Sunday, September 27, 2009

New Vocabulary Words with Sturdy EconoGreen Trash Bags

I am always on the lookout for ways to supplement the everyday items I can not seem to get away from, like petroleum based trash bags, with a more environmentally responsible option. EconoGreen Trash Bags deliver on function, environmental benefit and learning as they are tough enough to do the job and also taught me all about a new Green vocabulary word -- oxodegradable.

The box states “Built Tough” and they truly mean it. Sometimes flexible plastics created from 100% recycled material can become flimsy, but these bags passed my fingernail test and more! I held the black bag up to the light through my kitchen window and it looked no different than that of my normal black trash bags.

Jig-A-Loo, the parent company to EconoGreen, has figured out the ultimate secret when it comes to plastics and their decomposition. They claim that through a process called oxodegration the plastic will completely break down in about 2 years, and based on the box I believe it; inside the top is stamped a packing date.

They place a “unique agent” in the mix which causes the plastic to break down into smaller and smaller pieces once exposed to oxygen until it finally becomes a nutrient for microbes. All that is left behind is CO2, water and reusable biomass, no toxic residues.

The box of bags was shipped to me using very minimal packaging and the box which holds the bags is not only recyclable but it is created from 100% recycled materials and printed using veggie based inks. And the cost is reasonable for the type of bags; the large trash bags have an MSRP of about $6.00 which is well within normal range for 20 large trash bags.

My main concern is the unique agent additive. Nowhere could I find a description of exactly what the additive is. Similarly, there is no real information available on how it breaks down or what type of nutrient it becomes. I feel that these are vital facts to share as this is a completely new way of looking at Green plastics.

With all these things in mind I am granting a Three Leaf Rating to EconoGreen!

By enhancing your transparency on certain information about the ways your product breaks down, your leaf rating will skyrocket right up to a five due to the function and unique concept you have going Jig-A-Loo! ♥love♥

2 comments:

Bridgete said...

That must be what the plastic bags at Wollaston's are made of. It says on the bag it disintegrates when exposed to light and oxygen. This always gave me a mental image of the bag falling apart as I cross Huntington Ave. Never happened, of course, but I always wondered how long it actually takes.

Anonymous said...

I'm running into problems with lack of transparency in "green" companies that hide behind the words "proprietary" more and more.

Hiding behind the word "proprietary", makes me feel uneasy too.

I'm about to send an e-mail to one company about that.

I'm expecting more green companies to use the same tactic as the industry grows with the demand and so does competition.