A: Bagasse is sugar cane fiber pulp, left after the juice has been extracted from the sugar cane stalk. Bagasse is normally seen as a waste product, and is often burned thereby causing air pollution. Making tableware out of the sugar cane pulp solves the problem of waste and as well creates a value added product from a material, which is treated as a waste product.

A: Bagasse is 100% compostable and it biodegrades in 60-90 days. Through the use of this product, you are contributing to a sustainable planet. Bagasse is a tree-free readily renewable resource and provides a superior alternative to petroleum derived products. It will biodegrade and will not stay in the environment for hundreds of years.

A: The rate of decomposition depends on the composting conditions – the temperature, turnover rate, moisture, etc. Just like other compostable material, products will biodegrade much faster if they are broken into smaller pieces. Bagasse tableware will biodegrade at the same rate as garden waste in a home composting system, which, depending on the home composting system, can be approximately 90 days. They will degrade faster in a commercial composting facility.

A: Bagasse tableware will handle hot food and beverages up to 212 degrees. It is also microwave safe. However, the tableware does "sweat" with hot foods and some condensation will form at the bottom of the tableware with hot foods. Bagasse is both microwave and freezer safe.

A: Sugar cane fiber bagasse tableware is made by pressing the pulp at high pressure and temperatures to a mold form. It is sterilized and sanitized and conforms to FDA Administration guidelines.

A: Bioplastics are a new generation of compostable & biodegradable plastics which are made from readily renewable resources such as corn, soybeans, potato, etc.

A: PLA is PolyLactic Acid and is a product made from corn-starch, with a look and feel like petroleum based plastic. PLA is the most commonly used bioplastics for making products.

A: They are made by processes which are similar to how plastic products are made – they are thermal formed.

A: Certified compostable PLA by ASTM are required to degrade within 180 days in a commercial composting facility. Home composting systems may take more than 180 days to biodegrade. Based on the thickness, kind of resins, the PLA can have varying rates of decomposition. The corn cutlery, cold cups, drinking straws and the biobags can take up to 180 days in a commercial composting facility. The potato cutlery will also take 180 days or more to degrade in a commercial facility. Biodegradation will be faster if the products are broken down to small pieces or ground up.

A: PLA cutlery is designed to return to the soil through composting. If thrown into the trash it will be collected and end up in a landfill. Landfills are sealed which means little biodegradation occurs below the surface, so what is thrown away may not degrade for a long time. However, it is still environmentally better than plastic, as eventually the bioplastics will still biodegrade, while petroleum based plastic will stay around for hundreds of years.

A: If PLA products are thrown into the recycling bin, they will not be recycled into other plastic products. PLA is currently not manufactured to be recycled, but to be composted. (Keep in mind that after the sorting process, a low percentage of plastic is actually recycled.)

A: The PLA products are heat resistant to 104 degrees . PLA can be used only for cold and warm foods and are freezer safe.

A: Biodegradable plastic is a degradable plastic in which the degradation must result from the action of naturally occurring microorganisms, such as fungi or bacteria. Compostable plastic is a plastic that undergoes biological degradation during composting to yield carbon dioxide, water, inorganic compounds and biomass at a rate consistent with other known compostable materials, such as cellulose, leaving no visually distinguishable or toxic residues. Biodegradability does not necessarily mean compostability but is one of the components of compostability. In addition, compostability requires disintegration of 90% of the material to a size less than 2mm, and also mandates that the compostable material does not create any eco-toxicity in the soil.

A: By composting biodegradable plastic along with the other biodegradable waste, we can generate much needed carbon-rich soil (humus) instead of filling up our valuable land with waste. Compost amended soil can have beneficial effects by increasing water & nutrient retention in soil, reducing chemical inputs, (toxins, pesticides, etc.) and suppressing plant diseases. Many communities have large-scale centralized collection of yard waste and compostable material. Through composting the problem of waste disposal could become the solution for low-input sustainable agriculture.

A: A new group of green consumers is making educated purchasing decisions based on their impact on the Environment. Commercial and Retail packaging make up a huge percentage of refuse that has created a never ending waste management crisis in Canada. Government subsidies to recycling and disposal programs are directly reflected back to the consumer through municipal, provincial, and federal taxes. The responsibility for disposal has been left with the consumer instead of with Industry and Manufacturers where it belongs. Groups like the Canadian Councils of Ministers for the Environment are working toward implementing a *Sustainable Packaging Initiative through Extended Producer Responsibility programs that will be implemented Canada-wide, and put the responsibility back on Manufacturers through product levy's and taxes. Sustainable Packaging Initiative.

A: Our product line of Biodegradable and Compostable packaging solutions is competitively priced to ease the transition for businesses and consumers. In fact, when weighing all of the conceivable offsets, switching to a more Eco-Compatible business philosophy can be cost neutral or result in cost savings. The common advantages that we hear the most from our customers are the following:

• A huge public relations benefit comes from portraying a business philosophy that consumers can identify with on a personal level in their efforts to make a positive impact on the environment.
• As the price of petroleum continues to rise, products like plastics and polystyrene foam have risen dramatically and the market for biodegradables and compostable packaging products has become very attractive.
• Consumers in an ever increasing Green Market are making educated purchasing decisions based on business philosophy and environmental impact of their daily products. Customers are so committed to voicing their opinions regarding their purchasing, that they are contacting businesses and expressing their need for more ecologically compatible strategies and products.
• Biodegradable and compostable food service packaging occupies 60% less volume then Styrofoam due to its thinner yet more resilient construction. The cost of shipping, storage, and fuel consumption is therefore greatly reduced.
• Media and consumer attention provides business with access to new markets and increased profit margins as a result of making the step towards a zero waste policy. These strategies are so new in the consumer market, that businesses receive immediate positive attention as role models in the community.

A: There is no maximum shelf life on biodegradable and compostable food service packaging made from non-wood fibers. Consumers often confuse these products with degradable plastics that are commonly available on the market today. Non-wood fiber food service packaging requires a combination of light, heat, moisture, oxygen, and micro organisms in the soil to initiate the biodegrading process. Degradable plastic however have minimum shelf lives because light is the common initiating factor. This is why they are called Photodegradable and not Biodegradable.

A: There are several factors that influence the process by which our products will break down. As a biodegradable and not introduced into a composting system, the biological consumption of the product by micro organisms in the organic waste matter will cause the product to decompose in less than 90 days. As an organic waste, introduced into a home composting system, the product will decompose in 45 to 50 days. In a commercial composting facility where there is much higher heat introduced in the sterilization stages, the product can completely decompose in as little as 30 to 45 days. However, when composting this product, tearing it into small pieces dramatically increases the decomposition rates.