Open Collections

An investigation into Compostable Plastic Bags

University of British Columbia. Sustainability Office

UBC has been continuously making improvements to the way that we recycle and reduce our waste around campus. From what started as just a garbage can, you can now find bins all around campus that are segmented as garbage, paper, recyclable containers, and food scraps. This report looks closer at the details of the food scrap bins around campus. Currently, every food scrap bin is lined with a plastic bag which is thrown in the garbage after the contents are emptied. This produces unwanted waste going into the landfill. To minimize this, UBC sustainability committee has considered a bin washer to eliminate the need for a bag, using a paper bag liner, and using compostable plastic bags while making changes to the UBC composting facility to be capable of composting compostable plastic. This report looks at many questions about the proposed changes. Does the use and disposal of compostable bags for food scraps have less environmental impact than using plastic bags and then throwing them out? What would the impacts be of switching from one system to another, or simply not lining composting bins altogether? Are people more likely to compost with or without bags? We look at the life cycle impacts of several food scrap bags (including plastic, paper, and compostable), with a focus on life cycle GHG emissions. Disclaimer: “UBC SEEDS provides students with the opportunity to share the findings of their studies, as well as their opinions, conclusions and recommendations with the UBC community. The reader should bear in mind that this is a student project/report and is not an official document of UBC. Furthermore readers should bear in mind that these reports may not reflect the current status of activities at UBC. We urge you to contact the research persons mentioned in a report or the SEEDS Coordinator about the current status of the subject matter of a project/report.”

Text

UBC Social Ecological Economic Development Studies (SEEDS) Student Report; University of British Columbia. APSC 262

Vancouver : University of British Columbia Library

10.14288/1.0343019

Applied Science, Faculty of

Unreviewed

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/