Certified compostable products are readily available, from cups to plates, and even utensils, straws, and similar products. Restaurants, institutions, other food service businesses, and households can easily use reusable, compostable, and/or recyclable dishes and serviceware. Bulk servings of condiments would eliminate plastic packaged condiments. Compost collection is growing. Lets work toward adapting our society to a two-material stream--compostable and recyclable! We're ready to start in our community of Brattleboro. We have a compost operation, curbside and commercial collection of compost and recyclables, and a law mandating diversion of food scraps from landfill disposal by 2020. We have compost/materials management experts in our local community. What we need is funding to make our new society grow into a model for the rest of the country!
Compostable Plastics Present a NOW solution to our Plastics Dilemma
Switching nonreusable, nonrecyclable serviceware (cups, utensils, straws, etc.) to compostables allows for a phaseout of common plastics.
Written by Athena Bradley
If such a range of compostable products for serviceware exists, lets make it common, everyday use! To do this a model community is needed. One with composting and recycling in place, a mandate to recycle and soon (by 2020) a ban on landfilling food scraps, haulers in place to collect food scraps and compostable products, and a processing facility to take these materials and make a value-added product-compost for soil!
There are a wide variation of products available. The more these products are purchased and used, the less expensive they will become. And, the more integrated into society the use of these products become the easier to move into a society that can at least eliminate nonrecyclable, noncompostable plastics from common everyday uses.
Sample compostable products that are available now for use by businesses, institutions, schools, and households.
Idea Title
Imaginable and Achievable Model for Phasing Out Nonrecyclable Plastic Serviceware and other Plastics through use of Compostable ProductsCompany / Organization Name
The Northeast Recycling Council, Inc. (NERC) is a multi-state non-profit organization that is committed to environmental and economic sustainability through responsible solid waste management. Its programs emphasize source reduction, reuse, recycling, composting, environmentally preferable purchasing (EPP), and decreasing the toxicity of the solid waste stream in the 11-state Northeast USA region. NERC’s mission is to promote sustainable materials management.
Website
www.nerc.orgWhere are you / your team located?
Brattleboro, VermontHow does this Idea redesign unrecyclable small format plastic items that often end up as waste?
Vermont's Act 148, the Universal Recycling Law is one of the most advanced materials management laws in the country. It presents an innovative approach, phasing in key incentives toward reducing waste, promoting source reduction, recovery, and ultimately banning food scraps from the landfill that fosters a two-stream approach to managing wastes and reducing common plastics through switching to compostable plastic serviceware and other products.
Compostable materials collected from residents and many businesses in Brattleboro is transported to Windham Solid Waste Management District for composting at their facility. The materials are successfully composted and the resulting compost product is sold. The facility is a breakeven venture, with tip fees and compost sales covering the cost of the operation. This services to keep these resources locally and presents a model for a two-stream--compost and recycling--materials management future.
Triple T Trucking provides the collection of recyclables, compostables, and trash in Brattleboro. They also provide commercial collection throughout the region, accepting food scraps, soiled paper, and certified compostable products in their compost collection routes.
Trash is collected every other week. Residents pay for trash through a Pay as You Throw system, through purchase of bags at grocery stores and other outlets. This is a photo of the 4 unit (5 people) condo where I live.
Curbside collection of recyclables and compostables--including food scraps, soiled paper, and, compostable products--is offered at not cost to all town residents on a weekly basis.
David Schoales - Woodworker & Town Selectboard Member testimonial on success of composting and recycling in Brattleboro.
Which use cases does your Idea apply to?
Straws, lids, condiment packaging, common plastic serviceware that is not recyclable, so ends up in the landfill. Our targeted education campaign will focus on changing mindsets to adopt already existing compostable products that can be used in our daily lives, increasing recycling of recyclable plastics which still end up being tossed in the landfill, and switching to bulk refillables where compostable or recyclables are not available. Let's start the solution with products already available!In what geographical context or area does your Idea plan to operate / solve?
Southern Vermont, but our model is readily applicable throughout Vermont due to requirements of Act 148. The model is certainly adoptable throughout the Northeast as compost collection continues to spread and be adopted by businesses and households.How do you envision scaling up your Idea?
Composting and anaerobic digestion of food scraps and compostable products is growing around the nation. However, resistance to the possibilities of a two-stream, zero waste model continues. This proposal presents a practical, scalable model which, through development of training materials, how to videos, use of social media, and more, can be promoted around the country. Creation of a model can overcome concerns to switching to compostable products and a two-stream zero waste management plan.At what stage of development is your Idea?
- Prototyping: You have conducted some small tests or experiments with prospective users and will continue developing idea through these tests.
- Piloting: You have started to implement your solution as a whole with a first set of real users. You may have started to develop a business model for your idea, including identifying key customer segments, relevant partnerships, go-to-market strategy, and draft financials.
Please describe how becoming a Top Idea and working with the Think Beyond Plastics Accelerator Program will help to accelerate your solution.
I would start by building my team in Southern VT, including haulers, processors, business and government leaders, to formulate an education/training and outreach plan that fosters the switch to compostable products as a replacement for common plastic serviceware. This campaign would also promote and provide compost training. Cost effectiveness, barriers, solutions would be analyzed. Case studies, training guides, promotional examples would be developed for practical adoption by other communitiesPlease describe from where your Idea emerged
Through my work experience over the past several years with businesses I have found that compostable plastics presents a real world "NOW" solution to the plastics problem. Starting with serviceware, which is already available in today's market and something everyone uses, and turning this into a value-added product (compost) offers a practical solution. In my professional circles I have also found that this has been proven in communities around the US which have embraced composting.Tell us about your work experience
Athena Lee Bradley organizes and conducts trainings on food scrap and organics management, develops training resources, and provides technical assistance to communities, businesses, and institutions.Please describe your legal and organizational structure
The Northeast Recycling Council is a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit organization. Our Board Members are representatives from our 11 Northeast State Members.Written by
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