Comments on: FTC Claims Fruits and Vegetables Are Not Biodegradable

By: Doug Bancorn

Doug Bancorn — Mon, 21 Mar 2011 21:58:27 +0000

I’m sorry. I’m sorry that you lack the cerebral wherewithal to understand what it is you’re reading. I’m sorry that you lack the ability to communicate in complete sentences.

Nevertheless, I’ll take the time to address your fallacious and rather ambiguous sentiments;

The takeaways from this article are really quite simple, and the points made are backed up by hard data, so you might want to try using a well kept secret research ‘tool’ that goes by the name of…”Google” when commenting on something that you don’t understand.

So, here’s an abridged version for you;

The FTC deems *bamboo fabric* as rayon or viscose – Fact! You can verify that at the FTC’s website.
The FTC states that “rayon from bamboo”, when disposed of using “customary disposal”(referring to landfills) does not meet the criteria for “biodegradable”. Fact! You can also verify this on the FTC’s website.
Dr. Rathje (a world renowned landfill expert) refers to our landfills as “mummifiers”, and has documented cases of items such as a head of lettuce unearthed in a landfill, and being 5 years old (as well as many other items that the general ‘intelligent’ populous would surely deem biodegradable). Again…fact! You can read about it in his case studies, book, etc.
More than one well respected textile journal has documented scientific studies supporting the fact that “rayon” is biodegradable under commonly accepted biodegradation testing methods (No, this does not include disposal in a landfill). Again…fact! You can use that “Google” thing to verify this.

So, in conclusion;
The FTC insists bamboo fabric is just “rayon”.

The textile scientific community actively agrees, and has supporting data that “rayon” is a biodegradable textile. So which is it? The FTC wants to have its cake and eat it too, and that should be blatantly obvious to anyone who spends more than 5 minutes researching these facts.

And, although the title to this post was intentionally provocative, it would actually be true if the FTC’s standards for bamboo biodegradation were to be applied to fruits and vegetables.

By: lopez

lopez — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 17:34:26 +0000

you guys are noobs, is it really this hard to look for simple information without someone trying to make a big exaggerated point about their own personal opinion. Regardless if this is true or not try not be “hurt” about it because apparently they lied, try to remember that some people out there do actually have proof that SOME things are biodegradable or not and whether you deny to believe that or not is your problem, try very hard not change people’s opinions or point of view because of one personal opinion of yours that you don’t agree with. Try not to change the world or their opinions because trust me its not going to work it just pisses people like me off.

By: FTC'S Bamboo Smear Campaign Riddled with Deception

FTC'S Bamboo Smear Campaign Riddled with Deception — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 02:06:37 +0000

[...] is disposed. Again, a bit of an oxymoron no? By this very definition the FTC would not qualify fruits and vegetables as biodegradable [...]

By: Doug

Doug — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 19:42:59 +0000

Greg,
Your 6400 is for plastics…and the other one is a European standard.
The sad thing is that even a plastic item having passed the D6400….would not meet the FTC’s current criteria for biodegradable. It also wouldn’t meet with what the average American believes is a reasonable time for decomposition, if it were disposed of in a landfill, that is.
That is the point. Under the FTC’s current definition…companies will have no motivation to spend the extra money in research, development and implementation, when the FTC makes impossible for them to make any claims about their newly improved product….that decomposes in a fraction of the time, as the old version…as an example.
Say what you will, but the “head of lettuce” IS a very significant point…whether were talking about bamboo or any other product that has accelerated decomposition rates.

By: FTC Disregards Dyna-E Biodegradable Lab Results

FTC Disregards Dyna-E Biodegradable Lab Results — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 03:47:43 +0000

[...] the FTC to put out a mass press release to the media informing all businesses that the term “biodegradable“ can no longer exist on marketing materials, period? Tweet This!Share this on FacebookShare [...]

By: Greg Stevens

Greg Stevens — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 13:19:31 +0000

I will start out by saying that it’s difficult to take an objection of non-objectivity seriously when you are posting on a website called “green earth bamboo”. I mean…. I’m just sayin’. While you’re throwing out terms like “agenda” and “ulterior motive,” you may as well lay your own cards on the table, as well.

Secondly, this kind of question is why we have published standards, isn’t it? If your material passes ASTM D6400 or EN 13432, then you can call it biodegradable…. and you can defend it as such in a court of law, regardless of what the FTC alleges. And if your material CANNOT pass either of those test…. then shut up. A lot of grand-standing about the piece of lettuce you found in a landfill isn’t relevant when we have actual controlled tests that can be used to determine biodegradability.

By: FTC Bamboozles Public About Bamboo Fabric

FTC Bamboozles Public About Bamboo Fabric — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 02:43:31 +0000

[...] very definition of biodegradable is a process that stipulates no exact time frame…you can look this up for yourself. The [...]