What happens if a newave tube ends up in landfill (and let's talk about methane)?

What happens if a newave tube ends up in landfill (and let's talk about methane)?

If newave tubes & tubs end up in landfill, they will slowly degrade with less impact upon the environment as they contain no petroleum / no fossil-based plastic.

In landfill they are unlikely to experience requirements to degrade as
quickly as they would in industrial composting.

Remember that unlike petroleum based plastic, newave tubes and tubs contain no toxic chemicals

and so as they degrade, they will not leach chemicals to land or that impact living organisms.

Whilst landfills have strict rules and regulations they are not perfect
and as noted by the NSW Government – Australia:  Landfills may produce the following pollution streams: leachate, stormwater runoff,
landfill gas, offensive odour, dust, noise and litter.
These pollutants can degrade the quality of surrounding surface water bodies, groundwater, soil and air.
Landfilling activities have the potential to adversely affect local amenity, and they may also affect threatened species of flora and fauna,
native vegetation and items of aboriginal heritage.

Our preference is that they end up in composting and

industrial composting facilities are growing within Australia.

This growth will be supported financially in the coming years
by a packaging EPR scheme (in summarised terms, a scheme that ensures producers help pay for the correct disposal of their products).
This scheme is not yet set in stone, as it is part of the proposed
packaging reform being overseen by the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (or DCCEEW).
We will know better by the end of 2024 how the reform will be implemented.
Industrial composting is also known as organic recycling and it is considered generally as recycling by the Australian Government.
AORA (Australian Organics Recycling Association) are an industry body that oversees many of industrial composting businesses in Australia and

our co-founder Hugh is a Member of the New South Wales AORA Committee.

Our call to Save the Planet is not a hollow one.

We specifically set out to do better in making a cosmetic product
and packaging it for use by our customers.
There are still emissions related to our manufacturing / shipping etc, these are inescapable and industrial
composting facilities are not always easy to find for disposal.
However, we place no petroleum-based ingredients within any newave products.

newave packaging (tubes and tubs) are not fossil-based plastic (instead mainly bamboo and PHA – in fact they are certified 95% biobased).

Let’s talk about methane.
In a brief summary, methane is often described as a potent greenhouse gas noted to be at least 28 times more effective
than CO2 at trapping heat in the atmosphere.
As the tubes contain biomass (natural plant material – like food waste) when they degrade in landfills they will in anaerobic conditions (no air) release methane.
Some people use this as a reason to scorn these types of bio products and argue to progress the manufacturing and use of plastic.
We agree methane is a problem when disposed of in landfill.

However, here are a few indisputable facts to consider

in making your choice.
  

newave packaging

Fossil-based plastic packaging

compostable

Not ever compostable

not currently recyclable

Single polymer plastic type products can be recyclable – mixed polymer packaging is often not recycled – less than 10% of plastic has ever been recycled and only 9% of cosmetic packaging is being recycled

Will not leach toxins into products

Research has shown plastic can leach toxins into products

Will not leach toxins into the environment

Research has shown plastic can leach toxins into the environment

Main ingredient is recycled bamboo a renewable biomass

Plastic is from finite petroleum resources (not a renewable resource)

Certified 95% biomass (bamboo and PHA)

Made with petroleum and over 13 000 chemicals are related to plastic packaging.

Bamboo and PHA = no toxins

Much packaging is made from petroleum-based polypropylene (PP) – research shows poorly made polypropylene has a greater tendency to leach chemical toxins

Bamboo is a carbon neutral biomass (often considered carbon negative - absorbs more than produces)

Petroleum is not carbon neutral and crude oil production releases methane

When disposed of correct has infinite circularity (plant to compost, to plant to compost etc etc) 

The United Nations Environment Program notes that most plastics are only recycled once or twice

No research links to human health issues

Massive mounting research showing links to human health issues

Zero methane emissions when disposed of correctly in composting, however, will release methane when buried in landfill

Releases methane during extraction / production and also when decaying in sunlight will release methane and ethylene (eg – in the ocean, on beaches, open landfill etc)

 

 Weighing up the above facts (and these are presented in the research links above), the result is that newave is better.

However, you have a choice, you don’t have to agree.
We welcome people to do their own research and make up their own mind.

At newave, we want to bring you a choice.

A premium cosmetic product that does not involve conventional plastics
(fossil-based) that we know cause so many problems.
This is our point of difference; for you to have a choice in your cosmetic product and its packaging that we believe helps save the planet by not
contributing to fossil-based plastic waste (and all the other noted issues).

Be part of the newave.

Love yourself, love your planet.

Find us at newave.eco

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