We are very glad to announce that as on this month, our cartoon series “Eco Ed” will be appearing in Packaging Digest’s digital and print versions.

Is Sustainability Funny?

Over a year ago, Eco Ed co-creator Brad Shorr and I agreed there was way too much humor in the green world to let it go to waste. We talked about how often we both felt confused by the volume of often conflicting information that is out there regarding sustainability.

That led to the creation of our character, Eco Ed, a regular guy who is sincerely interested in doing the right thing, but is rarely sure what that might be. Or perhaps at other times, Ed grabs a good, green idea and takes it way too far to be practical. In any case, we can probably all relate to Ed to some degree or we may even know someone that is much like Ed.

Packaging Digest and Eco Ed

The good people at PD agreed sustainability could often use a laugh or at least a chuckle so Eco Ed will be appearing monthly. On the print magazine version, look for it on the page opposite the inside back cover and on the website as well.

We hope you will enjoy it!

Whether you are talking about composting, oxo-degradability or biodegradability, the options are numerous, the facts confusing and the claims are very often downright misleading. The cartoon shown is appearing in the April issue of Packaging World magazine and it would be great if any degradable packaging product really worked as well or as quickly as the product Eco Ed is complaining about. The fact is that few do.

Composting

This option seems to be the favorite of food service companies because quite often their waste includes scrap food waste. It would be absolutely fantastic if that disposable plate, spoon, or clamshell style container could be composted along with the food waste it may contain and then the earth would be a big, happy and green place. Unfortunately the fine print on most “compostable” products is that it will only degrade or breakdown in a municipal or industrial compost facility.

So I went to www.findacomposter.com and typed in my home state of Illinois. I was pleased to see seven composting facilities listed but when I clicked for more information I found out they all do composting of yard waste, not the type of food and food service waste we need to be processed. Keep in mind there are people who buy these products who actually believe they will be able to process them in their back yard compost heap. All I can suggest is keep the house in the family and perhaps the grand kids will live long enough see these products degrade. (more…)