NatureWorks (a subsidiary of Cargill), makes “Ingeo”, a bioplastic spun from lactic acid generated from corn sugars. It’s the same stuff used by Sun Chips to make their new “compostable” bags that will be released in 2010. It’s exciting stuff, and I support the notion, but the commercial (linked above) is misleading about how you’ll be disposing of Sun Chips bags.
According to NatureWorks’ FAQ:
Can I throw Ingeo™ biopolymer into my backyard compost?Ingeo™ biopolymer should be composted in industrial compost facilities, which contain the right managed combination of temperature and moisture. Therefore, it is not recommended for use in typical backyard composting due to the lack of high temperature and inconsistent conditions.
The commercial for Sun Chips never says you can just toss it in the backyard, but that’s certainly the implication.
I wonder what sort of dent my worms could make in this thing. I don’t produce enough organic waste to get a good compost heap going, so I rely on the lil’ wrigglers to do the job for me.
Just as counterpoint, there has been zero peer-review scientific research that shows that there is any toxicity with GMO products. All the “research” he is alluding to has been done by political organizations, and none has stood up to even the most basic peer review or scrutiny.
Even the idea that manipulating genes in organisms makes them universally “toxic” shows a complete lack of understanding of the most basic biology. You might be able to show that a very specific genetic change causes toxicity (although no one has done even that), but the idea that genetic manipulation is universally toxic is a purely religious/political one.
The only argument against GMO that makes any sense, is the argument that there might be problems with a specific genetic manipulation that won’t be found until they are introduced to the environment. Except even this argument is pretty lame, because mutation breeding (bombarding a plant with radiation or toxic mutagens in order randomly genetically modify the organism) is widely used, completely unregulated, and fully certifiable as “organic”. Mutation breeding is essentially GMO without all the research and safety testing. Many non-GMO “organic” crops are really GMO crops created with less sophisticated genetic modification technology.
Of course, all this completely ignores the fact that there is no way to tell if an organism have been genetically modified. Someone could come up with a GMO product in a secret lab, and introduce it as a non-GMO product, and there is no way anyone would ever know.
The GMO haters are to the environmental movement what the 9/11 Truthers are to the anti-war movement… a bit of an embarrassment, but often tolerated out of pragmatism.
The ad actually seems to imply it will degrade in 14 weeks if buried under 24 inches of soil (I’m assuming the size of the chip bag is about 8″x10″ to get those measurements).
I wonder how it’d do in my dad’s ‘composter’, he’s got a stack of four tires and he alternates food scraps with bags of weed trimmings from his riding lawnmower (11 acres of California grassland that he’d rather not have turn into California burntland), watered about every other day. I’ve seen that puppy reduce a newspaper in August in three weeks flat.
Joel I think you are sorely missing the point, This is not meant to be a complete solution but it’s an effort and maybe this effort will force Frito-lay to make a biodegradable bag and really make a difference.
Instead of calling the advertisement misleading (yes of course the ONLY misleading advertisement around)
why don’t you simply support a good idea. Without the Caveat. (also how many people as a percentage of the population actually have composts)
Since this company is a subsidiary of Cargill, the corn is UNDOUBTEDLY GMO. That’s the most compelling reason not to use this product in your compost. See the wealth of warnings on toxicity of GMO corn, soy and their by-products at various sites. Also a recent warning by an association of environmental physicians on the health problems and diseases linked to GMO products. “The World According to Monsanto” is an eye-opener as well. Also being used in yeasts (in liquor) and pharam products…vaccinnes included.
According to their FAQ, Mary, some of the corn is GMO, so isn’t; it depends on whether their local corn farmers are using GMO varieties. Also, the process doesn’t require GMO corn to work. (Not that they *wouldn’t* use GMO, of course, but they do address your question.)
The misleading implication of the commercial is mildly unfortunate– but it seems like a rather nice technology.
anyone out there separate their garbage out so that certain items can be sent off to the industrial composting facility? no?
so these “compostable” bags are going to end up in the landfill with all the other bags? yes.
Not that GMO is consensus-bad or anything.
Toss the chips in the compost as well, they’re just about as edible as the bag.
“…not recommended for use in typical backyard composting due to the lack of high temperature and inconsistent conditions.”
That sounds like a challenge to me. $20 says that my bin would make quick work of this bag.
The worse implication, is that the bag won’t compost under natural conditions (like shown in the video). So, expect to see these bags scattered along the roadside for years to come.
Just one more note:
Most landfills cause anaerobic conditions where nothing composts. Not this bag – not your leftover salad.
Please people, start a bin or use the cities commercial facilities. Organic matter is a terrible thing to waste.