Struggling With Whether To Delete Your Social Media Account? Think About It.

As many of us struggle with what to do or not with respect to social media in general, or whether to delete Facebook in particular, Tokyo Rose comes to mind.

During WWII, radio was the medium which conveyed Tokyo Rose's message of disinformation. Radio was also the means of conveying messages of hope and support to those in occupied territories. In the case of Tokyo Rose, it wasn't the medium per se that would do the harm to the Allies, it was the message and the motive behind that message.

And so it is with social media today. Motive matters. As we struggle with which medium to use or not, which to delete or not, why we chose a certain medium and what we want to say or share are important. 

When we acknowledge the why and the what, we can make informed as opposed to knee-jerk decisions. We can think mindfully about our choices and in doing so take back the control that technology has in many cases been designed to take from us.

For some of us Facebook is the only practical means that we have found to keep in touch with our families overseas. And that's OK and not a need for constant mental self-flagellation. Like with radio, we can chose where we want to tune in and where to tune out. We can unfollow the people whose posts we no longer want to see and chose to have posts from friends and family first in our feed. 

Instead of a filter bubble determined by a profit-minded AI in an algorithm, we can create our own walled mental gardens of nature, music and puppies, or not. Both choices are valid for each of us. What is important is that we shine the light of independent thought into the darkness that social media can sometimes become. That we think and then we choose.

Life Cycle Analysis Allows For Making Informed Science-Based Decisions

When it comes to packaging, there are always trade-offs to be made. Our idealized view of the way in which eggs should be packed - for example as shown in the image on the right - or what may sound or feel right, is not always what does right for the environment. 

That’s where Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) can help - through allowing one to make informed science-based decisions. 

In the case described below, a LCA helped Pete and Gerry's Organic Eggs make the decision as to whether paper or recycled plastic cartons are better for the environment. 

The $64K question

In a post on their website, Pete and Gerry's say, "A question that we get a lot usually goes like this: 'I love your eggs and your commitment to animal welfare and the environment, but why do you use plastic egg cartons? Isn’t that worse for the environment?'"

"It’s an excellent question," they continue. "We’ve all come to see plastic as bad. It’s derived from a non-renewable source (oil), it doesn’t decompose for a very long time, and these days, a lot of it is winding into the oceans. So it’s understandable that it has a bad reputation."

"On the other hand, the molded pulp cartons and the polystyrene foam cartons are not environmental home runs either, for many of the same reasons. So what’s a well-meaning person to do?"

Third party LCA study

To find the answer and Pete and Gerry's worked with a third-party to conduct a LCA of the options available on the market. In 2012 they hired Quantis, a Canadian research company specializing in the environmental impact of products, to do a complete comparative environmental life cycle assessment of egg cartons.

According to Pete and Gerry's, "Quantis looked across the raw material sourcing, manufacturing, packaging, transportation, and end of life/recycling aspects for RPET (our recycled PET clear package), virgin PET, Recycled Molded Pulp (RMP) and Polystyrene (commonly known as styrofoam). They scored that as a total Carbon/Climate Change footprint score based on all of those life stages. They also scored them on the basis of Human Health, Ecosystem Quality, and Resource Depletion measures."

Choice made based off real data

"We went with the most environmentally-friendly packaging based off real data," Pete and Gerry's explain.

"The RPET carton that we use was determined to be superior, or vastly superior, to both the Molded Pulp and Polystyrene as a whole, and across all of the individual life stages, with the one exception – it has a slightly higher manufacturing impact than recycled pulp. It is worth noting that the worst option was typically the PET plastic made from virgin plastic. That’s because of the high amount of fossil fuels required both as energy and raw material in its production. This is what large 2-liter soda bottles are made from (so think about that the next time you’re considering buying soda). We take the recycled material from those containers to make our cartons. The tri-fold PET also has an important consumer benefit in that it provides the best protection for the eggs while allowing you to see the unbroken eggs without opening the carton in the store."

"Once used, our cartons can then be placed right back in the recycling stream for another trip through the system. Paper pulp can also be recycled. Styrofoam all goes to the landfill to wait for the end of time."

Best possible solution for the time being

There you have it - what sounds or feels right does not always do right by the environment. As Pete and Gerry's conclude, "While we wish we could sell our eggs in wooden boxes or wicker baskets that were re-used over and over, we feel as though we’ve arrived at the best possible solution we can for the time being."

Bravo, Pete and Gerry's for not going with gut feel, and for taking the time and money to conduct a LCA to be able to make an informed science-based decision regarding the best packaging for your organic eggs! Looking forward to following you on your sustainability journey on Twitter!

Compostable Snack Bag Wins Bioplastics Innovation Award

At the start of #BioplasticsWeek 2018, the Plastics Industry Association Bioplastics Division on September 18 announced Danimer Scientific and PepsiCo as the joint winners of the 2018 Innovation in Bioplastics Award. The two companies developed the next generation of bio-based and compostable flexible packaging using Danimer 24365B & Danimer 01112 Resins. This new industrial compostable snack bag is said to have the right balance of sustainability, performance and cost. 

The annual Innovation in Bioplastics Award is an honor that goes to companies applying bioplastics to innovative, purposeful product design. “We are excited to honor Danimer and PepsiCo for their unique and creative application of bioplastics innovation,” said PLASTICS’ President & CEO, William R. Carteaux. “These innovations are a major contribution in progressing bioplastics forward as a competitive option in more applications across various industries. What an amazing way to kick off Bioplastics Week.”

The industrial compostable snack bag is comparable in feel, noise and performance to PepsiCo’s current bags and certified to be industrially compostable by TUV Austria. The new Danimer resins that are blends of biopolymers and mineral filler give the bag its white exterior and can be processed in blown film lines for improved economics.  The new bio-based structures are currently being piloted in a limited test in the US and Chile, with plans for a test in India later this year.

“We would like to thank the Plastics Industry Association for recognizing the work PepsiCo and our team are doing to create sustainable food packaging,” said Scott Tuten, chief marketing officer at Danimer Scientific. “As the industry becomes more environmentally conscious, we look forward to continuing our partnership with PepsiCo to develop quality, compostable and biodegradable plastic products for a wide variety of applications.”

Home Compostable Next

Danimer and PepsiCo are collaborating on a third-generation chip bag that is based on Danimer’s PHA technology and will be fully biodegradable in home-composting environments.

“PepsiCo and Danimer have a shared vision for a future of food packaging that is more sustainable without compromising food safety or quality,” said Garry Kohl, Senior Director R&D Global Packaging Innovation for Snacks & Foods at PepsiCo. “We are proud to be recognized for this work, which supports PepsiCo’s stated goal to make 100-percent of our packaging recyclable, compostable or biodegradable by 2025.”

Bioplastics Week

The Innovation in Bioplastics Award is announced annually during PLASTICS’ Bioplastics Division’s Bioplastics Week. Bioplastics Week is a social media driven initiative created to increase bioplastics’ visibility and educate people about the many benefits they provide. Follow the conversation using #BioplasticsWeek.