells are single-use packaging, not recyclable  and contaminated with food after use.

Do the clam shells fall under the SUP ban or should it be considered as “packaging”?

The law makes an exception for “packaging”.

Probably SUP!

Why?

It’s not hermetically sealed and besides McDo … most burgers are not sold in clam shells.

What will happen to McDonald’s iconic clam shell?

It will have to go.

This is going to be the packaging move of the year 2020 … the disappearances of McDonald’s clam shell.

How and by what will it be replaced with?

This is going to be the end of an era … the end of a legend … the end of a marketing icon.

 

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Ukrainian startup Yes Straws has launched biodegradable, single-use drinking straws made from cane stems.

he stems are usually treated as waste in agriculture processes so using these by-products helps to save natural resources and provide farmers in poor regions with extra earnings, Yes Straws officials pointed out.

They can be used with both cold and hot drinks and come in three sizes. Small straws can be used for any kind of drinks, medium straws suit fresh juices and smoothies, and large straws are well-suited for for bubble teas.

The company says it currently produces two million drinking straw monthly for distributors, coffeehouses, hotels and restaurants in domestic markets and in Europe and the Americas.

“Today people constantly face air, water, and land pollution.

More and more animals die losing their natural habitat or being damaged by waste.

And plastic is one of the biggest problems here due to its low ability to decompose,” said Yes Straws chief operating officer Olesya Vershigora.

“Therefore, every company and individual must care about the produced and consumed products.

We can see a positive tendency of opting for eco alternatives and moving to conscious consumption.”

REFS

Published on vendingtimes.com

Biodegradable Cane Stem Straws Provide Alternative To Plastic

Kaneka has completed the capacity building of its Biodegradable Polymer PHBH at the Takasago Plant. The completion ceremony was held on December 17th.

The investment was around 2.5 billion yen, the production capacity is approximately 5,000 tons / year, five times that of the previous model.

In recent years, marine pollution caused by microplastics has become a global social problem as it affects ecosystems.

However, PHBH ® , a 100% plant-derived biopolymer, is certified to biodegrade in seawater.

Nokian Tyres changes the cases of its tires in favour of bioplastics ones.

The enclosures – partly made with biomaterial – reduce carbon dioxide emissions by up to 75% compared to virgin or recycled plastic.

In Finland and Norway, 40,000 kg of plastic were used per year for tire covers.

The production of the new Green PE + LDPE enclosures introduced generates about 20.02 tons of carbon dioxide, compared to about 88 tons of virgin plastic cases and 44 tons of recycled plastic ones.

The lower emissions generated by the production of the cases are due to the use of a greater proportion of bio raw materials based on sugar cane ethylene.

The sugar cane has already absorbed carbon dioxide from the atmosphere during its growth phase, thus reducing the final emissions of the production of the cases.

Tire cases have obtained the “I’m Green” label for their respect for the environment.

Nokian Tires is the first manufacturer in the world to offer cases with this label.

The  “I’m Green” label is owned by the petrochemical company Braskem and its use is strictly controlled and regulated.

To obtain the label, over 50% of the raw materials in the product formulation must be Green PE.

Of the tire cases that Nokian Tires uses, Green PE represents 55% of the raw materials.

REFS

Published on motorinolimits.com

Nokian Tyres e le custodie I’m Green

LEGO Goes Green: The Toy Company Announces its First Steps Towards Sustainability with its New Toy.

LEGO has been making interlocking bricks since 1949 for children and kids-at-heart.

The only downside of Lego is that it is made of acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) that is manufactured from petroleum.

Due to the world’s awakening about the climate crisis and how the world is being polluted by too much plastic, LEGO decided to decrease its carbon footprint as well proactively.

WHAT WILL LEGO DO TO LESSEN ITS CARBON FOOTPRINT?

LEGO announced in a statement back in 2015, a $1 billion initiative is released to make its products sustainable by 2030.

According to Matt Whitby, Environmental Engagement Manager of the LEGO group, the main technical challenge is to develop a material that will have the same physical properties such as stiffness, friction, and shine as the one manufactured from petroleum.

“Most importantly, the bricks need clutch power, the flexibility that enables bricks to be put together and taken apart by a child,” Whitby explained.

He also explained that fulfilling these high technical requirements is a must for future LEGO bricks and that these bricks should continue to lead in safety standards, and should be produced from sustainable sources.

This is not the first time the toy company made an effort to be environmentally-friendly.

LEGO partnered with the World Wildlife Fund to promote global action on climate change and was able to reduce its carbon dioxide emissions in terms of manufacturing and supply chain operations.

The toy company has also made significant investments in wind power to balance the company’s energy use with renewable energy.

Another part of their plan to reduce their carbon footprint is to set a goal to make their packaging 100% sustainable by the year 2025.

This year, LEGO was able to introduce a new treehouse kit that is made from a new polyethylene manufactured from sugar cane.

“All sets with LEGO trees, leaves, and bushes in our LEGO sets — 80 different elements — are now made from plant-based plastic,” Whitby explained in an interview with Forbes.

He also explained that the plastic used in this toy kit is made from polyethylene that was harvested from sugarcane with guidance from the WWF.

According to Whitby, this small change is the company’s first important step on their journey towards sustainability in 2030.

WHAT WILL LEGO DO WITH ITS EXISTING BRICKS?

LEGO produces 19 million bricks every year made of the old ABS material.

Since the bioplastic replacements are not yet available for the company’s remaining stock, the company is still in the process of solving the issue of ABS usage.

In an article written by Forbes, with the help of Molly Morse, president and founder of Mango Materials, there are four ways that LEGO can do to reach its sustainability goal by 2030.

First, is to replace the materials used in their packaging with biopolymers.

This should be the easiest step since forest-friendly certified recycled cardboards are widely available in the market.

The company could also use another sustainable packaging like Ecovative, which uses mycelium to manufacture its products.

Second is to adopt a biological mindset to identify materials that can be substituted to ABS easily, and the company will have to think like a biologist and look for new ways to manufacture resins.

The third way is to brew the plastic and use the technology used in brewing beer to manufacture resins efficiently.

Lastly, LEGO should think about ditching the mold for its bricks. Instead, the company can start growing its bricks borrowing techniques from nature.

 

Blue Bottle is putting an end to its plastic and paper cups, the Oakland company announced Monday.

Blue Bottle Coffee, Inc. is a coffee roaster and retailer headquartered in Oakland, California, United States. In 2017, a majority stake in the company was acquired by Nestlé. It is considered a major player in third wave coffee.

The company focuses on single-origin beans.

CEO Bryan Meehan issued a statement declaring all of their nearly 70 cafes in the United States could be zero waste by the end of 2020, following a pilot program of two zero-single-use-cup cafes at undisclosed locations in the Bay Area.

The company has developed a unique, sustainable technology using highly specific enzymes that can recycle PET plastics and polyester fibers feedstock.

Companies across the globe are developing new ways to reduce plastic waste, which has become a growing problem of concern.

Some are working to clean up recycling streams, some are using recycled plastic to create new products, and some are exploring new and innovative technologies.

One company bringing its advanced technology to market is Carbios, a France-based biotech startup that has created a biological solution to fully recycle plastics.

Carbios’ technology leverages enzymes that fully break down polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic waste and polyester fibers feedstock to successfully produce consumer-grade, 100 percent recycled plastic.

“Carbios is the first and only company to combine two sciences that are solutions for the end of life of plastics,” says Martin Stephan, deputy CEO of Carbios.

“We make a circular plastics economy possible—it’s a circular economy to a point where large PET producers are viewing this [process] as the future of the industry.”

The technology’s process consists of a few steps.

First, the PET plastic waste is combined with water and Carbios’ proprietary enzymes, heated up at low temperature and churned.

Then, within a few hours, the enzymes decompose the plastic, transforming it into the material’s “basic building blocks” called monomers.

The monomers are then isolated, separated, purified and used to produce consumer-grade, 100 percent recycled plastic that’s similar in quality to virgin material.

“At the pilot scale, we have demonstrated that it takes about 10 hours to depolymerize 90 percent of the feedstock made of PET waste,” explains Stephan.

“We don’t think it’s necessary to go up to 90 percent on the industrial scale, however, so we only need a few hours for the depolymerization reaction before we send the material through the other steps.”

The technology, which is expected to launch in 2021 through the operation of a large demonstration plant, took quite a few years to develop.

In 2012, Carbios launched ambitious funding, partially by a European leading venture capital firm named Truffle Capital and partially by French grant subsidies, for the development and testing of its technology.

About 60 scientists worked together on the technology, testing it and perfecting it over the course of a few years.

Then, in 2017, Carbios and L’Oréal, a worldwide beauty industry leader, entered into a five-year agreement to jointly found a consortium for bio-recycling of plastic on an industrial scale.

“L’Oréal has been committed to an ambitious sustainable packaging program for several years now,” said Philippe Thuvien, vice president of packaging and development for L’Oréal, in a statement. “We currently use up to 100 percent recycled plastic for several different products. We’ve decided to go even further: with this innovative Carbios technology, L’Oréal is helping to make bio-recycling available on an industrial scale. It’s a wonderful opportunity to protect the environment, and this consortium will also help boost the circular economy.”

The consortium received additional support in April 2019, with the addition of Nestlé Waters, PepsiCo and Suntory Beverage & Food Europe.

Under the terms of their agreement, the consortium partners’ ambition is to bring Carbios’ PET-enhanced recycling technology to the market and increase the availability of high-quality recycled plastics to fulfill their sustainability commitments.

The collaboration includes technical milestones and support for the efficient supply of consumer-grade, 100 percent recycled PET plastics for global markets.

Earlier this year, Carbios demonstrated that it could make 100 percent recycled plastic bottles using this technology, and it also secured a patent from the United States Patent and Trademark Office.

This patent application recognizes Carbios for its invention of a proprietary method of recycling complex plastics, including colored, opaque and multilayer products containing a mix of PET and at least one additional component (e.g., polyolefins, vinyl polymers, rubber, cotton or nylon fibers, paper, aluminum, starch, wood, etc.).

This patent is the second one in the U.S. that has been applied to Carbios’ recycling technology and protects Carbios’ innovation through 2033.

In addition, Carbios owns 127 titles worldwide representing 32 patent families, six of which protect its proprietary method of recycling in full and seven of which are related to enzymes that degrade PET.

“This patent confirms Carbios’ unique expertise and leadership in developing an infinite recycling solution for all kinds of PET waste, particularly types that are barely treatable using traditional recycling processes,” said Jean-Claude Lumaret, CEO of Carbios, in a statement.

“Demand for technology that facilitates a circular economy is growing rapidly, and we are at the forefront of providing global players an efficient alternative that protects the environment.”

The company plans to soon break ground on its first demonstration plant, which is expected to open in 2021. By 2022, the company hopes to grant licenses and have its technology operating on full scale PET production lines.

“It’s important to understand that the new technologies coming out in the market have advantages,” says Stephan.

“There’s a need in the world for improved collection efficiency, and we all need to work together to increase the rate of collection and sorting to make plastic waste available for new technologies like ours.

Our concept has been proven, and we expect to scale up, but collection really needs to increase in order for us to do that. That’s our biggest challenge for the coming years.”

 

REFS

Published on waste360.com

Carbios’ Technology Aims to Bio-recycle Plastic on an Industrial Scale