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Environmental: Microbes clean up foamboard act
BHM has partnered with The Gilman Brothers Co to distribute its products in Europe. North American-based Gilman manufacturers foamboard products for signage, display and graphics. BHM holds stocks in Ireland for European supply.
The latest product is Gilman's environmentally responsible biodegradable foam centre board. The product features 15 per cent recycled content and is formulated with bio resins which cause discarded foamboard to degrade in landfills or commercial composters once the foam is exposed to a bacteria rich environment.
Only an environmentally harmless biomass compost remains after decomposition. The exclusive polystyrene centre requires one to five years for 100 per cent breakdown, compared with conventional foamboards that take between 80 and 450-years to degrade.
The boards are faced with bright white paper liners manufactured with wood products sourced from Sustainable Forest Initiative (SFI) certified forests. Forest Certification is a market-based, non-regulatory forest conservation tool designed to recognise and promote environmentally responsible forestry and sustainability of forest resources. The forest certification process involves an evaluation of land management planning and forestry practices by a third-party, according to an agreed set of standards. Certification standards address social, economic and environmental issues.
Insite Biodegradable is designed to be warp resistant and retain its thickness during mounting, laminating, printing and die-cutting. The manufacturer states there is no trade-off between the positive environmental attributes of Insite Biodegradable and its physical performance. The breakdown of the biodegradable foamboard will not begin until it is discarded in a landfill.
Duraplast Biodegradable is an all-plastic foamboard comprising a biodegradable polystyrene foam centre, faced with waterproof biodegradable polystyrene liners. This product is also completely recyclable and is categorized as PS6. The company states Duraplast Biodegradable performs identically to its original Duraplast product. It offers additional dimensional stability for exhibits, displays and signs and is recommended for printing and mounting. Again, the breakdown of this 100 per cent biodegradable foamboard will not begin until it is discarded in a landfill.
The bio resins transform the structure of the polystyrene, which attracts microorganisms that metabolise and neutralise the plastic. The resulting residue is an inert biomass that is harmless to the environment.
The biodegradation properties of material samples used in the manufacture of Insite and Duraplast Biodegradable foamboard were tested using ASTM D5338.98, Standard Test Method for Determining the Aerobic Biodegradation of Plastic Materials under Controlled Composting Conditions, which is equivalent to the ISO14855 method, Evaluation of the Ultimate Aerobic Biodegradability and Disintegration of Plastics under Controlled Composting Conditions; ASTM5511 Standard Test Method for Determining the Anaerobic Biodegradation of Plastic Materials under High-Solids Anaerobic Digestion Conditions; and ASTM D5209-91 Standard Test Method for Determining the Aerobic Biodegradation of Plastic Materials in the Presence of Municipal Sewage.
http://www.gilmanbrothers.com/
