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Community Hero: Bootstrap Compost

Welcome to BioBag’s new Community Heroes series! Each month, we will highlight community heroes that are making a difference in their communities and working to make their local environments cleaner and healthier. This month, we begin with our friends at Bootstrap Compost!

Team Bootstrap

Bootstrap Compost is a leading compost pickup service operating throughout the Boston and Providence areas. As of today, their team has composted 5,252,959 pounds of organic material and counting! BioBag Associate Michael Downss spoke to Jonathan Nankof, the Director of Operations at Bootstrap Compost. Their interview is transcribed below.

What led you to start your composting operation?

Jonathan: Andy Brooks, one of our co-founders, was inspired to start what is now Bootstrap Compost in 2011 after he noticed that compost pick-up services existed in other regions, like in Vermont, but were completely absent in Boston. He wanted to make a difference in his community, and Bootstrap was born. Just under 10 years later, we know we are definitely changing the way the Greater Boston area deals with food waste. 

Who do you serve, and how can people get in touch with you if they want to start composting?

Jonathan: If you’re interested in getting started with Bootstrap, check out our website. There, you’ll be able to learn about everything we offer and you can tailor your pick-up schedule to your needs!

If you click on the “Services” tab at the top of our home page, you can select whatever type of compost pick-up you need: residential, office, restaurant, or even event if you only require a one-time bulk pick-up! From there you can select the frequency (either weekly or bi-weekly) and the quantity of your ideal pick-up. It might be tough to know exactly how much you will need right away, so you can add or remove buckets at any time.

Feel free to give us a call if you have any questions, and we can get you into our delivery system right away. 

How much organic material do you typically take in on a weekly basis?

Jonathan: This January we diverted approximately 40,600 lbs of food waste from landfills each week! This waste is pulled from over 2,200 residential and 280 commercial accounts on a weekly basis. 

Please give us one fun fact about your business.

Jonathan: At Bootstrap we take pride in doing everything by hand! This includes manually dumping all of our collected food waste at our partner farms and hand washing and stenciling our own buckets. Our dedication to doing everything the right way started at the very beginning, when we relied on bikes with trailers to do our first compost pick-ups.

If you would like to be featured in a future edition of Community Heroes, please email us at marketing@biobagusa.com.


New Resealable Products from BioBag!

BioBag Resealable Snack and Gallon Bags

Introducing Compostable Resealable Bags
in Snack & Gallon Sizes!

In 2013, BioBag introduced compostable food storage and sandwich resealable bags. Now, we are proud to announce that we are expanding our resealable product line to include snack-size and gallon-size resealable bags! Like all of our other products, these bags are made from the material Mater-Bi®.

BioBag Resealable Snack Bags are ideal for taking snacks on the go. These bags are convenient for lunches or sorting portions at home. BioBag Resealable Gallon Bags are the largest in our resealable product line and are perfect for traveling, storing leftovers, and a variety of other in-home and on-the-go uses. Both bags are zip tight and great for storing all types of food.

When finished, users can discard the snack and gallon bags with other compost waste. BioBag Snack and Gallon Bags compost right along with other organic waste in a municipal compost facility to create nutrient-rich soil – even the zippers are compostable!

More Wonderful Benefits:

  • Certified Compostable* in a municipal compostable setting
  • Meets ASTM D6400
  • BPA Free – Made without plasticizers or other additives that may be transferred to the food
  • Great alternative to polyethylene-based plastic sandwich and storage bags
  • Prevents and restricts the contents’ exposure to moisture and oxygen
  • Good for all kinds of foods, including those with high fat and acid content
  • Made from GMO Free crops

We are excited to be able to add these new sizes to our line of compostable products, and we hope you’re excited to give them a try!

For wholesale case orders, please contact us directly at info@biobagusa.com.

*Appropriate facilities may not exist in your area. To find a municipal composting facility, visit findacomposter.com. May not be suitable for home composting depending on your composting method. 


BioBag Announces New Non-GMO Project Verification

BioBag, a world leader in providing bags for the collection of organic waste for the purpose of composting, is proud to announce that the company’s 3 Gallon Food Scrap Bags and 13 Gallon Food Scrap Bags have been Non-GMO Project Verified. The company is also in the process of verifying their compostable commercial liners and produce bags.

“BioBag makes compostable bags from a resin based on agriculture resources, including corn, which is a focal point of our logo and something we get asked about frequently. This verification by the Non-GMO Project is important to us to showcase to our customers our commitment to sourcing and supporting non-GMO crops,” said Jennifer Pope, Vice President of Marketing for BioBag.

The Non-GMO Project is the leading third-party non-GMO verification system in the United States. Products must meet strict criteria for GMO avoidance to achieve verification. Even though BioBag is an international company, and their products have established third-party non-GMO verification from international sources since the company’s inception in the early 2000’s, they knew how essential it would be to the U.S. market to meet the Non-GMO Project Standard.

“The verification label is predominantly seen on consumable food products, but we went the extra mile to certify our non-food products to align with consumer preferences and natural food retailer initiatives for non-GMO here in the U.S.,” said Pope. “It was a rigorous process for us and our supplier, but we are excited now to have the butterfly adorn our products.”

The announcement from BioBag Americas coincides with the 8th annual celebration of Non-GMO Month in October. The Non-GMO Project butterfly is the fastest-growing label in the natural products industry and represents more than 40,000 verified products. The butterfly will begin to appear on BioBag’s packaging and marketing materials in the coming months alongside their other notable certifications by the Biodegradable Product Institute for municipal compostability and Vincotte’s OK Compost Home for home compostability. Earning all three badges propels BioBag to further leadership status within their category.

About BioBag Americas, Inc.

BioBag is a world leader in providing bags and films for the collection of organic waste for the purpose of composting. Its mission is to keep organic waste from ever entering a landfill. Unlike regular plastic bags, BioBags are made from a resin derived from plants, vegetable oils, and compostable polymers and can be consumed by micro-organisms that live in our soils. Because of this, BioBags compost readily along with organic waste at municipal composting facilities. BioBag is not a large, petroleum-based, plastic bag manufacturer that now conveniently dabbles in the new world of compostable bags. BioBag is a small company of dedicated employees who are fully committed to only producing certified compostable bags and films. Additional information can be found at www.biobagusa.com.

About the Non-GMO Project

www.nongmoproject.org


Swedish Strawberry Producer Uses BioAgri* Compostable Film

*BioBag Agricultural Film is sold under the name “BioAgri” in European markets and “BioBag Ag Film” in North American markets.

Peter Löfvenholm from BioBag and Ola Svensson from Finnerödja
inspect the BioAgri film three months after planting. 

Swedish strawberry producer Finnerödja recently chose to test BioAgri – a compostable and biodegradable alternative to traditional agricultural mulch film. After one year, Finnerödja concluded the addition of BioAgri was a success, and they are looking forward to using the compostable films again during the upcoming season.

Sustainable Agriculture with BioAgri Compostable Films

With a desire to achieve more sustainable agriculture, the Swedish strawberry producer Finnerödja tested the compostable mulch film BioAgri. The characteristics of BioAgri mulch film are the same as in conventional PE plastics, but the difference is that BioAgri can be tilled into the soil when crops are harvested. BioAgri does not require the inconvenience and high cost of removal and disposal of the agricultural film, which is unavoidable with traditional PE plastic. By using BioAgri, farmers can also avoid plastic residues in the field and, at the same time, help to ensure a healthier environment. BioAgri degrades via microorganisms found naturally in the soil.

The main reason for Finneröjda to test BioAgri in their strawberry fields was to avoid the problems that come with the remains of conventional plastic films leftover in the ground. “The idea is that we avoid the handling and disposal of traditional plastics, which have been both expensive and time consuming for us,” says Ola Svensson from Finnerödja. Statements from a selection of strawberry growers show that it usually costs about $2000 per hectare for the disposal of traditional plastic films.

The Same Qualities as Traditional Film

BioAgri comes in different thicknesses to fit different cycles. Finnerödja wanted the film to break down early so strawberry cuttings could grow up next to the main plant. Svensson expects to experiment with a thinner film in the coming year and says there are not many other certified compostable films on the market that could support a 1-3 year old plant.

Finnerödja strawberry field with BioAgri, six months after planting

“Other films have poorer mechanical properties and are not certified as compostable in soil, and that makes BioBag BioAgri agricultural mulch film work perfectly, especially for strawberries.” He continues, “The main advantage with BioAgri is that it is certified compostable and biodegradable in soil, and it gives no soil contamination. It is also a great advantage that there is no additional cost for the removal of the film, as it is simply plowed into the ground.”

Laying BioAgri Agricultural Film

Laying BioAgri agricultural mulch film is done with the same equipment as used for conventional PE plastic mulch film. “We had no problems when laying the mulch film with our standard equipment. What you should remember is to be a little more careful so you do not stretch the film too much, as the material is made of natural raw materials,” says Svensson.

Environment

“As an example, 8 years ago we had to prepare a field for cultivation. As we began to plow the land, we found old traditional PE plastic in the soil, which was still there after eight years,” Svensson describes. “I recommend everyone use the product, especially those who are leasing land. It will leave the soil in good condition.”

Facts About Finnerödja

For over 50 years, Finnerödja has been producing strawberries. In 1987, they were taken over by OspAB Finnerödja Bär AB. Today, Finnerödja is a business in Olle Svensson Partiaffär AB and handles about 3.5 million liters of fresh strawberries each year. The strawberry grower company Purple Rösjö Farm AB grows strawberries on 43 hectares and sells the entire crop to Finnerödja and Olle Svensson Partiaffär AB.

About BioAgri Agricultural Film

BioAgri agricultural film, compared to traditional plastic film:

  • Biodegradable in soil
  • Customized life span, tailored for different crops
  • No removal necessary
  • No disposal costs
  • No residues in the field
  • Faster access to the field
  • Certified for organic farming
  • An efficient alternative, in both agronomic and environmental terms to traditional plastic film
  • Saves time and therefore costs required to remove and dispose of traditional plastic film
  • Offers a family of grades fit for purpose

Successful Danish Winegrowers Use BioAgri*

*BioBag Agricultural Film is sold under the name “BioAgri” in European markets and “BioBag Ag Film” in North American markets.

The vines, planted with BioAgri Compostable Film, on the field towards the fjord.

For many years, Hvidlykke Farm in Denmark has focused on organic farming and fruit growing. Niels Esbjerg Jensen and Anders Ørnberg Eriksen, the owners behind Ørnberg Wine, had always believed it was possible to grow wine in Denmark.

In 2007, two winegrowers began making wine. It was intended to be only a hobby, but they have since become very successful winemakers with their multi-award-winning brand Ørnberg Wine.

“Our vision is to create a professional Danish vineyard, producing wine with Danish character and international quality,” says winegrower Niels Esbjerg Jensen.

While they strive to get it right the first time, something they’ve been able to accomplish through studying extensive theoretical knowledge of viticulture from a German winegrower, they are also constantly looking for ways to improve their practices.

Twenty-two hundred vines were planted on one of Hvidlykke Farm’s fields in 2007. This field used traditional plastic to protect the vines from weeds. “But it turned out to be too difficult to remove the plastic film,” says Jensen, adding, “We have spent so much time and energy trying to remove the plastic from the field, but even after eight years, there are still remnants of plastic that pollute the field.”

After 8 years, the conventional plastic films can still be found in the ground.

When Jensen heard it was possible to use compostable film, he was convinced it should be tested in his fields. In the spring of 2015, the first field was planted with new vines and compostable film instead of traditional plastic. The main advantage of compostable films is that one does not have to remove the film since it can be degraded by the microorganisms found naturally in the soil. This property of the compostable film eliminates the need to spend the time and resources that are necessary to later remove plastic films.

The Benefits of Compostable Film for Vineyards

“There are several reasons that we wanted to test BioAgri on the new vineyard,” says Jensen. “With BioAgri, we do not need to worry about removing weeds, and, as organic farmers, we do not use chemicals on our fields. BioAgri keeps the film moisture in the soil, which thereby gives new vines the best conditions for growth.”

Ørnberg Wine expects that the composting process will be underway by August, the year after which new vines were planted. Because of the compostable film, the vines had a good start and have been protected from weeds.

“One of the main benefits of the compostable film is that it disappears by itself. We do not contaminate our soil with plastic,” says Jensen. “In the long run, it will be a cheaper option for us. We used to spend many hours and a lot of money on both the removal and disposal of plastic films after use.”

The Laying of BioAgri Film

Hvidlykke Farm uses the same equipment to lay BioAgri Compostable Film
as they used to place conventional plastic films.

When laying the compostable film, the winegrowers used the same equipment they used with conventional plastic films. “It required some small adjustments of the width to fit the 1 meter wide film, but otherwise, we experienced no difference to traditional plastic film,” says Jensen.

Facts About Ørnberg Wine

Niels Esbjerg Jensen and Anders Ørnberg Eriksen established Ørnberg Wine in 2007. In 2014, production reached 12,000 bottles of wine from almost 7,000 vines. In 2013, the two winegrowers received four awards, including the year’s Best Wine, Best White Wine, Best Rosé, and Best Dessert Wine.

About BioAgri Agricultural Film

BioAgri Agricultural Film, compared to traditional plastic film:

  • Biodegradable in soil
  • Customized life span, tailored for different crops
  • No removal necessary
  • No disposal costs
  • No residues in the field
  • Faster access to the field
  • Certified for organic farming
  • An efficient alternative, in both agronomic and environmental terms to traditional plastic film
  • Saves time and therefore costs required to remove and dispose of traditional plastic film
  • Offers a family of grades fit for purpose

Exciting New Products for Our Green Consumers!

BioBag Resealable Food Storage and Sandwich Bags

Introducing Certified Compostable Sandwich & Storage Bags!

After years of development, BioBag is proud to meet customer demands for Compostable Sandwich and Storage bags. Like all our other traditional products, these revolutionary bioplastic innovations are made from the material Mater-Bi®

The sandwich bags come in Fold Tops and Resealables. These are great for On-The-Go lunches and snacks.

The Resealable Storage Bags zip tight and are great for storing all types of food.

When finished, one can discard the sandwich and storage bags with other compostable waste. BioBag Sandwich and Storage Bags compost right along with other organic waste in a municipal compost facility to create nutrient-rich soil!

Sandwich Resealable Bags

More Wonderful Benefits:

  • Certified Compostable* in a municipal compostable setting
  • Meets ASTM D6400
  • BPA Free – Made without plasticizers or other additives that may be transferred to the food
  • Great Alternative to Polyethylene-Based plastic sandwich and storage bags
  • Prevents / restricts the food from exposure to moisture and oxygen
  • Good for all kinds of foods, including those with high fat and acid content
  • Made from GMO Free crops
  • Great for On-The-Go Uses: Work, school lunches, travel & picnics

We are thrilled to be able to offer these amazing, new compostable products! We hope you are too.

Try the new sandwich and storage bags today!

For individual orders, visit our Featured Retailers: How to Order

For wholesale case orders, contact us directly info@biobagusa.com

*Appropriate facilities may not exist in your area. To find a municipal composting facility, visit findacomposter.com. May not be suitable for home composting depending on your composting method.


BioBag, USCC and Their New Buy-Compost.com

The US Composting Council (USCC) is THE national organization in the US dedicated to the development, expansion and promotion of the composting industry. Their mission is to advance composting and promote compost use to enhance soils and provide economic and environmental benefits for their members and society. BioBag has been a long-standing member of the USCC for over 10 years, practically since their inception. Our mission of expanding landfill diversion rates through the collection and recycling or composting of organic waste aligns synergistically with the USCC’s. As a proud member of the USCC, we wanted to congratulate and support their new website: Buy-compost.com.

Buy Compost.com

The USCC created this site to:

  • Offer a more user friendly interface for compost consumers and prospects looking to purchase compost
  • Provide an easier way for those looking for composting answers to find what they need
  • Serve as a portal for community gardens looking for compost donations as part of our 2013, ‘One Million Tomato‘ campaign

The new website is still a work in progress but we think it is an amazing step toward reaching the USCC’s and BioBag’s missions. Here are some great features that we especially like:

For Consumers:

  • How to use compost for different purposes (Lawn, Trees/Shrubs, Flowers & Vegetables)
  • What to look for when buying compost, including guidelines
  • Where to buy and how much to buy for your needs, including a buying calculator

For Prosumers (Industry Pros):

  • Benefits of compost for a variety of commercial applications
  • What to look for when buying compost
  • Where to buy and how much to buy for your needs, including a buying calculatorTake a look and let us know what you think. We’ll pass it along to our good friends at the USCC.


Optimizing Green

MSW Management

The article, Optimizing Green, in this month’s MSW Management magazine gave a comprehensive look into the past, current and future composting landscape. The brevity of this article was quite impressive. Among its highlights was a segment on the transition from early pilot stages of composting in King County, WA to their present operations. The article also spoke to BioBag’s partnership with the city from the beginning of their pilot program in 2003. As you know, BioBags assist in the collection and diversion of organic waste. It is proven that providing tools like BioBags help with residential and business participation along with the increase collection of feedstock (green waste) for composters. It really is a win/win scenario for organic waste diversion programs as King County notes.

Along with underlining the successes and struggles of communities who are trying to gain support for composting, the article speaks to industry experts about the challenges, benefits and future of composting.

Most notability, BioBag’s very own VP of Sales, Mark Williams, was quoted.

“Despite the economy, we’re seeing continued growth in our business,” notes Mark Williams, vice president of sales for BioBag. “Each year, more municipalities are going after the organic sector of their waste, recognizing organics as a resource instead of garbage. Just like we recycle cans, bottles, and paper, we’re recycling food and lawn waste, and there are infrastructures developing that are recognizing it as a resource instead of garbage.”

“It’s a huge chunk of the wastestream that hasn’t really been addressed by a lot of cities. After they develop their recycling programs, it’s the biggest chunk left for them to go after,” he says.

The article is really a fascinating and informative outlook of the industry. I learned a great deal the first time I read through it and will need to reread it to further digest everything. So, read it with me here and let me know what you think by commenting on it through our BioBabble Blog, posting on the BioBag Facebook page or tweeting us at @BioBag.

Optimizing Green

Tweet about it to @BioBag

 


New FTC Green Guides

FTC Green Guides

After close to 5 years of deliberating, the Federal Trade Commission released their revised Green Guides earlier last month. Companies making environmental claims about their products and/or services should make it a priority to comply with these Green Guides.

The Green Guides were first introduced in 1992 and have been modified a couple of times since, with the latest revision including new-age topics of environmental certifications and seals, carbon offsets, and renewable energy and materials claims.

Green product resellers and manufacturers, as well as all consumers, should familiarize themselves with these latest guidelines. Below is a great summary video by the FTC that walks you through the revisions and additions.

To review the complete guidelines, visit here.

To review a quick summary, visit here

BioBag, of course, has the most interest in and is actively pursuing compliance concerning our claims on compostability.

Compostable:

  • Marketers who claim a product is compostable need competent and reliable scientific evidence that all materials in the product or package will break down into — or become part of — usable compost safely and in about the same time as the materials with which it is composted.
  • Marketers should qualify compostable claims if the product can’t be composted at home safely or in a timely way. Marketers also should qualify a claim that a product can be composted in a municipal or institutional facility if the facilities aren’t available to a substantial majority of consumers.

A few years ago, BioBag worked with the FTC to ensure that all our packaging claims abided by these guidelines. With the publication of the latest revisions, BioBag is currently working again with the FTC to continue the truthfulness and honorably of our environmental claims.

If you have any questions about BioBag products and our environmental claims, especially regarding compostability, please feel free to contact us at any time at info@biobagusa.com or 727-789-1646.

Thank you.


Did You Know Most BioBags Are Proudly Made In America?

Back in the old days of BioBag USA, we sourced and shipped our products from Europe. You can imagine that our carbon footprint was substantially larger than desired. As the compostable bag market grew, along with our sustainability initiatives, we were able to identify a stateside production facility that could produce our specialized line of products. Our efficiency increased and we were fortunate to move more and more BioBag products to the USA.

Most recently we began manufacturing our commercial liners (13 gallon – 96 gallon) at this factory. The commercial liners as well as our shopping bags, produce bags, custom bag products, lawn and leaf bags, food waste bags and tall kitchen bags are all produced right here in our own backyard. We are proud to be able to do our small part of increasing American job growth, promoting American industry and decreasing our carbon footprint!

We thank you for your support over the years and we look forward to bringing you more innovative and environmentally responsible compostable products.

If you would like more information about our American-made BioBag products or any others, please contact us at 727-789-1646 or info@biobagusa.com