Oct 19 2009
Repurpose Compostables, Inc.®, a full service bioplastic manufacturing, sales and distribution company based in Los Angeles, announced today the debut of their brand new line of PLA cold cups and PLA cutlery at incredibly competitive prices. Repurpose products are high performance and can withstand heats of up to 220 degrees, however are able to biodegrade in 90 days. Repurpose products are also non-toxic, keeping harmful chemicals out of our food supply, environment and oceans.
Repurpose Compostables, Inc. will also serve as one stop shopping for anyone in the food and beverage industry looking to transition off of petroleum based products to plant based, compostable alternatives, offering a full range of products including food carriers, hot cups, plates and napkins. Additionally, Repurpose is working with various businesses and municipalities to retrofit existing plastic based products with plant based alternatives.
"After two years of development, it is with extreme excitement that we bring the Repurpose products to market this month," said Lauren Gropper, Chief Executive Officer of Repurpose Compostables, Inc. "Having worked in the green industry for ten years, I found there was not a wide variety or a high enough quality product out there, so we set out to make one. We feel that this market is severely underserved and as consumers continue to flock to businesses offering green alternatives, this market is going to continue to grow. More and more businesses want to switch over from using petroleum based plastics and non sustainable products and we will serve as a conduit for that change."
As prices of petroleum continue to rise and the nation moves to get itself off of foreign oil, the time has come to change. Repurpose products meet the ASTM D6400 standard for compostability. A piece of plastic can take 700 years to decompose, and even then leaches toxic chemicals into the soil, where as Repurpose products can decompose in 90 days in. Also as plastic enters the oceans it breaks down into toxic sludge being eaten by our plankton, fish, and eventually, us. Americans are essentially eating their own, already disposed of plastic. Repurpose products are also the perfect cradle to cradle product as PLA does not downgrade when it is recycled, creating an infinite loop system in which the product can be recycled from its original resin endlessly. Making compostable products from plants uses 3-4 times less C02 then petroleum based products, as well as creates a simple yet significant way for businesses and consumers to help fight global warming. Repurpose will offset all of its carbon costs through Carbon Fund.org, making their products a zero carbon purchase.
Repurpose products were debuted at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival and have already been used on the set of the HBO series Entourage. Repurpose was founded by sustainable design consultant and green activist Lauren Gropper and humanitarian activist Jeff Toolan with the goal of fundamentally changing the way that businesses and consumers think about their disposable products. Repurpose is working in conjunction with non-profits such as The American Democracy Institute to make smart and meaningful differences in the environment, and to engage governments in changing the composting and recycling programs in the United States.