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Highett, Victoria, Australia
Designer (Graphic Design)
Member since September 05, 2007
Environment
This product is interesting and is working on many levels to achieve positive outcomes.
I wonder however, about the decision to use corn polymers instead of recyclable pet. Does making a product that dissapears after a year have more promise than one that can be used repeatedly, or be turned into something else? As one of the more water-intensive crops, how do the figures weigh up on resource and land use?
Posted February 05, 2008
By Peter Kneebone
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Peter asks a great question: Single use versus recyclable...
I think the strongest reason to use compostable, single use containers is that a shocking number of plastic containers never make it to the recycling center.
That is the user-centric, behaviorist argument.
The question of which is "better" in terms of total energy cost and impact on the planet is a much bigger question.
There are so many plastics out there...some can't be recycled at all, some are too expensive to recycle...however, few materials are infinitely recyclable...In Cradle to Cradle, the authors talk about "downcycling"... glass is technically totally renewable, but once you mix colored and clear glass you have an interior product: it can no longer be used for it's original purpose. Old tires can be ground up and used in roads or as sandals, but then reach a dead end.
The plus of corn (or beet or potato or rice) plastics is that they can be grown sustainably and possibly without petroleum input. That's a real advantage over petroleum-based plastics.
Posted February 05, 2008
By Daniel Stillman
Responses (1)
Just one Allumonde Ring...
Can protect a family from Malaria infested mosquitoes by buying them a bed net.
