Compostables materials

Non Waxed Cardboard (ie: pizza box, egg box, etc.)

ECO CHOICE: Durabox, Groupe Eccco, Albany, Royal Chinet or Savaday (CKF), Colpac/ Kaiser (TTS)

Used Paper products (ie: muffin paper, napkin, etc.)

ECO CHOICE: Lapaco, Cascades, Kruger, Metro Paper

Bamboo or wood (ie: tooth pick, pick, stir stick, etc.)

ECO CHOICE: Touch Industries

Palm leaf sheath (ie: plate, bowl, platter, etc.)

Source: Biodegradable Products Institute

^{Green: term which describes a product or a process that is considered beneficial for the environment}

^{Composting: biological process that converts organic matter into wet material called compost which is return to the soil to help plants grows}

^{Biodegradable : substance property capable of decaying through the action of living organisms}

Poly-Lactic Acid (PLA): biopolymer made from plant starch fiber, like that available in corn which is transformed into plastic for the making of cups, lids, straws and containers

Benefits:

• 100% compostable in commercial compost facilities
• Performance similar to plastic
• Non allergen
• Made from renewable resources instead of petroleum or oil based resins

Weakness:

• Weak resistance to heat (maximum of 40 ºC)
• Does not promote organic agriculture as pesticides and fertilizers are often used to grow corn

ECO CHOICE

^{Bare (Solo), Biogo (Tilton), Dyne-A-Pak Nature, Earth Choice (Pactiv), EarthSense (Polar), GreenStripe, World Art (Eco Products)}

^{Renewable resource: resource regenerated by the earth or from sources that will never expire such as the wind or sun}

Sugarcane (Bagasse): fiber that remains after the sugarcane stalks are crushed to extract its juice and is used in the manufacture of pulp and paper products such as plates, bowls and containers

Benefits:

• Microwave safe
• Heat resistant up to 80 ºC, leak proof and greaseproof
• Not made from petroleum feedstock
• Helps reduce deforestation’s harmful effects as forest regeneration occurs on average every twenty years compared to agricultural crops of sugarcane, which matures in only 12 months
• Positive impact on reducing emissions of greenhouse gases (GHG) as sugarcane stalks are prevented from heading to landfills or being incinerated after their single use

Weakness:

• Mainly grown in China, India or Brazil and shipped to Canada producing GHG emissions

ECO CHOICE

^{Bare (Solo), Earth Choice (Pactiv), Greengood (Polar), GreenStripe (Eco Products), Harvest Fiber (Genpak), Royal Chinet, Savaday (CKF)}    

Mix Materials

Plant starch: mix of 70% plant materials (such as corn, potatoes or other vegetables) and 30% of virgin plastic to produce cutlery ware etc.

 Benefits:

• Strong and durable
• Good heat resistance
• Help reduce fossil fuel since it is mostly made from renewable resources

Weakness:

• Not compostable because it is not made from 100% plant materials

ECO CHOICE

^{Harvest Starch (Genpak), Polar EcoPro (Polar)}

Recyclable materials

Paper and cardboard: paper product, newspaper, paper bag, cardboard box, juice container, etc.

Metal: aluminum container, plate and can, etc.

Glass: bottle, jar, etc.

Plastic: Resin Code No. 1,2,4 and 5

CPET: resulting from a crystallization of PETE, CPET plastic is freezer, conventional oven and microwave safe and therefore highly resistant to heat (Maximum 220 ºC)

OPS: polystyrene derivative, OPS is a very inexpensive transparent plastic but not very durable

Click here to find out which materials are recyclable in your municipality. Source: Stewardship Ontario

^{Recycle : treatment of waste materials in the goal to reuse the materials}

^{3R:  Reduce consumption of packaging products by buying bulk products}

^{Reuse containers and packaging as many times as possible by using reusable dishes or bags}

^{Recycle containers or packaging that can be recycled in your local recycling facilities}

^{Recycled: indicates an object has already been used and has been recycled into a new object.}

^{Recyclable: describes an object that can be recycled}

^{Recyclable vs. Recycled:  The difference between what is achievable and what has been achieved!}

Post-consumer materials

Post-Consumer Plastic: recycled plastic used after consumption to create post-consumer plastic. PET (Polyethylene terephthalate) is mostly used to produce Post-Consumer plastic because its density and thickness makes it easy to recycle into new plastic products

Benefits:

• Helps reduce use of virgin plastic and non-renewable resources
• Reduces waste in landfills because it lengthens PET lifecycle by introducing it into new products

Weaknesses

• May not be accepted in every recycling facility.
• It is recommended to check if your product is FDA or CFIA approved to eliminate risk of contamination from previous use.

Source: U.S Food and Drug Administration

ECO CHOICE

Bottle Box (Novelis)

^{Post-consumer: pertaining to a product after it has been used and recycled}

??Post-Consumer Fiber: recycled paper materials after its use and whose fibers are transformed into new paper products such as paper towel, napkin or toilet paper

Benefits:

• Supporting responsible use of forest resources as it relies on fewer virgin paper materials
• Reduces waste heading to landfills because it lengthens lifecycle of paper products by breaking them into new products

Weekness:

• Products made from Post-Consumer Fibers often need a polyethylene liner to improve leak proof and perhaps may be difficult to recycle.

ECO CHOICE

^{North River (Cascades), Kruger, Metro Paper}

GREEN SEAL CERTIFICATION

Green Seal is an important North-American developer of life cycle-based sustainability standards. They offer certification for companies, products and services that meets their requirement standards such as ISO 14020-14024 (Organization for Standardization), which ensures customer that the product or service has less impact on the environment during their entire life cycle assessment.

ECOLOGO

EcoLogo is Canada's most respected environmental standard and certification mark. This eco-label compares products within the same category throughout their entire lifecycle using scientifically rigorous standards.

FOREST STEWARDSHIP COUNCIL

FSC is an international labeling system that certifies that wood, paper and other forest products comes from a responsible and sustainable management forest.

GREEN-E CERTIFICATION

This independent certification is a program that promotes renewable energy and greenhouse gas emission reductions.

PROCESSED CHLORINE FREE

This label indicates that at any time the manufacturing process and bleaching is free of chlorine chemistry.

Ingeo is a synthetic fiber made from corn as it's processed through fermentation and separation to create a polyactid resin witch is compostable and can be used to produce plastics goods and many others.

Biodegradable Products Institute (BPI) logo certifies that a product is compostable as it has undergone rigorous tests conducted in laboratories. BPI is a not-for-profit and independent organization who has launched a compostable label program. ASTM D6400 certification from the American Society for Testing and Materials certify that plastic products are compostable in commercial composting facilities. ASTM D6868 certification applies to laminated paper, plant starch, bagasse and guarantee compostability of these products.