Why is my biodegradable floss packaged in petrochemicals?

It's probably not a question that plagues you late at night but the short answer is the US government. A few weeks ago I wrote about my floss of choice. It's made of silk, which makes it nontoxic, renewable and biodegradable. That rose the question of why its so seemingly eco-minded manufacturers would package it in a plastic cartridge, so I shot off an email to Radius and here's their response:

The FDA considers floss a medical device and because of that they require anything that is sold in drug stores to be packaged in a plastic container. Since our products are sold in both drug stores and natural product stores we must abide by that law. We have considered creating alternative packaging for the natural product industry but since we also sell in drug stores we cannot have an entire cardboard container until the laws are changed.

I guess plastic packaging is one way to keep things sterile. And if it's plant-derived plastic that'll get shuffled into an indefinite recycling loop, then there's nothing technically keeping it from being zero-impact. But most plastics are still petroleum-derived, with Coke's PlantBottle as one highly visible (and recent) exception.

Is plastic really protecting me from my floss? It certainly can't be the first time the FDA's been off the mark. The typical tale is that regulations impede entrepreneurship yet are instrumental in protecting public health. I wonder to what extent regulation is impeding ecological sustainability.

Bioplastics catch on with major companies

I've come across a few notable developments recently that show how much the push for plastic alternatives has penetrated the decision-making level of major companies.

First, there's the case of SunChips. This company had introduced a 100% completely compostable bag for its chips only to backpedal following consumer complaints that it was too loud. At first I was concerned that SunChips was using this as a convenient excuse to renege on its commitment to more sustainable packaging, but they've come back with a quieter version which they achieved by re-engineering its adhesive.

Perhaps the most exciting prospect for bioplastics is unfolding as a result of competition between two of the world's largest beverage companies, PepsiCo and Coca Cola. For two years Coke has had a bottle on the market that incorporates plant materials into 30% of its content. Just this week, however, Pepsi announced that by next year it will release a bottle composed entirely of plant-based and renewable materials, including switchgrass, pine bark and corn husk.

That companies as large as these are undertaking such measures stands to set a standard for the whole industry. Already, as TechCrunch's GreenTech reports, the plastic for Coke's PlantBottle is being shared with Heinz. The vice president of the World Wildlife Fund, Jason Clay, theorizes that by implementing sustainable business practices, the world's top 100 companies can save society and environment from the worst effects of overconsumption, a contention he explains in this TED talk.



Way to go, PepsiCo.