PrideGreen Bags have the following features:
Biodegradable – break down completely leaving no toxic or visible residue!
Made from recycled plastic!
Unique Family-Friendly dispensing system!
Degradability and Biodegradability Claims:
PrideGreen uses proprietary biodegradable technology from EPI Environmental Technologies Inc.
EPI's TDPA™ provides a means for rendering conventional plastics degradable, and ultimately biodegradable, within a reasonable and controlled time-frame. TDPA™ is added in small quantities (typically 2-3%) to the conventional plastic during the manufacturing process and allows plastic products such as polyethylene carrier bags to biodegrade within 20 - 36 months following manufacture, when disposed of in an appropriate environment.
For plastics, degradability refers to change in chemical structure and loss in mechanical properties caused by a specific environment, resulting in the plastic breaking down into small fragments. Biodegradability results from the actions of naturally occurring micro-organisms such as bacteria, fungi and algae and results in the plastic fragments being consumed. Conventional plastic materials are extremely resistant to degradation and biodegradation and persist in the environment for decades, or even centuries.
How Does TDPA™ Work?
TDPA™ works by way of the oxo-biodegradation process, which occurs in two stages. In the first stage, TDPA™ accelerates the plastic degradation process by several orders of magnitude, whereby the long polymer molecules are reduced to shorter and shorter lengths and undergo oxidation (oxygen groups attach themselves to the polymer molecules). This process is triggered by heat (elevated temperatures found in landfills or composting), UV light (a component of sunlight) and mechanical stress (e.g. wind or compaction in a landfill). Oxidation causes the molecules to become hydrophilic (water- attracting) and small enough to be ingestible by micro-organisms, setting the stage for biodegradation to begin.
In the second stage, biodegradation occurs in the presence of moisture and micro-organisms typically found in the environment. The plastic material is completely broken down into the residual products of the biodegradation process. As micro-organisms consume the degraded plastic, carbon dioxide, water, and biomass are produced and returned to nature by way of the bio-cycle.
Why go biodegradable?
In 2005, the world consumed 235 billion kilograms of plastics for all uses.
All of this is ultimately discarded, most after a single use. In the United States most of this ends up in landfills; in less developed ones unfortunately as litter.
