Feb 8 2005
The NAT-UR® biodegradable plastic cutlery has just received another international honor. The Biodegradable Products Institute (BPI) this week granted its first "Compostable Logo" to NAT-UR, Inc. for compostable utensils. NAT-UR® utensils are made of NAT-UR resin which incorporates NatureWorks PLA™. The BPI’s symbol demonstrates that NAT-UR’s cutlery meets ASTM D6400 “Specifications for Compostable Plastics”.
"We are very pleased to be the first cutlery in the USA to carry the Compostable Logo, it has been a long search and a cooperative effort with ours suppliers and others. NAT-UR utensils offer a convenient, durable and responsible alternative for everyday use by consumers,” said Frederic Scheer, President and CEO, NAT-UR, Inc. “The cutlery provides more than just the performance and durability desired in flatware, it competes on price and will not deplete the earth’s limited resources like traditional, petroleum-based disposable serviceware.” The combination of higher costs for fossil fuels and the use of natural components makes NAT-UR® utensils competitive to conventional disposable plastic cutlery.
The BPI symbol will be used on all NAT-UR's utensils made including its forks, spoons, knives, and sporks of various sizes. NAT-UR utensils can be used like traditional plastic food service items but offer the benefit of being based on renewable resources and as well as being can be compostable. NAT-UR’s newest entries complement the company’s already extensive line of BPI approved food service containers and compostable bags.
“I am committed to using biobased raw materials wherever possible,” added Scheer. NAT-UR’s food serviceware are made with NAT-UR® resins which incorporate NatureWorks PLA™ resin manufactured by Cargill Dow using corn grown in the United States. The new utensils were tested by a third party laboratory for its biobased content using radiocarbon dating. The results confirmed that the products are biobased with content in excess of 95% and NAT-UR, Inc. is an active member of the Biobased Manufacturer Association.
The Compostable Logo is a joint effort between the U.S. Composting Council and the Biodegradable Products Institute (BPI) to identify plastic products which are designed to biodegrade satisfactorily in municipal and commercial composting systems, as do leaves, grass and food scraps. Before a manufacturer can receive the BPI symbol, it must provide data from an approved, independent laboratory that their products meet the specifications in ASTM D6400. This assures that the products will disintegrate and biodegrade quickly during composting and not leave behind any toxic residues or plastic fragments. Further, the data must be reviewed by knowledgable third party scientists to assure conformance.
Steve Mojo, BPI Executive Director, anticipates the growing list of compostable will lead to savings in the composting industry. He said, "We encourage composters, officials and end users to look for products that meet the ASTM specifications and carry the BPI symbol in order to maximize the benefits and demonstrate their cost effectiveness."
For more information on biodegradable materials click here.