FAQ
Frequently ask questions.
Common Questions
Most Popular Questions
The environmental benefits of BioSphere plastic additives don’t stop at reducing waste.
The time frame of biodegradation will vary depending on polymer type, product thickness, and whether or not the polymer contains any fillers. Generally speaking, based on third party ASTM D5511 test results we are seeing that products take between 1-5 years to biodegrade.
NO.
Unlike OXO, our technology is a ONE step process to biodegradation, not sensitive to heat, light and mechanical stress. It is food contact safe , environmental safe , recyclable and not effect recycling stream. Highly stable and not break down to little pieces.
Our additive technology does not require oxygen to result in effective biodegradation in landfill.
NO.
Microplastics are created when products containing technologies such as oxo-degradable technologies fragment or degrade products by way of heat, light, and mechanical stress. This is an abiotic process, without the presence of microbes. In some cases this is done in environments where microbes are not present at all contributing to microplastics.
Our additive is 100% biotic, meaning it relies on microbes for biodegradation. Our additive attracts microbes and enhances their ability to consume the polymer creating true biodegradation, and does not contribute to microplastics.
NO. Properties and quality of the packaging will be retained except it is now biodegradable. The treated packaging has infinite shelf-life and requires no special storage. It can be used, reused, recycled and stored in large quantities without fear of premature degradation.
Our technology results in both anaerobic (presence of no oxygen) and aerobic (presence of oxygen) biodegradation therefore it is very effective in landfill as well as composting facilities. The biodegradation is conversion of carbon in plastic to natural gases, biomass and moisture.
ASTM 5511 or ISO 15985 are best test methodologies that confirm biodegradation of plastic in anaerobic (no oxygen) environment prevalent in landfills. We as well as our clients had conducted independent 3rd party laboratory test using ASTM 5511 to confirm effectiveness of our additive. Feel free to request our recent test reports.
Those standards are created for Bio-based plastic(PLA, corn based) to ensure its compostability in composting facilities meets the strict requirement and limits. These standards are not created for petroleum based plastic and are unfairly imposed on them.
We are working with PE, PS, PP, PET etc and treating them so they can effectively biodegrade in landfills. In many countries, most of these plastic waste including bio-based plastic ends in landfill. Composting facilities are still rare in most countries.
Absolutely yes!
We have worked with PP, PET, PS, PE rigid products such as containers, food packaging, bottles, cutleries and more. They are for both food and non food products therefore it is generally food contact safe.
If you manufacture packaging like bags or containers:
We will send some samples to your factory for production trial. Upon satisfaction of product quality and appearance, we can discuss moving forward
If you are an end user e.g. supermarket, product manufacturer requiring new packaging:
We can work with your packaging suppliers or manufacturers to run the trial. Refer them to us.
or
If you not have own supplier, we have a list of manufacturers to help you to be more eco friendly in your packaging.
We also recommend our clients to send treated product samples to an independent laboratory to conduct biodegradation tests such as ASTM 5511 and ASTM 5574. This helps to support your own claims on biodegradation.
We have engineered our additive to facilitate the degradation of plastic well beyond its surface level. This involves enabling microbes to consume the C-C bonds within the plastic’s structure at a macromolecular level, thereby increasing the surface area of plastic products. Plastophilic microbes can then attach to the newly formed cavities in the polymer.
In contrast to conventional plastic that can endure for hundreds or thousands of years in a landfill, plastic enhanced with SAWeco additives draws the interest of over 600 diverse types of microbes. These microbes play a crucial role in efficiently digesting and consuming the plastic, offering a more sustainable end-of-life scenario.