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Our oceans are filling up with plastic: plastic that harms wildlife and never biodegrades; plastic that enters the food chain and leaches toxic chemicals. This blog is a record of my journey to live with as little unnecessary plastic as possible. Won't you join me? Fake plastic fish may be cute, but if we keep filling up our oceans with plastic, they could be the only kind we have left.... |
Evert Fresh Update
In my November 7 post about Evert Fresh bags, I expressed my frustration that people seeking to go plastic-free were buying these bags, believing that the bags were not made from petroleum-based plastic. I explained that this mistaken belief came from misleading or missing information on various web sites.
I’m now happy to report that after many emails and phone calls to these companies, at least three web sites have been updated with the correct information. Greenfeet was the first to fix their listing on Amazon.com, rewording the description to state that the “bags are made from a low-density polyethylene plastic (#4) impregnated with a natural clay based mineral that absorbs ethylene.” Now, it appears that while Greenfeet still sells the bags on its own site, it is no longer selling them through Amazon.com.
Amazon seller 877MYJUICER also changed the product description to say that the “bags are made from low-density polyethylene plastic materials….”
And after my persistent e-mails and phone calls to Reusablebags.com, they have updated their Evert Fresh description to read, “Evert Fresh bags are made from low density polyethylene that is coated with a fine layer of natural clay containing high levels of a mineral proven to absorb ethylene gas.” I am particularly happy about the change to the Reusablebags.com site since it caters to people looking for plastic-free options.
The changes to the Evert Fresh bag descriptions on these sites gives people the information they need to make decisions about whether or not to purchase the bags. So I’m glad for that. I personally won’t be buying them, as I stated in my earlier post, because I don’t like the idea of using a petroleum-based non-biodegradable plastic bag to keep food fresh a little bit longer.
Wouldn’t it be great if someone came up with a compostable bag using the same natural clay technology as Evert Fresh that would keep food fresh until then end of the bag’s useful life and then be composted with other green materials? Wouldn’t it be great if everyone composted, if even a little bit? Or stopped to think before buying too much food in the first place? These are a few things on my holiday wish list.
So this issue isn’t finished for me. There are still a few sites giving somewhat misleading information about the bags. But more importantly, it seems like there is an opportunity here for someone to come up with a truly “green” competing product. I’d love to find the person or company with the knowledge and desire to make something like that happen.
Comments
Comments
7 Comments on Evert Fresh Update
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Burbanmom on
Fri, 21st Dec 2007 5:05 am
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terrible person on
Fri, 21st Dec 2007 12:22 pm
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terrible person on
Fri, 21st Dec 2007 2:07 pm
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Justin on
Sat, 22nd Dec 2007 12:05 pm
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Anonymous on
Wed, 26th Dec 2007 11:41 pm
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Anonymous on
Fri, 18th Jan 2008 9:24 pm
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dave on
Tue, 12th Feb 2008 10:48 am
That is SO AWESOME! Great work, Beth! You’re like the Ralph Nader of plastic police!
How about Navratilova Fresh bags?
But seriously, here is an article from today’s SF Chronicle about how neither plastic nor paper bags are all that great — reusable cloth bags are the best!
And here is one about how SF Congresswoman and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, is trying to make up for failing to do much for the environment in legislation by switching the House of Representatives cafeteria to healthier food and biodegrable dishes and tableware. Yeah, but do they actually compost, or does everything just end up in the same landfill anyway?
Note that the Senate hasn’t changed anything.
Oh, and here is an interesting article on how slum-dwellers in India have become recyclers. Now, if only they could get them decent working conditions.
What about using a clay pot? We could make some clay boxes with lids that you could put fruits and veggies into.
I was going to suggest paper bags with clay integrated & read your update of 12/21/07 which suggested basically the same. I also wonder why an ordinary french clay, or other medicinal or fine clays wouldn’t work as well. Most clays do NOT care WHAT they absorb .. they’ll absorb almost anything wet, slimy, etc. & apparently at least some gases. WHY NOT ordinary clay in paper bag to shake around the produce?
IMTEK in Alpharetta, GA (website: http://www.no-odor.com) sells Smeeleze cloth bag of clay pellets? that absorb ethylene to keep produce fresh. (770) 667-8621. Made in the USA
I am working on biodegradeable (cold compostable bags) compostable and other projects. We have yet to see how the ‘nano clay’ freshness extenders could be used in a true degradeable or compostable bag. If you want to learn more about the best ‘green’ material for bags try http://www.telles-mirel.com. You have a lot of interesting things on your website. Would love to talk to you further.
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