Good ideas for the environment. I hope someone is working on replacing those dangerous and difficult to open plastic covers that are used in way to many products. I bet I have many people who agree with me. Suggestion bio degradable cardboard and the items shown in the clip.
Fritz Tallian
The Future Of... Packaging
July 27, 2010 | Length: 00:03:20
Packing material is no friend to the environment. Energy intensive to produce, it often ends up in landfill after a single use. SmartPlanet correspondent Sumi Das looks at some greener compostable options for protecting your packages.
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RE: The Future of... Packaging
Posted by nthused
16th Aug 2010
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RE: The Future of... Packaging
Posted by nthused
16th Aug 2010
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RE: The Future of... Packaging
Posted by ftallian
27th Jul 2010
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RE: The Future of... Packaging
Interesting, but not really innovative. I also have a problem with some of the propagandistic terms used. "Damaging Carbon" was one example. Carbon Dioxide is not a harmful evil gas; it is part of the normal chain of life. Without it; none of us would be here. The emission of large amounts of carbon dioxide without a proper absorption sink is more of an issue. None of the solutions presented in this segment however address the packaging problem; only transfer the energy loss to other sources. Our company, for example, looked into the waste created by packaging and discovered a simple solution; put the products in reusable packabing made of recycled/recyclable material; this keeps the waste out of the landfill longer, and reduces overall pollution (undesired or misplaced waste).
Posted by flojoworldwide
28th Jul 2010
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RE: The Future of... Packaging
The starch-based packing peanuts were invented at the Univ. of MO (Ag Engeering?) in the early 90's, along w/ starch-based "plastic"-ware eating utensils.
Posted by john.m.ferrel@...
11th Aug 2010
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RE: The Future of... Packaging
Amway has been using the starch-based peanuts since the 90's. I
remember being amazed at first seeing them dissolve in water. I'm
surprised companies still use the styrofoam peanuts.
remember being amazed at first seeing them dissolve in water. I'm
surprised companies still use the styrofoam peanuts.
Posted by nthused
16th Aug 2010
Transcript
Music
>>Sumi Das: In this e-commerce era packaging material can pile up quickly; Styrofoam, bubble wrap, foam peanuts. While they can be reused they can't be recycled but in the future shipping material maybe more earth friendly.
Music Conventional packing materials require considerable energy to make and emit damaging carbon in the process.
>>Eben Bayer: In fact, in a single cubic foot, a 12 by 12 by 12-inch box of expanded polystyrene you've got the same embodied energy of a gallon of gas yet you'll throw that packaging away after just a few weeks of use and that's going to end up in a landfill.
>>Sumi Das: Eben Bayer is the CEO of Ecovative Design and the inventor of a Styrofoam alternative called EcoCradle.
>>Eben Bayer: The inspiration behind this product really came from hiking in the woods. I saw mycelium growing across a leafy, woody ground cover and what it does in the forest it actually holds the forest floor together.
>>Sumi Das: Bayer discovered that this natural binding agent could be used to create molds of virtually any shape and size.
>>Eben Bayer: Our material is basically made out of seed husks and mushroom roots. You can actually see on this piece here the white tissue is the mycelium or mushroom roots which acts as a glue and holds the product together. These are waste products. You can't eat them. You can't feed them to animals but mushrooms love to eat them.
>>Sumi Das: The material takes about a week to grow and because it's completely natural you can toss it in a compost bin or your garden. A month or so later it will have broken down. Cost wise Bayer says EcoCradle is comparable to traditional packing materials but it does have some limitations. So far, creating forms thinner than an inch has been challenging. Micromidas is another company trying to use waste wisely. The company has developed a process returning sewage sludge into biodegradable plastic suitable for not only packaging but also automotive parts and housewares. The key is microbes which feed on carbon contained in waste water to produce polyhydroxyalkanoate or PHA plastic. And in Minnesota the very same equipment used to make these offers another green option. StarchTech has developed a corn starch based resin that's run through a snack food extruder to create biodegradable packing peanuts. Unlike Styrofoam, these peanuts can be composted or dissolved in water.
Music The future of packaging, looking to nature and its byproducts for a smarter way to ship. For SmartPlanet, I'm Sumi Das.
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==== Transcribed by Automatic Sync Technologies ====