Styrofoam packaging masks as biodegradable product

Tuesday July 19, 2011

DEALERS and consumers have been warned that there are cases of imitation packaging in the market that are touted to be biodegradable but in reality are not.

The warning came from Greatpac Sdn Bhd, the manufacturer of the Jasa Eco Biodegradable Foam Products.

Greatpac senior manager Douglas Tan said they were facing the problem especially in Penang.

“We believe it is a move by our competitor to increase their market share,” said Tan.


Spot the difference : Tan said the biodegradeable packaging manufactured by Greatpac are stamped with “Jasa Eco Biodegradable Foam” (right), while the competitor’s styrofoam packaging are stamped with “BIO2”
Greatpac launched its products in February to offer an alternative to the existing foam packaging.

The range uses an organic additive called EcoPure which takes about two years to biodegrade in a landfill environment.

Tan said Greatpac had spent US$4,000 (about RM12,000) for tests to ensure that the products conformed with the American Biodegration Standard ASTM D5511, and that the company had submitted all the test reports and certifications to the Penang government.

“Our biodegradable food packaging was targeted at Penang in particular due to the state government’s imposed ban on polystyrene food packaging,” said Tan, adding that the Selangor government is considering a similar policy.

“Greatpac found out about the competitor in early June, and learnt that hawkers were being duped into buying the competitor’s product.

“Rogue dealers and manufacturers are taking the opportunity of the policy by selling the styrofoam packaging at biodegradable packaging prices,” he added.


Tan

Tan said those products manufactured by Greatpac were stamped with “Jasa Eco Biodegradable Foam” while the competitor’s products were stamped with “BIO2” but were supposed to represent “B102” (“i” instead of “one”).

“Colour is added to the competitor’s products to make it look like biodegradable packaging, but they are in fact styrofoam packaging.

“Dealers would sell a Jasa Eco biodegradable lunchbox for eight sen per piece and the competitor’s one for 5.5sen.

“Hawkers and consumers who unknowingly buy the imitation packaging end up paying much more for a product they are likely to get fined for,” he said.

Tan also said the Taman Perkaka Village Safety and Development Committee, whom Greatpac had worked with on a roadshow to promote its biodegradable packaging, had called the competitor’s manufacturer who admitted that their products did not have any biodegradeable element.

“We have been informed that the Seberang Jaya Municipal Council plans to take action on this matter, and that the Penang City Council will follow suit.

“We urge the state government to have an approved brand register to allow manufacturers to submit their products to the state government to verify their authenticity and for the federal government to adopt a proper definition of biodegradable,” he said.

Greatpac brand manager Shaun Ooi said Malaysia was not seen as a green country in terms of manufacturing and the imitation products would further tarnish the market.

“These styrofoam packaging that are being sold as biodegradable packaging would affect the health of the environment,” he said.

Tan added Greatpac would continue selling the products and try to educate its dealers on the difference between its biodegradable packaging and competitior’s styrofoam packaging.

SOURCE: http://thestar.com.my/metro/story.asp?file=/2011/7/19/central/9086646&sec=central

可分解饭盒有假货 公司提醒消费者慎选

北马03/07/2011 15:43


转寄 列印 字体:
（檳城3日讯）消费者请谨慎，可分解饭盒也有假货！

　JASA Eco高级经理陈贞源说，该公司出產可分解饭盒与盘子等器皿，都是以棕色为主，但他们发现市面上也有其它品牌相同顏色的饭盒，却无法分解。

　“希望消费者与小贩慎选。”

　他昨日与光大区州议员黄伟益，在立信花园义丰饮食中心分派可分解饭盒予小贩时，这么说。

　他说，该公司生產的饭盒为每个10仙，可在1至3年內完全分解，但膺品也是售卖同样价钱，不过却需要500年时间分解。

　他指出，该公司的產品获美国测试与物质协会证实为可分解物质，並已將有关报告呈给州政府，同时也获得州政府的支持。

吁仿冒者呈证书

　他说，现在的问题是，要如何教导人民分辨可分解饭盒与膺品的分別，毕竟小贩都不懂得这些知识。

　“除了我们的公司，只有另外两间合作伙伴，有生產可分解饭盒，所以我呼吁仿冒者，应提呈相关证书给政府，以证明他们的產品可分解。”

　另一方面，黄伟益说，分派饭盒活动是由百家花园乡委会主办，其选区则以半赞助方式支持这项活动。

　“该乡委会也是由我的选区领养，在这之前，光大选区已有展开这项分派饭盒活动。”

　他指出，在昨日的活动中，他们共分派4000个饭盒给小贩，以为小贩了解，州政府在禁用保丽龙时，还有替代品供他们选择。

　“这是提供给小贩一个参考，让他们试用。”

　此外，Sewanis（檳）有限公司胡宏发也分派其可分解塑料袋予小贩。

暴力示威要不得 黃偉益斥幕後策劃者

北馬 2011-07-02 18:16


黃偉益在百家花園社委會委員謝寶強和謝平源等人陪同下，到義豐飲食中心分派合格環保餐具予小販業者試用。

檳島西南區2日訊）檳州首席部長政治秘書黃偉益遺憾週五有暴徒藉“反林冠英”及“反淨選盟2.0”名義，居然能輕易無阻在檳城光大前和檳城大橋非法遊行示威，還以暴力對待媒體，破壞民眾財物。

“據知週六晚上類似的集會也會在新港一帶展開，我們不是反對集會，只是歡迎文明的和平集會，拒絕野蠻方式示威，而且還以暴力對待記者，敲打途經示威地點的車輛，甚至還以粗俗言語及手勢來挑釁民眾，這是很不應該的事。”
他週六早上在立信巴剎義豐飲食中心召開記者會時促請民眾冷靜，因為不希望以暴制暴而誤中有人策劃的圈套。所以民眾必須以不變應萬變，避免滋事者有藉口發揮，意圖使檳州民聯政府下台。
暴行升級內長須負後果“我認為有人幕後策劃，利用非政府組織展開不文明的示威，我們只歡迎和平示威，並非暴力示威。

如果警方沒有嘗試阻止而讓暴行升級，引發不愉快事件或者更嚴重後果，就要內政部長負起全責。”
他說，這種不負責的態度應受制止，警方不該以政治考量來“選邊站”，對這種暴力行為網開一面。
此外，他也促請民政黨與馬華停止逢場作戲，雖然有發表聲明，卻被朋黨當成耳邊風。
“若馬華、民政真正與民同在，就該退出國陣，若以為小動作可以讓人民信服，就太天真。如果他們真正同情民聯議員住家和服務中心被破壞的遭遇，不需要通過報章說同情，而應直接向巫統最高理事會反映。”

他引據馬華前總會長拿督斯里黃家定的金句：“堂堂正正做人，務務實實做事”，來奉勸馬華與民政醒悟。
派環保餐具給小販也是光大區州議員的黃偉益週六早上在立信巴剎義豐飲食中心，展開第二站免費派送環保餐具予小販，推廣採用合格環保餐具運動，提醒業者慎防假貨以確保消費者安全受保障。
他說，首站活動近期已在光大一帶舉行，這次是由百家花園社委會與他聯合半贊助方式，派送約4000個合格免費餐具予這區小販。

他說，這些合格環保餐具是經過改良和測試後，獲得美國材料及試驗協會的ASTM產品認證。
他表示州政府會沿區推廣正確使用合格環保餐具運動，主要是讓人民了解和試用非環保餐具的替代品，鼓吹人民積極響應環保。

據了解，有關環保餐具素質改良後有別於一般保麗龍，可以在120天後分解，在溫帶國家則需1至3年，但比禁用的保麗龍500年分解期，改進了500%。而環保塑料也改良生產後，均有安全指標，讓業者有更理想的替代品，消費者可安全使用。

這些環保餐具由JASAeco與 Sewanis（檳城）有限公司供應，兩家的代表陳貞源與胡宏發促請商家和消費人在購買這些環保餐具時，確認真偽，慎防假冒。 （）

有商號沒“可化解”字眼‧保麗龍餐盒有假！

北馬 2011-07-03 11:47


陳貞源（右）及胡宏發展示可化解保麗龍及塑料袋，提醒小販在購入“環保產品”時，必須認清真偽。（圖：星洲日報）

（檳城）市面上出現仿冒的可化解保麗龍餐盒，小販受促細心觀察，不要買到假貨！
可化解保麗龍和仿冒的保麗龍顏色皆為淺褐色，不過在可化解保麗龍上面除了印有生產公司的商號之外，也印有“可化解”（Biodegradable）字眼；至於仿冒餐盒雖然有印上商號，但卻沒有“可化解”字眼。

陳貞源：相似度極高盼小販小心鑑定真偽JASA Eco高級經理（出口）陳貞源說，雖然目前該公司是唯一擁有生產可化解保麗龍餐盒及碗碟技術的公司，但是市面上卻出現了與其公司產品相似度極高的仿冒品。

他說，可化解保麗龍可在丟棄到土埋場首3個月就開始化解，測驗也顯示可化解保麗龍可在3年內完全化解。
他說，因為市場需求及市政局的禁用不可分解保麗龍的政策，有商家才會推出仿冒的保麗龍，不過有顏色的仿冒保麗龍售價卻與真正可化解保麗龍的價格一樣。

派4千保麗龍餐盒給小販“我們不是不願接受競爭，只是我們希望能夠在公平的情況下與其他商家競爭，因此希望小販能夠小心鑑定，所使用的是真貨還是仿冒品。”

陳貞源是於昨日（2日）在百家花園鄉村治安及發展委員會派送4千個免費可化解保麗龍餐盒、碟子及可化解塑料袋給立信花園小販時，如此說。

出席者包括光大區州議員黃偉益、百家花園鄉委會成員謝寶強及可化解塑料袋供應公司Sewanis（檳城）有限公司代表胡宏發。（星洲日報／大北馬）


Lunch Box with code but not ‘Biodegradable’ wording is simply carbon copy!

(PENANG) Replica biodegradable lunch boxes have been found recently in the market, hawkers are advised to take extra precaution when ordering their food packaging.

Both, the truly biodegradable and the replica lunch box share the same light brown colour. However the authentic one is embossed not just the company product code but also with the word ‘Biodegradable’, whilst the replicas only carry the product code.

Douglas Tan: “Hawkers are warned to be really careful in identifying between the authentic and the virtually identical replica.”

JASA Eco Senior Manager (Export) Douglas Tan said, although the company is the only manufacturer with technical knowledge in producing this biodegradable foam lunch box, plates and bowls, the market still found to have similar replica.

He continued, biodegradable foam lunch box will start to biodegrade after 3 months of dispose-and-buried in landfill. Through testing, it also shown that the mentioned foam lunch box will fully biodegraded within 3 years.

He said, due to market demand and in conjunction with the government’s ban on using non Bio-D polystyrene foam lunch box, there’s company who came out with faux biodegradable foam lunch box with the same colour yet selling at the same price as the authentic one.

Distributing 4000 Foam Lunch Boxes to hawkers

“It’s untrue that we aren’t willing to accept competition (in marketing Bio-D food packaging) but we hope that it’s all under fair and lawful circumstances. Therefore, we hope that the hawkers can examine carefully whether what they’re using is truly biodegradable or simply replica.” Douglas Tan said so during the free distribution of 4000 biodegradable lunch boxes, plates and Bio-D plastic bag to hawkers at Lip Sin Residence.

Participants also include Komtar ADUN Ng Wei Aik, Taman Pekakar JKKK Dennis Cheah and Bio-D plastic bag supplier Sewanis (Penang) Sdn. Bhd. Representative Frederic Foo.