It is estimated that normal plastic bags take up to a thousand years to biodegrade, if they ever fully biodegrade at all. This fact has gotten the attention of the public, and driven many municipalities around the US and the world to outlaw plastic bags.
“You want some plastic to last forever. The PVC pipes in your house, for example–you don’t want those to biodegrade,” said Sam Paul, chief executive officer of Green Genius. “But you don’t want a plastic bag to last forever. We make a bag that is just as strong as regular trash bags, is the same price, but it’s biodegradable. Kind of a no-brainer if you ask me.”
Corn-based biodegradable trash bags exist, but have met with consumer frustration due to lack of strength. According to Green Genius, its bags are the first biodegradable trash bags to meet the industry standard for biodegradability in landfills. More than 90% of all trash bags end up in landfills.
Even after reduce, re-use, recycle, Americans still throw out nearly 100 billion plastic bags, or 3 billion pounds of plastic annually. “Look, nobody wants to use plastic bags. But something like 98% of U.S. households use them, because until now, they have had no alternative,” said Brian Davis, president of Green Genius.
Green Genius bags incorporate EcoPure, a new organic additive that makes plastic edible to the microorganisms that cause biodegradation. The EcoPure additive enables biodegradation of plastics in aerobic and anaerobic environments, under varying conditions of light, heat and moisture. The bags have been tested using ASTM D5511, a test methodology that simulates landfill conditions.
A recent survey by independent research firm Novaquant found that 95% of consumers surveyed would try a biodegradable plastic trash bag if it were available. “That’s a pretty big percentage,” said Paul, “But these retailers have been dealing with the industry giants for years. It’s just not that easy to get them to move the non-biodegradable guys over a little and make room for us. But we’re trying.” Green Genius has initial distribution through Tree of Life, a national distributor of green consumer products.
