Biodegradable plastics improve waste management

BERLIN -- The municipal waste management company Berliner Stadtreinigung (BSR) and BASF have successfully completed a joint pilot project involving the use of organic waste bags made of the biodegradable plastic Ecovio FS used in more than 21,000 households.

Each participating household received the test package with the organic waste bags made of BASF’s biodegradable and compostable plastic Ecovio FS by bulk mail together with information material, free of charge. The residents were asked to use the bags to collect their organic waste in the following three months.

Moreover, 3700 households were additionally given a pre-sorting kitchen container to make it easier to collect organic waste.

Approximately 80% of the residents surveyed were satisfied with the bags for collecting the organic waste. Incorrect disposal, in other words, the number of conventional, non-biodegradable bags that ended up in the organic waste bins, fell sharply during the trial. Incorrect disposal fell by 37% at the minimum, and in Hellersdorf district, where pre-sorting containers were distributed, by as much as 67%.

The amount of organic waste collected during the project was very encouraging and increased by about 10% in the fourth quarter of 2011. This rise ran counter to the normal seasonal trend: During the same time span, the quantity of organic waste in other districts of Berlin fell by 20%.

Improved hygiene in organic waste collection

According to a survey by the University of Mannheim, which had already conducted the analysis of a previous project, almost 80% of residents in both of these Berlin districts were satisfied or very satisfied with the new organic waste bags. Previously, almost 30% of those surveyed had not regularly separated their organic garbage because of the dirty collecting containers, while 23% had not done so because of the unpleasant odor.

Thanks to the Ecovio bags, the disposal of biodegradable garbage is cleaner, more hygienic and less complicated. The bags not only prevent odors and keep out insects, but also mean that it is no longer necessary to wash and clean the container in which the organic waste is collected. The air-permeable bags also ensure that the organic waste dries and smells less than it does in conventional bags. Consequently, the bags are easier to handle since they do not have to be taken out of the kitchen every day. The bags are predominantly bio-based and meet European standard EN 13432 for compostable plastics. In accordance with the amendment to the German Organic Waste Regulations at the end of 2011, the bags can be used to collect organic waste.

“For us, it was crucial that the residents accepted the bags, that incorrect disposal decreased, and that organic waste collection was more convenient for the residents. A higher level of acceptance for organic waste collection also contributes to increasing the volumes of separated waste. Starting in 2013, our fermentation plant wilOff White X Max 98