Photo Gallery: green products from IHA (PN China Blog

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Photo Gallery: green products from IHA

This year's International Home and Housewares Show in Chicago featured an unprecedented collection of eco-friendly products. I hope you can get a feel of the green trend from the fresh photos I took at the March 16-18 show. Read my story Green Movement is in full force at 08 show for more information.

Perf Go Green Inc. of New York touted itself as the first to mass-market 100 percent degradable trash bags to consumers. The green-tinted, low density polyethylene bags have a shelf life of two years and will break down completely in a landfill in 12-24 months.

Perf Go Green also offers a unique dispensing system that's stored in the bottom of a trash can and dispenses bags one after another.

Design Ideas Ltd. of Springfield, Ill., launched a line of bath products made of EcoGen plastic, a copolymer known as polyhydroxybutyrate valerate, or PHBV.

Dirt Devil, a brand owned by TTI Floor Care North America of Glenwillow, Ohio, unveiled the industry's first cordless vacuums to receive the U.S. government's Energy Star label: the Dirt Devil AccuCharge hand (featured in the photo provided by TTI) and stick vacuums.

Casabella Holdings LLC of Blauvelt, N.Y., launched a line of dish drains, cutlery trays and soap dishes made of PLA.

Bissel Homecare Inc. uses recycled plastic in the brush block and parts of the solution tank of this Little Green compact, multipurpose cleaner.

Iris USA Inc. of Pleasant Prairie, Wis. showcased a recycling organizer that is stackable.

Hong Kong firm A&T International Co. touted biodegradable tableware and bags with a variety of materials including PHBV, a mix of 60 percent PP and 40 percent starch and natural materials such as bamboo and sugar cane.

Eastman Chemical Co. showcased bottles made of Tritan-brand specialty copolyester, which the company touts as being free of BPA.

Base Brands of Atlanta introduced water bottles that are made from a styrene acrylonitrile copolymer and prominently labeled "BPA-free," since the product is not made of polycarbonate and does not contain bisphenol A. The company promotes the message that people can use these colorful and attractive bottles to bring beverages from home to work, instead of consuming bottled water from vending machines. The SAN bottles come in packs of five, with an easy-slide base for refrigerators.

BRK Brands Inc. of Aurora, Ill., a fully owned subsidiary of Jarden Corp of Rye, N.Y., announced that it is phasing out PVC in its packaging and using recycled PET instead for its First Alert line of smoke and carbon-monoxide alarms. Photo courtesy of BRK Brands.

Umbra Ltd. of Toronto showcased desktop organizers--which resemble trash cans--injection molded with polylactic acid.

Umbra uses industrial scrap PP, plus 1-2 percent additives, to make degradable trash bins.

More degradable trash bins from Umbra with modern looks.

The trash bin is designed to hold two trash bags, divided by the center bar, one for recyclables and the other for non-recyclables.

Posted by Nina Ying Sun on April 1, 2008 11:22 AM | Permalink

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COMMENTS (8)

Steve Sutton:

After having spent the past 1 1/2 years working on various supposed "biodegradable" products, I find that almost all of the products featured in your article above are NOT what Biodegradable is meant to be. Materials that contain PP r NOT biodegradable. A replacement of PVC to recycled pet is not really "green". It is more like green washing. Whoever is responsible for this article, should do more research before putting into print.

Posted by Steve Sutton | April 2, 2008 11:00 PM

Nina:

Steve, you are right that many of the featured products are degradable but not biodegradable. The story is on eco-friendly products, not biodegradable, although it did include quite a few bio-resin based products. Is a replacement of PVC to recycled PET really "green"? Many believe so. I understand where you are coming, but that shouldn't be a reason not to report on these products.

Posted by Nina | April 3, 2008 1:06 AM

recycling:

I commend chinese citizens on taking steps at becoming more eco-friendly. Nations all across the planet need to come together to work on programs of recycle, reduce, reuse.

You've been trashed!!!
www.greenbugz.com
Recycling Today For A Greener Tomorrow

Posted by recycling | April 4, 2008 2:49 PM

dave french:

Nice article but agree with other comments that some manufacturers are confusing people with what is biodegradeable, compostable etc.. Almost all of the products mentioned are not certified for composting and one the Go Green bags are precisely the kind that cannot be certified by people like BPI. They also do not meet ASTM compostability standards.

Posted by dave french | May 12, 2008 3:20 PM

Nina:

Dave, thanks for weighing in! I really don't like how some retailers and manufacturers take advantage of the green movement and "green wash" consumers. I should have asked every company for certification details. Would you please educate me why the Go Green bags can't be certified by BPI and don't meet ASTM compostability standards? The company actually told me their bags are compostable by ASTM standards......

Posted by Nina | May 12, 2008 3:42 PM

Denise:

You can find a complete list of products meeting ASTM specifications at BPI's website. These products have all been tested and reviewed by third party scientists prior to certification as compostable.

Posted by Denise | November 21, 2008 10:14 AM

Nina:

The BPI Web site is very informative. Thanks much, Denise.
In addition to the list of approved products, I also found Membership Directory very help.

Posted by Nina | November 21, 2008 12:54 PM

J. Hoogstrate:

With so many differing ideas on what really constitutes a green product, it is really difficult to categorize the products when they come into the market. Unless we first have a clear understanding of what each terminology means, this could be an on-going phenomenon. At the green news, we run a global sustainability website that addresses many of these issues.

Posted by J. Hoogstrate | December 20, 2009 4:41 AM