Ever since we began publishing The Bamboo Press, the Island Leaf Team and Lastic® have emphasized aspects crucial to the H&G (home and garden) compostable Lastic® Bamboo Resin. Ultimately, neither Lastic® nor the Island Leaf Team has shied away from full transparency about the ingredients that compose Lastic® Bamboo Resin.
Recall that Lastic® does not own any patents for any of its products. Because of this, Lastic® isn’t required to publicly divulge any raw ingredient, proportion of raw ingredients used to make Lastic® Bamboo Resin and products, or compounding methods used in resin production.
We did, however need to disclose the ingredients to DIN CERTCO and BPI World. Those two reputable H&G and commercial composting certifiers require that all applicants divulge their product-in-question’s inputs.
Additionally, some of the first and critical pieces of Lastic® information that we communicate to potential clients are the raw ingredients that make up all Lastic® Bamboo Resin: bamboo fiber, bio-based PBS from PTT MCC Biochem Co, Ltd. (a Mitsubishi Joint Venture), and starch. We staunchly believe that consumers must know what goes into the products they’re buying. Thus, it’s no surprise that we revere transparency. In recent weeks, however, we’ve encountered a few companies that don't.
We've discovered some businesses that claim to have products certified under ASTM D6400, the test for commercial composting. But, they don’t mention ANY third-party certifiers. What stings, however, is this: some of companies produce promising, OK Compost Home Compostable, BPI World, or DIN CERTCO, certified products. Yet, these companies refuse to clearly state their raw materials they used for inputs.
What is compelling these companies to not reveal their raw materials? Are companies like this trying to protect their product, or are they hiding unholy biopolymers, like PLA, or “bio-based” PET? When a client buys from an organization like one of these, will they hide more things from us about production, quality, payment, or more?
Ultimately, Island Leaf and Lastic® understand that transparency helps strengthen the foundations of trust between clients and producers. That’s why we’re committed to being as honest and upfront as possible when construing crucial information to potential clients and existing ones. In the end, transparency in bioplastics marketing is crucial.
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