Going Greener than Ever!

This is a fantastic blog entry by Leon Teh from Sunway College. Thanks Leon!

From http://leoncoffeeteaorme.blogspot.com/

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2010

Going Greener than Ever!

As we go through yet another hectic day of our modern lifestyles in our bustling towns and cities, we are constantly reminded to adopt a greener lifestyle. On the radio, through the television and by the various campaigns set up, the importance of saving our beloved earth continues to be hammered into us. You see, Mother Nature is getting old, and she’s been forced to smoke too much. Her home is getting warmer with the staggering amounts of carbon dioxide our modern world has produced. She’s also fed up with the number of natural disasters that she has to put up with- she does not take too well with floods as it ruins her pristine furniture. She gets very ill when toxic chemicals are dumped into her blood streams by factories. To say that earth is in dire need of change would be an understatement. Perhaps it is time we learn what it truly means to being ‘Green’.

A wise approach to forming a ‘green’ mentality would be to target the younger demographics. The members of Sunway University College’s Student Council in collaboration with Sunway Health and Safety Department launched the ambitious and no doubt successful Go Green campaign which kicked off from the 17th to the 19th of August this year. Their goal was simple: to expose the students of Sunway to the growing importance of being environmentally friendly. We’re talking recycling, reducing waste production, reusing materials and practicing a more civic and responsible attitude towards planet earth. But it was the reduction of polystyrene or Styrofoam as known to many that takes the limelight for this event.

Yes, the light-weight, petroleum-based plastic used that is used to make your disposal cups, food packages and plates due to its good insulation and relatively harmless properties is the main target that Go Green aims to eliminate. Many are confused about the difference between the term polystyrene and the name Styrofoam. The more commonly known name, Styrofoam in which many people will immediately identify as the white-foam moulded packaging our chicken rice and other food stuffs are packaged in is actually a registered trademark name of The Dow Chemical Company Inc. The substance of which these packaging are made of is polystyrene. Polystyrene is non-biodegradable, it crumbles into smaller fragments when disposed thus causing landfill and ocean pollution. So why not recycle it you ask? Well, technically it can be recycled but the recycling rates are low. The recycling of polystyrene is diminishing. In certain communities, recycling companies do not accept polystyrene anymore as people prefer to simply dispose of them. The manufacturing process pollutes the air and creates large amounts of liquid and solid wastes. Animals also choke on disposed polystyrene.

The students behind Go Green are determined to slowly but surely replace polystyrene with alternate means of packaging. The Energy Hub at the cafeteria was the centre point of the campaign with various organisations setting up booths to promote their products and to encourage students to participate in the various activities they have installed. Global Environment Centre, a non-government organisation was present to supply interesting information regarding reducing, reusing and recycling through their various posters and pin-ups on the boards. Competitions were aplenty, such as the “Caught on Camera” video challenge where students were tasked to capture bad habits and wasteful practices of people around the college on tape. There was also a rather amusing competition of designing an elegant outfit out of trash and reusable materials (we’ll leave that to your imagination). WWF (World Wildlife Fund) was present to give a talk on the preservation of wildlife. In addition, students were ushered to check their carbon footprints at one of the booths to see just how much their habits have impacted the earth.

Jasa Eco, was also present to promote Go Green’s primary agenda, that is to do away with polystyrene. Jasa Eco supplies a range of disposable food ware developed from cornstarch to help form a greener environment. Disposable cutleries made from cornstarch instead of the usual plastic (hence making them biodegradable) were given out to students. Douglas Tan, Export and Eco Development manager of Jasa Eco was present to oversee to the Jasa Eco booth. “We always look to the bigger organisations to help save our dying environment but we must realise that every household plays an equally important role. They are the ones that contribute to large quantities of wastes. If we want to Go Green, start at home,” Douglas advises. Douglas Tan admits that polystyrene has become an indispensable material, especially in the food industry. “Polystyrene will not disappear in the near future but we must nevertheless strive to kill it off naturally and seek a viable replacement in the market”. He went on to say that polystyrene elimination is just the tip of the iceberg in a world which is becoming ever-dependant on plastics.

Ultimately, it is the consumers that determine the life-span of this detrimental substance. Mentality is the key here as consumers today do not even give it a second thought when using and disposing polystyrene containers. “Attitudes must change! The mental barrier that exists within our consumers is the main issue. They refuse to accept change and are completely fine with disposing plastics and polystyrene,” Douglas claims solemnly.

So how do we reduce the use of polystyrene? Douglas hopes that Jasa Eco can aid in limiting the use of Styrofoam packaging and other polystyrene products through their range of eco-friendly alternatives. “They obviously cost a little more though,” he laughingly comments.

“A concrete approach would be to outright ban the use of Styrofoam packaging. That would be a good start,” he shares. The use of polystyrene packaging has long been banned in certain countries around the world such as the 30 municipalities in California as well as the coastal communities in the United States. The first state to respond to the issue is Penang. Starting the 1st of January next year, a ban will be enforced on the use of polystyrene which will cover all food premises and temporary hawking sites owned by local councils on the island and mainland. It’s a sigh of relief considering the mountain of polystyrene food packages thrown away at the popular spots such as the Gurney Drive hawker centre.
“The industrialists need to step up and speak against polystyrene production and use. When they talk, people listen. When the individuals from NGO’s talk, people ignore them. They have little power and influence. An outright ban should be imposed and when the time comes, companies will either comply with the ban and find other alternatives or be forced into bankruptcy,” he boldly comments. It’s harsh but it should get the job done. Douglas Tan later gave an informative talk regarding a styro-free environment to the students of Sunway University College as part of the Go Green event.

There are people who want to make a difference. But there are also people who see this Go Green culture as a way to make money. Look around you the next time you go shopping and you’ll notice the plethora of products claiming to be eco-friendly. No doubt some are genuine on their intentions, but there are those who use it as a marketing tool. Many companies produce these so-called eco-friendly products which use bio-degradable packaging but some of these plastic packaging merely ‘breakdown’ into smaller fragments of plastic and still remain in the soil for long periods of time. Though fragmentation occurs, incomplete breakdown of these substances means they are not biodegradable.

Some of students of Sunway University College were no doubt eager to participate in the programmes and activities. Even throughout the year, the student council of the college had organised events to ignite the spirit of going green. The G-Race which was similar to the Amazing Race challenge saw participants racing around Sunway, from Monash University to Sunway Pyramid and back to Sunway College to name a few. The participants faced various challenges that required teamwork and knowledge on the environment. The recent Plant-a-Tree programme in the Raja Musa Forest in Batang was also the student council’s idea of exposing students to the beauty of nature as well as the damage we have done to Mother Nature. The forest was once a reserved forest until it was cut down. Participants happily planted new seedlings in the hopes of restoring the forest, even if just a little into the beautiful place it once was.

All in all, the Go Green campaign was a huge success with many students finally realising the importance of maintaining and caring for our beloved planet. “The whole thing was quite interesting and the talks were an eye opener,” says student, Nicholas Siew from AUSMAT. Sunway University College students and staff can also look forward to brand new recycling bins brought in somewhere around September to further promote recycling. This no doubt reflects on how determined Sunway University College is in going green. Vice president of Sunway University College Student Council, Eugene Koh reminds the students, “Our Earth is not in a good shape. We must be responsible for our actions and be aware of the issues surrounding the environment.”
So true, it’s time we realise the gravity of our actions on the environment. From the poorest of families to the wealthiest of society, from the smallest of hawker stores to the largest of factories, from the youngest of students to the oldest of adults, it does not matter who or where you are, you can make a difference towards our planet and towards its future by playing your part.

Your's truly, Leon Teh Y.M at 7:46 AM 0 comments

Selamat Hari Raya!

To all our Muslim Friends, on behalf of JASA Eco, I would like to wish you all Selamat Hari Raya!

Thank you for your continuous support and continue to Ride the Green Wave!

LimKokWing and Sunway University College

I have not been able to blog much recently as there have been many exciting developments in the recent months and you all shall be hearing more about that.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank LimKokWing University and Sunway University College for inviting me for a talk entitled "Why Eco-Friendly?" I believe that we can take something away from it and really reconsider how we are able to reduce our overall impact on the environment.

The growth of JASA Eco in the recent months have been very promising and it looks that acceptance is currently at about 17% to 20% of sales when compared against plastic, which beat our initial estimate of 10%. We thank you all for your support and we hope to progress further in the near future.

We shall be available through Giant, Carrefour and Tesco Hypermarkets nationwide, and coming soon to Cold Storage, Mercato, and Parkson!

Talk is cheap

We have now gone into the 3rd month after the official launch of JASA Eco and there have been a substantial amount of development but also a large amount obstacles and frustration.

Having spoken to so many corporates, the MBPJ, the MPPP, and hypermarkets, it is obvious no one is opposed to the idea of going Green, but the fundamental question lies as to how we are to go Green.

No one can criticise you for going Green. In fact, they will praise you and say that's the way to go, that's the future etc. But when it comes to crunchtime and the time to change, how many people are actually willing to go ahead with it?

The problem is that people don't want to pay more to go Green. At the present time, as the material is already more expensive than current plastic, how can the price come down to the same as plastic? In terms of the word 'cheap', how much are we talking about? Is RM5 too expensive and RM1 acceptable? Or is 20 sen a bearable cost but 50 sen is too much? How much does 50 sen matter to us nowadays?

Change can only come about when there is a change in mentality. 50 sen is really not a lot of money, but there is a psychological barrier which has hardwired into our conscience that 50 sen is a lot of money! Once we can associate the fact that we are doing good for the environment, people's perceptions don't change.

Preferences are selfish or emotional, and to part with even 5 sen without seeing the cause is something we would rather not do. It is our job now to change this perception, and more people would be able to see that the environment is really something worth saving and worth putting our 50 sen towards.

Action Now!

As I sat having my lunch at Hong Kong airport, another earthquake struck the southern region of China. in the past two days there have been earthquakes in Mexico and Haiti, blizzards in Haerbin and droughts in Yunnan. Are these disasters as a result of man's actions or lack of? Could we have done anything to prevent them from happening?

We realise that now more than ever, people are hungry for change. For change to happen something must act as a catalyst for that action to occur. You can be that catalyst.

JASA Eco has already been launched at Carrefour Mid Valley and this is only the beginning. We are getting positive feedback and while we appreciate praise, we would like more action. That's why we are calling for your help. We intend to make JASA Eco a global brand, and a leader of the Green Revolution as to how we can go green in our daily lives. Let's go forward in this journey together!

Live Green!

JASA Eco Website Up!

Hey all, our JASA Eco website is finally up. Follow this link:

www.jasa-eco.com

If you have any comments, you can leave them here!

Live Green guys!!

Earth Song

Michael Jackson summed up the need to do something about our environment in his song, Earth Song. Sometimes it's just good for us to remember it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=usUWkI

Degradable, Biodegradable, Compostable

Many thanks to Michael Bloch of greenlivingtips.com for the article.

The world of green, like any other industry, has its own language - for the person trying to make some environmentally changes to their life, it can get awfully confusing - take for instance the terms degradable, biodegradable and compostable when used in relation to plastics. There is a difference between the terms and it may play a role in your purchase decisions.

Biodegradable Plastics

Biodegradable products break down through the action of a naturally occurring microorganism, such as bacteria, fungi etc. over a period of time. These products are usually made from plant or animal sources. Examples of biodegradable include paper, vegetable scraps and some forms of plastics made from ingredients such as corn starch.

There are some disadvantages to biodegradable waste. When dumped in landfills, it's often dug under where the "good" bacteria can't survive in the oxygen depleted environment. It then breaks down under anaerobic conditions which creates methane, a greenhouse gas with over 62 times the GWP (Global Warming Potential) of carbon dioxide. Also, biodegrable waste can contain toxins. For example, human and animal waste, which is considered biodegradable may contain traces of all sorts of toxins such as heavy metals and pesticides depending on the person/animal's diet.

Degradable Plastics

Degradable plastics are oil based and break down through chemical reactions rather than the activity of micro-organisms, so they can degrade in an anaerobic environment into water, CO2, biomass and trace elements.

Compostable Plastic

This is pretty close to biodegrable plastic but "greener". According to the American Society for Testing & Materials, for plastic to be considered as compostable, it must be able to break down into carbon dioxide, water and biomass at the same rate as paper. It also needs to look like compost, should not produce any toxic material and should be able to support plant life. Compostable items are made from plant materials such as corn, potato, cellulose, soy and sugar.

So:

Biodegradable - green, but can leave traces of toxins
Degradable - made from oil, but breaks down into harmless materials
Compostable - green from start to finish.. perhaps

It looks like the greenest choice is clear - compostable plastics are the most earth friendly option.

Or is it?

Green plastic challenge

One of the problems involved with creating green plastics is the amount of energy needed in production. In some scenarios, the fossil fuel input is more than what it is to create the equivalent in crude oil based plastic product.

All breakdown of the above three kinds of "green" plastics also creates carbon dioxide. We're somewhat caught between a rock and a hard place in this. The compromise appears to be using the plants that the plastic is created from also as an energy source for production.

Instead of carbon emissions being generated from sources sequestered under the ground such as coal and oil, the burning of corn stalks and other plants would not increase net carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, because new plants would absorb an equal amount of the gas.

There's an in-depth discussion on this topic on Scientific American - How green are green plastics?

Michael Bloch
Green Living Tips.com

Biodegradable Products – Understanding the Truth

This is an article which I pulled while surfing and which I believe is good for us to know so we can make a more informed choice.

Biodegradable products should be good for the environment, but that’s not always the case. What Is Biodegradable? To be classified as “biodegradable”, a product must be able to be broken down naturally into the raw materials of nature and disappear into the environment.

Truly biodegradable products will break down into: -Bacteria -Fungi -Simple organisms -Carbon -Hydrogen -Oxygen – Carbon dioxide Co2 and water H2O Just because a product says its biodegradable, doesn’t mean it’s good for the environment. With no real guidelines available to aid consumers, many products may say they are biodegradable – and be technically telling the truth, since they’ll eventually break down into nature (say, in about 30 years) — but most consumers expect a product to be “green” when touted as biodegradable.

Being Biodegradable Isn’t Always Safe. Many biodegradable may break down in a reasonable amount of time (weeks or months), only to become hazardous to animals, humans and plant life afterwards. Take nonylphenolethoxylate (NDE), for example, an active ingredient found in many of today’s cleaning supplies. Made solely of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen, it should be completely biodegradable and safe for the environment. Yet, it isn’t. Once broken down, it becomes a dangerous benzene ring that is hazardous to women, damaging their reproductive organs.

How Long It Takes Is Another Factor. Another concern is how long it takes a product to break down into the environment. A piece of bread, for example, is completely biodegradable, and can break its complex sugars into simple ones within days, compared to paper, another completely biodegradable product which can take up to 5 months to degrade, even under perfect circumstances. Another problem: our disposal procedures. When put into a natural compost pile, table scraps will degrade rather quickly.

Left compacted amidst tons of garbage in a landfill, it can take years to break down. Researchers have found 25-year old apple cores and newspapers in near perfect condition, found in landfills with garbage from thousands of other households. Finding ways to better dispose of biodegradable materials will help in the breakdown process, making it quicker, easier and safer.

How long does it take for many so-called “natural” products to return to a natural state:

-Paper: 2-5 weeks

-Banana peel: 3-5 weeks

-Orange peels: 6 months

-Cotton rags 1-5 months

-Cigarette butts: 1-12 years

-Plastic or cardboard milk carton: 5 years

Any product that comes from nature ‘ plants, animals, and minerals — will eventually return to nature, given enough time and the right circumstances. But man-made petrochemical products cannot. There simply aren’t any microorganisms found in nature that can break them down, leaving them to litter the earth for centuries to come.

Our Changing World

The weather yesterday was far from pleasant. I don't think I have seen winds or a storm of this intensity as what swept over Kota Damansara. Driving home later, I could see the debris, fallen trees, even a collapsed billboard. There is no doubt in my mind that the world is changing, and the weather is getting more violent, and we are to blame as a result of it.

We truly have to step up and be conscious about our consumption habits. Switching off the light when leaving the room, turning off the tap while brushing your teeth and driving slower on the highway are just simple things which we can incorporate into our everyday lives to cut down our carbon footprint. Of course, then there is JASA Eco to help you.

There are so many brands out there who want to be seen doing their part including Panasonic, Sony and LG. Additionally, large corporations in Malaysia spend millions on advertising that they too are doing their bit for the environment, like Sime Darby, YTL and Berjaya. However, there is still too much talk and not enough action out in the real world.

Now, looking at the claims of some of the items in the market which is presumably eco friendly. We have tackled the issue of paper in my previous blog, so that is well established that it's not exactly good for the environment despite it's ability to biodegrade. Then there is palm fibre products, most famously the one used in Penang at Universiti Sains Malaysia. Taking palm fibre waste and then turning it into packaging is a great initiative. However, it is know that paper needs to be added to ensure that it is functional. It is nevertheless a step forward and a praise worthy effort to reduce our reliance on petroleum based products like polystyrene.

Then comes the issue of ''bio-degradable'' plastic bags: bags that look and feel like normal plastic bags but which will break down over time. This is obviously a huge improvement to a normal plastic bag which would take a 1000 years to break down, but is it actually true? The answer is yes, it will break down. There are additives in the market called oxo-biodegradable additives which would fragment the plastic bag over time and break down the plastic molecules into water, carbon dioxide and biomass. We are going to expand the JASA Eco range of products by using an additive called EcoPure in order to maintain our commitment to providing an eco-friendly range of products.

In future, look out as to whether the plastic bag you get is degradable as it should be printed on the bag. Even better, eliminate the need for a plastic bag by bringing your own resuable bag shopping like so many do nowadays. Of course additives are not necessarily the solution as we want to reduce our reliance on plastic, and that's why we are diligently researching into solutions into starch based carrier bags and whether this can be an alternative or replace plastic bags entirely.

Remember live Green, think Green!

What is JASA Eco? - Part 2

In Part 1, I talked about the material and some of the features of the product. Now comes the question of what it truly means to ''Go Green'' and also how JASA Eco wants to go about this.

First comes the question of biodegradability. Now, that is indeed what we are selling our product on. However, what does 'biodegradable' actually mean? I posed this question to a couple of people and the answers were varied. Some just did not know, and one person said that it is when products can be 'recycled'. My favourite description is that the product will ''vanish'' over time. Despite our population becoming more educated, there is genuine misinformation out that as to what these environmental terms actually mean.

The definition of ''Biodegradable'' is when something is capable of being degraded by bateria or micro organisms. Now that is the Oxford English Dictionary definition, which is all well and good. As most things produced are Carbon based, it is by definition biodegradable. This would include plastic products. Hang on you say, that can't be right. Now, we look into the time frame.

The reality is that every piece of plastic made since 1909 is still around, unless it has been burnt, which only contributes to carbon emissions, as well as the emissions of more noxious gases into our atmosphere. It would take more than 500 years for it to return to it's original form, which is petroleum. However, by then, we will be gone and our children will be gone and our children's children etc. A bit late isn't it? So what is the standard?

In the US and in Europe, the acceptable standard for biodegradability is within one year. JASA Eco takes it further. The time it takes for JASA Eco to breakdown is just under 6 months upon disposal. Now, it's not like fruit, vegetables and meat which rots after just a few days. As it has been processed, it takes longer to break down after disposal, and it will not breakdown in your cupboard or kitchen drawer. Despite this, the product will become brittle after a while due to it's composition, so do not keep it too long after opening the product from it's package.

Now you may say six months is a little long. However, if you compare that to 500 years, there really is no comparison. In order for a product to be functional and yet environmentally friendly, it needs to be sufficiently sturdy. As a result, the material is modified to increase the strength of the products. At the same time, JASA Eco products will break down under the right conditions into biomass, water and carbon dioxide. So please remember the best practice of proper disposal. If you are a person who recycles at home, dispose of JASA Eco products with your food waste as it would aid the breakdown process.

Moving on, when we talk about ''Going Green'' or a ''Green'' product, it does not necessarily mean a product which is biodegradable or one that does not use plastics. A ''Green'' product is judged accordingly to a couple of criteria: Carbon Footprint, Use of Renewable Resources, Impact on the Environment, Sustainability etc.

Let's talk about another biodegradable product, paper products. Paper bags, plates, bowls and cups are all common use and the reason why people choose them over plastics is because it is biodegradable. Well, that is what people think anyway. Firstly, paper products have a profound impact on the environment, and a huge carbon footprint overall. The reason for the large carbon footprint is simple: Paper is made from trees. To make more paper products, we have to cut down more trees which creates more environmental problems than it solves. By comparison, JASA Eco is made from a renewable resource, which happens to be corn. Corn is planted to be consumed, and if it is not, it is wasted as it is perishable. However, trees take years to grow and mature and unless paper companies plant more trees than they cut down, there is no way to offset their impact on the environment.

In the next entry, I shall be talking about sustainable practices and also misconceptions of so-called ''Green'' products available in today's market, including the so-called ''biodegradable supermarket plastic bag''.

What is JASA Eco? - Part 1

This is the first blog I am attempting to do. I hope that this humanises what we are trying to do and places it all in a more informal perspective. Please comment about anything you like. We are open to feedback and suggestions, and perhaps even job opportunities!

So to start with, what is JASA Eco? You may know this name soon as it begins popping up in supermarkets across the country. We all know that polystyrene is bad for the environment, and yet we continue to use it. Why? Because there is no alternative. What can we do and what can be done? JASA Eco would like to be part of the solution. It is pitched as a ''Green'' Brand of disposable foodware which is an alternative to conventional plastic foodware. Using corn starch, we are able to modify the molecular structure to create a product which is bio-based and biodegradable.

Now, with so many brands out there, why should anyone place any belief in this product? Is it just a new fad or a marketing ploy to get sales? I believe that everyone has a choice in the way that they consume. Skeptism is natural with any new product and we are not immune to it. Our credibility lies in our certification of our material, receiving the European OK-Biobased certification as well as certification from the US FDA, Chinese and Japan regulatory boards.

Following this, the next question is a question of price. Yes it is more expensive than plastic, but the question is why is plastic so cheap? Cigarettes were also very cheap although we know that it is harmful to our health, which is why governments across the world have hiked taxes, banned advertisments on the product as well as imposed smoking bans indoors, in public places and are now considering, like Finland, to ban it completely.

Now, will the government do the same for products which are harmful to the health of our environment? The EU is certainly coming out with legislation, as well as the United States and Australia. Closer to home, we see the setting up of the Green Technology Centre and No-Plastic Bag days. However, more pressure is needed in order to get the government to start legislating against what is known as the ''white coffin'' or the polystyrene ''fan hup'' lunch box we are so accustomed to getting a take away in.

So now that we have established it is more expensive than plastic, does it mean that it is unaffordable? Definitely not. Otherwise it would be useless to place them on supermarket and hypermarket shelves. We have ensured that the prices are still affordable enough for consumers not to hesitate picking it up over plastic.

The next question is regarding corn starch and whether or not we should not be using 'food' to produce our product. First and foremost, there is a distinction between ''food-grade'' corn starch and ''industrial-grade'' corn starch. ''Food-grade" corn starch as the name suggests is what we would consume ourselves. "Industrial-grade" on the other hand is corn starch which is deemed unsuitable for human consumption. It includes other waste of the by-process, including the leaves, stalk and roots, to ensure that nothing is wasted. Even if the industry were to grow, the supply of either grade of corn starch is highly regulated which would mean that we would never be allowed to use food-grade corn starch for industrial processes. As a result, be rest assured that we are not depriving anyone of food!

I believe that this covers some points as to what JASA Eco is all about. More is to come in Part 2 so keep reading on!

JASA Eco products shall be made available in Carrefour Mid-Valley in April 2010, so watch for more announcements. You can join our Facebook group, just search JASA Eco, or follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/jasa_eco.