Last week we highlighted a major issue that eco-minded businesses are facing:

Plastic food packaging is preventing many of them from recycling more, composting more, and moving toward zero waste.

One of the recommendations we discussed to increase your businesses waste diversion was to eliminate or dramatically reduce the size of your trash can.

Today, I’d like to go into more depth here on this issue and why I think this is one of the most powerful and under utilized tactics to increasing your waste diversion rate as a business.

4 reasons why you should eliminate or dramatically reduce the size of your trash can

1. Eliminating your trash will dramatically increase your recycling & composting rates. Why is this true? Well, changing a person’s behavior is not an easy thing to do. If unmotivated, people tend to do what they’re used to, what’s easy, and what’s comfortable. Most people are used to putting all of their waste in 1 trash can. So long as a trash can is available, that will continue to happen. That’s why you need to do something that will force behavior change. If you’re used to putting all your trash in a trash can and all the sudden there is no trash can… well, now you have to figure out what to do with that waste.
   • *ENTER OPPORTUNITY TO CHANGE BEHAVIOR*. Now you’re confused. You have a bunch of waste, but no trash can, and you’re looking for someone to tell you what to do with your waste. This is where amazing recycling and composting signage + trained employees are key. These signs & people educate you and tell you to put your recyclables in the recycling bin and your compostables in the composting bin. And as a result, you change your behavior and divert more of your waste to recycling and composting bins.
2. Cut down on your waste hauling costs. Many municipalities and waste haulers charge money to take away your trash. If you have less trash, then that’s less money spent having it hauled away. Further, some cities (e.g., San Francisco) offer businesses rebates if they shift their waste from trash to recycling & composting.
3. 

   The DIY Bin Solution Constructed by Rigolo

   Save space in your store or office. Many of the small businesses we’ve worked with have told us that they have trouble finding space for 3 bins: trash, composting, and recycling in the front of their house. The simple solution – eliminate your trash can and move to a 2 bin system for recycling & composting only.
4. 3-compartment waste containers can be hard to find. We’ve also heard this from multiple business owners. One of the businesses we’ve worked with, Rigolo, in Laurel Heights in San Francisco, CA had such a difficult time finding a classy 3 bin system that he eventually had to go forward with a DIY approach (shown to the right), where he sawed holes into the lids of these bins. If you only need 2 bins, there are more options available and you don’t encounter these problems.

(more…)

A series of sports stadiums across the country have started composting recently thanks to the EPA’s Green Venues Program. The program helps major league & college sports venues green their stadiums and operations across a host of areas, including: energy efficiency, water efficiency, and waste reduction.

We’ve been particularly excited about the number of venues who have since kicked off composting programs. Here’s a shortlist of teams that now have composting programs at their stadiums / arenas: (more…)

Viv was founded with a pre-existing passion for being eco-friendly and saving the environment (one compostable cup at a time!). But we certainly have made our own lifestyle changes. We believe that with great knowledge comes great responsibility (social responsibility that is…) and in turn have changed the way we operate on a daily basis. These are quick and easy steps we have taken and that can be implemented into any office or home:

1. Reuse everything! From boxes, to jars, to office paper! I think it is pretty common to re-use paper and boxes, but we are innovative with our jar use. At home, we like to use glass jars to store pens, markers, and scissors. They even serve as a home for our budding avocado plant! Recently at a restaurant in SF, I discovered another use for these jars—they can be used as glasses. You can even decorate them to add your own personal touch (our decorations involve Viv stickers, of course). Check out this website for ideas on how to effectively recycle unusual materials ranging from clock parts to meat packaging!

2. Set up a composting system. It doesn’t smell any worse than your trash can, I promise. The only downfall: you may catch an unprecedented “composting” cold/flu (if you can’t tell, this happened to me once while taking out a pretty gnarly batch of compost….but I can’t say that it’s a common occurrence).

There are a couple different options for composting systems at home:

(a)   Vokashi’s Bokashi. We recently featured an article on this easy and alternative way of composting. Vokashi is based on the process of food recycling known as Bokashi. Bokashi in Japanese refers to the process of fermenting organic matter. The method uses anaerobic fermentation to ‘pickle’ organic matter in an airtight container with a bran that is inoculated with effective microorganisms. Read our article here.

(b)  Vermicomposting. a.k.a worm composting. Vermicomposting uses earthworms to turn organic wastes into very high quality compost. This is probably the best way of composting kitchen wastes. Adding small amounts of wet kitchen scraps to a large compost pile in the garden day by day can disrupt any decomposition process so that the compost is never really done. But it works just fine with vermicomposting. Take a look at this video for a demonstration on how to set up your very own home or office vermicomposting system: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cixwGZg2YV8.

(c)   KinetiCompost. It’s the fastest, simplest, most eco-friendly way to create nutrient-rich compost for your home or business. Just put your compostable materials in KinetiCompost’s rotomolded barrel, pop on the lid, and let mother nature do what she would normally do—at ten times the speed! KinetiCompost is made of durable, 100% recycled plastic and steel and is eco-friendly itself. The technology behind the KinetiCompost is very simple–a gearbox (such as the one found in a power drill) is located behind the rotating windmill, creating a 200:1 gear ratio so that for every 200 rotations of the windmill, the compost barrel completes one full rotation. Now rather than turning your compost every few days, you can let the already existing breeze keep your compost in constant rotation, which translates to faster compost production and a healthier garden. Being a new development, prices and more information about this product are not available yet. Stay tuned for more information as we discover it!

3. Recycle, Recycle, Recycle. I would say we go to pretty extreme measures to recycle things here at Viv. Sometimes I even find myself rummaging through the trash to recycle things that others simply throw away. We also recycle old ink cartridges, light bulbs, and electronics. We could probably be more efficient with this though…usually one of us leaves these items in highly visible locations around the house or office, hoping that the other will take initiative and recycle it at the nearest possible location! For more information on how to properly recycle items, stay tuned for Viv’s Recycling FAQ which will be posted shortly.

4. Paper Towels without the Paper. We have eliminated the use of paper towels completely from our office and home. This has reduced the amount of waste we produce significantly! Try it and see how it works for you.

5. Power. We have begun turning off all the lights behind us as well as unplugging any chargers or appliances when we aren’t using them—our energy bill has gotten a lot smaller! We are currently testing the “Smart Strip” out in our home. The power strip features advanced circuitry that not only offers excellent power surge protection and line noise filtering, but is actually able to ‘sense’ the flow of electrical current through the strip’s control outlet. Because of this unique ability, the Smart Strip can turn off selected equipment when it’s not in use, creating benefits that no other power strip on the market today can offer. Find more information here.

6. Take-Out Savvy. When we take our food to go, we make sure to return any items we may not need such as brown paper bags, plastic bags, forks, and napkins. We like to think we make a small influence on people through leading by action. We recently wrote about a campaign called TakeOutWithOut–read more here.

7. Walk the Talk. We don’t own a car; to get around, we use a zipcar, walk, or ride our bikes! Here are ten reasons why you should give up your car—and they don’t include just saving the environment: http://hubpages.com/hub/10-Reasons-to-Give-Up-Owning-a-Car.

8. Green Cleaning. We use eco-friendly cleaning products (ie dish soap, method dishwasher tablets, and hand soap). Look here for more information on how to make your own non-toxic cleaning kit for the home.

9. Green Games. Arul was recently shopping for a new basketball–he found the perfect one. Not only is it the color green, but it is made up of recycled materials as well! Read more about Wilson’s Rebound “Green” Recycled Rubber Basketball here.

Those are some of the small changes we have made around the house and office but any and all suggestions are welcome! We would love to hear some of the things you do at home or at work to make your footprint smaller so tweet us @doyouviv or leave us a comment here!

So a big shout out to Crave Catering in Brooklyn, NY. Crave (a new Viv Biz Club member) has recently gotten involved with the Vokashi system of accelerated composting.

Vokashi is based on the process of food recycling known as Bokashi. As described at Vokashi.com:
“Bokashi in Japanese refers to the process of fermenting organic matter. The method uses anaerobic (without oxygen) fermentation to ‘pickle’ organic matter in an airtight container with a bran that is inoculated with effective microorganisms. Once the matter is matured it can be planted in your garden or added to above ground composting boxes. Within weeks, the fermented matter is decomposed into highly nutrient rich soil ready for use as natural fertilizer or for planting.”

Crave has had food waste fermenting in Vokashi bins for the past 3 months and recently sent me a photo album of their Vokashi Trenching.

If you’re interested in Bokashi or alternative forms of composting, it’s a must see:

Step 1: Build or purchase planters for composting

Step 2: Line planters with chicken wire

Step 3: Add a layer of moss to the planters to prevent soil from dropping through chicken wire

Step 4: Add a layer of soil to the planters

Step 5: Bring out food waste that has been fermenting in Vokashi bins for 3 months (mmm… tasty!)

Step 6: Dig trench in soil and spread a layer of the food waste in the trench

Step 7: Cover with another layer of soil

Step 8: Stay tuned for nutrient rich soil…

I was wondering about this recently and found a fantastic Treehugger write-up on the issue.

I highly recommend reading the article (including comments) if you want the full scope. (Also, they’re a bit biased, but the Insinkerator folks have a fairly solid video detailing what happens to food waste when it goes down a garbage disposal).

Anyway, here are the key take-aways:

1. Composting is always the preferred method to dispose of food waste. If you don’t have access to curbside composting or do not want to start & tend a compost pile in your backyard, I’d recommend trying a Naturemill.
   

   Naturemill Indoor Composter: Arul’s brother recently purchased one (good work Bhu!) and I have to say it was pretty awesome. It’s small, fits in your kitchen, and churns / oxidizes food scraps so that they heat up and break down quickly… replicating the conditions of an industrial composting facility (full post on this product coming soon).

2. If you’re unable to compost (and really most folks who can afford a Naturemill should be able to), then typically, putting food waste down a garbage disposal is your next best option. There are two main benefits from using a garbage disposal as opposed to just placing food waste in the trash, including: 1) energy savings (less trucks hauling trash to landfills) and 2) reduced food waste in landfills (some of the bio-solids that end up in Waste Water Treatment Plants, WWPTs, are turned into fertilizer).
3. Room for debate: It is important to note however that when food waste breaks down in an anaerobic environment (landfills & WWPTs are typically anaerobic environments), the food waste produces methane gas. There’s a stronger movement amongst landfills (relative to WWPTS) to re-capture that gas and prevent it from entering our atmosphere (where is it 21 times as potent as CO2). If you live in California, where methane re-capture is required for all new landfills, it may be better to have your food waste hauled to a landfill (though again – compost first).

Increasingly products are being made with “compostable” and “biodegradable” on their labels (we should know ;-)).

But here’s the little known fact – the word “compostable” actually means something, and it’s definition is tightly controlled by International Standards… whereas the word “biodegradable” has a very loose, almost meaningless definition.

UPDATE (8/3/2010): Viv Video | “Biodegradable Packaging vs Compostable Packaging – DON’T get Greenwashed”

Let’s talk about it in the context of the new generation of eco-friendly plastics.

So, what is the difference between compostable and biodegradable plastic?

Well, the simplest way to identify a truly compostable product is to just look it up at the Biodegradable Products Institute (BPI) (the leading authority on compostable products).

As mentioned in our post on compostable cutlery that isn’t actually compostable, the long definition goes as follows:

Compostable Plastic“is capable of undergoing biological decomposition in a compost site as part of an available program, such that the plastic is not visually distinguishable and breaks down to carbon dioxide, water, inorganic compounds, and biomass, at a rate consistent with known compostable materials (e.g. cellulose), and leaves no toxic residue.” – as defined by the American Society for Testing and Measurement (ASTM-D6400 & ASTM-D6868).

According to ASTM D6400 and D6868 (and the European equivalent EN13432), compostable plastics must meet the following three criteria:

1. Biodegradability – Determined by measuring the amount of CO2 produced over a certain time period by the biodegrading plastic. The standards require 60% (90% in Europe) conversion of carbon into carbon dioxide within 180 days for resins made from single polymer and 90% conversion of carbon into carbon dioxide for co-polymers or polymer mixes.
2. Disintegration – Measured by sieving the material to determine the biodegraded size and that less than 10% remains on a 2mm screen within 120 days.
3. Eco-Toxicity – Measured by testing the concentrations of heavy metals to ensure that they are below the limits set by the standards and by testing plant growth by mixing the compost with soil in different concentrations and comparing plant growth in test and controlled compost samples.

So that’s the standard for “compostable plastics”.

Biodegradable Plastic, on the other hand, is plastic which will degrade from the action of naturally occurring microorganisms (e.g., bacteria, fungi) over a period of time. Note, however that there is no requirement for “eco-toxicity” and no time requirement for the biodegradation of biodegradable plastic.

The ASTM standard for compostability is applied to a range of products, but most typically is found on bags and food service ware, including: cups, cutlery, plastic coated paper items, and even bagasse and sugar cane products.

The rate of biodegradation for compostable products varies based on composition of the product, thickness, as well as composting conditions. Commercial composting systems, where compost piles are turned and typically reach high temperatures, often result in a much faster rate of biodegradation. (World Centric, a compostable food packaging manufacturer, actually has a fantastic chart showing high level estimates of biodegradation of their products in home composting vs commercial composting systems.)

In short, the term “biodegradable” is typically a term used to green wash products and make them seem good for the environment.

So, have you ever purchased “biodegradable” supplies and wondered if they actually break down? Tell us about an experience you’ve had.

And next time you’re making a purchase, make sure to purchase products that are certified compostable.

For more information, we suggest the following resources:
Biodegradable Products Institute
US Composting Council
ASTM
World Centric’s FAQ

As I’m sure some of y’all know, Sun Chips has recently started rolling out its new 100% compostable bag in Canadian retail stores. Very cool.

I had heard about this a few weeks back, but only recently had a chance to scope out the time lapse video they put together that shows the bag breaking down in ~14 weeks in a commercial composting system that reaches 55 degrees C.

There have been a few different write-ups on the bag (my favorite is Triple Pundit’s, as a representative from Sun Chips answers some tough questions really well in the comments).

I wanted to highlight the video specifically though, as I think it’s really quite fantastic. Check it out:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yu5J5HQk6VY

Straight from Sun Chips:

“As you might imagine creating a window into this environment was a bit tricky. We built a chamber for composting to take place under typical conditions, but replaced one of the walls with a glass window to see inside. While this gave us a unique view into the composting process, it also created some unforeseen challenges. For example, the glass was more conducive to heat loss than the walls of a typical compost bin. To counteract this force, we had to heat the glass so that it would not cause the compost pile to lose more heat than it normally would.

The results were a way to peer inside an active compost pile with a sample of the new Sun Chips film in plain view. We were careful to keep the conditions typical for a well run compost facility – nothing different than natural conditions for heat and moisture. We then set up a camera to monitor the decomposition and snapped pictures every 15 minutes for 14 weeks. The results are self-evident and demonstrate the ability of this film to decompose in a compost bin fairly quickly.”

Love it. Understanding that this is marketing, I’ll be the first to say that it’s really really powerful marketing, and I think it’s quite moving to see the bag breakdown right before your eyes.

A big kudos to Sun Chips for going the extra mile to get this made – I hope it gets lots of great play across the web.

Looking to make a purchase? Check out our Viv utensils that are 100% compostable.

Our offices are based in SOMA San Francisco and after picking up a salad at Whole Foods for lunch today, I saw the following sign next to their disposable cutlery – Taterware. If you can’t read the sign it says:

“Dear customers, we have been informed by Golden Gate Disposal & Recycling that the present formulation of Taterware cutlery has not been found to be compostable in the commercial compost program at Jepson Prairie Organics where our compost is currently being sent. The product is not presently acceptable in the San Francisco composting program or in its recycling program.”

First, I’ll say this was not a suprise to me, as Taterware is not certified as compostable by the Biodegradable Products Institute (BPI). Further, I have reports on my desk from Cambridge Polymer Group which state that Taterware is made up of 73% polypropylene (or plastic).

I imagine though that this will come as quite a surprise to the many business owners & consumers that use Taterware everyday, expecting it to compost in a commercial composting facility.

Something that many folks don’t know is that “biodegradable” does not mean “compostable”, and while Taterware is labeled biodegradable it was never certified compostable.

I am happy to say that our food ware partner, World Centric, uses cutlery that has been 3rd party tested as containing no plastic and is currently under process of ASTM 6400 testing. (Further speaking to the integrity behind World Centric, they share on their website, that they were previously using cutlery which despite being BPI certified and meeting ASTM standards was found to be not fully compostable. They discontinued the corn-resin which was causing the issue and have now had their utensils re-tested and confirmed as fully compostable containing 0% PP).

If you have further questions, there’s a Whole Foods contact (noted in the sign) that you can reach out to. We’ll be reaching out to Whole Foods to see if they’re interested in switching over to World Centric’s compostable cutlery: a mix of 70% non-GMO PLA and 30% talc.

(ps – sorry for the spills on the sign, looks like Whole Foods customers were a bit messy today.)

UPDATE (8/3/2010): Viv Video | “Biodegradable Packaging vs Compostable Packaging – DON’T get Greenwashed”

We recently received a note from our sticker manufacturer Lightning Labels stating that they would be switching their eco-friendy Earthfirst PLA label material over to a new material called Natureflex – a wood pulp based substance manufactured from sustainably farmed trees. As a side note, cheers to Lightning Labels – these guys have great customer service and noting that we are an environmentally friendly (understatement ;-) ) company made sure to send us a specific note on the switch.

Most importantly though, it sounds like the right move from an environmental perspective. Lightning labels cites 3 main reasons for the switch, and I’ll add a 4th:

1. PLA is made from corn which takes away from the food supply for humans and farm animals, and has contributed to an increase in food prices for products with a corn component.
2. There are problems with the recycling of plastic containers with a PLA label – which means many such containers actually end up in landfills rather than being recycled.
3. Whole Foods is actively discouraging its suppliers from using PLA.
4. Many forms of PLA are only compostable in a commercial composting facility (not in your backyard).
   

You can read more at lightning labels blog about their reasons for switching, and you can also check out an article from Oregon Live regarding composting & recycling concerns with PLA.

For now, we have quite a few PLA-based stickers already eagerly waiting to be stuck. We did however want to share what feels like a smart move on the part of one of our suppliers and let ya’ll know that we’ll be keeping a close eye on the most environmentally responsible way to manufacture Viv stickers.