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Added 3rd of March 2010Q. What is Snopake Bio2 made from?
Snopake Bio2 products are made from oxo-biodegradable polypropylene. Polypropylene is a robust and water resistant plastic with extreme durability. An additive is introduced to the polypropylene plastic during manufacture to make it biodegradable. The additive itself is not harmful to the environment.
Q. What are biodegradable products?
Biodegradable products are capable of decomposing under natural conditions. Unlike Bio2, traditional plastics are not biodegradable and when discarded, will remain in the environment for a very long time.
Q. What are oxo-biodegradable products and what do they break down into?
Oxo-biodegradable products use oxygen to break down into water, carbon dioxide and humus; a material essential to the fertility of the earth.
Q. How exactly do Bio2 products oxo-biodegrade?
The degradation process has two parts. The first part of the process involves oxidization of the polymer, which breaks the long-chain polymer into small pieces. When the product is disposed of, microorganisms then digest these small pieces. The process of degradation continues until the material has biodegraded to nothing more than CO2, water, and humus. There is no toxic residue and no harm will be caused to living organisms on land or in water.
Q. Is the packaging also biodegradable?
Yes, the plastic wrapping is oxo-biodegradable and the cartons are made from recycled and recyclable card.
Q. Are products 100% oxo-biodegradable?
All plastic used, including small parts such as polyfile press-studs are oxo-biodegradable. The products are designed so that metal parts are easy to remove for waste separation.
Q. Are the metals coated?
The ring and clamp mechanisms are chrome plated and the nuts and bolts are cadmium plated. Products are subject to ongoing development and moving forward the plan is to replace all nuts and bolts with oxo-biodegradable ‘knock-out-able’ plastic rivets.
Q. Is there a chance that the products will start to degrade before they are disposed of?
No. In order to biodegrade, the bio products needs to be in constant contact with oxygen, moisture and microorganisms. It will not degrade in warehouses, shelves, offices or homes.
Q. How long do Bio2 products take to completely degrade?
The biodegradation process will only begin upon disposal of Bio2 in landfill, compost or in the sea. In ideal environmental conditions, Bio2 will biodegrade in approximately 12 months. Both the thickness of the plastic and environmental conditions will affect the time taken to biodegrade.
Q. Is Bio2 recyclable?
Yes, all Bio2 products can be recycled. The resulting polypropylene products produced will also be 100% oxo-biodegradable.
Q. Will Snopake Bio2 products dissolve or biodegrade in the rain?
Snopake Bio2 products require the presence of (a) moisture, (b) oxygen and (c) micro-organisms before they can start to biodegrade. These conditions are typically found in soil, landfill and compost so rest assured, your folders wont dissolve in the rain! We would not recommend Snopake Bio2 as being suitable for long-term document storage aboard small boats as the sea provides a perfect environment for biodegradation. However, even in ideal conditions, biodegradation takes several months.
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Article written by www.stimul8.org.uk - www.stimul8.org.uk.Information for Publishers
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