The packaging film is made of a milk protein called casein, scientists from the U.S. Department of Agriculture said at a meeting of the American Chemical Society.

The milk-based packaging does not currently have much taste, but flavours could be added to it, as could vitamins, probiotics and other nutrients to make it nutritious, they said.

The film looks similar to plastic wrapping, but is up to 500 times better at protecting food from oxygen, as well as being biodegradable and sustainable, the researchers said.

“The protein-based films are powerful oxygen blockers that help prevent food spoilage. When used in packaging, they could prevent food waste during distribution along the food chain,” research leader Peggy Tomasula said in a statement.

Between 30 and 40 per cent of food produced around the world is never eaten because it spoils at some time after harvest or during transport, or gets thrown away by shops and consumers.

Halving food waste by 2030 was included as a target in global development goals adopted by world leaders in 2015.

The U.S. scientists also want to reduce the amount of plastic that is thrown away.

“We are currently testing applications such as single-serve, edible food wrappers. For instance, individually wrapped cheese sticks use a large proportion of plastic — we would like to fix that,” said Laetitia Bonnaillie, co-leader of the study.

The post Eat your package appeared first on Manitoba Co-operator.

Plastic saves farmers time and money by reducing their storage costs, but the increasing amount used raises the question — what to do with it after you’ve used it?

Municipalities don’t want large volumes of discarded agricultural plastic taking up space in landfills. That’s why farmers often burn it, or bury it to get rid of it. But there’s a better way.

“Every piece of plastic that comes off the farm has the potential to be recycled,” says Tammy Myers with the Moose Jaw River Watershed Stewards (MJRWS).

Myers is serving as the technical consultant this spring and fall as CleanFARMS and Green Manitoba team up with MJRWS to offer a pilot collection program for agricultural plastics here.

“There’s very high volumes of this material out there,” said Myers, adding it’s in the form of 400-foot grain bags as well as all the bale netting and plastic twine that accumulate on farms.

The amount collected at depots operating elsewhere in the Prairie provinces is one indication of the amount of plastic out there.

From just three depot sites in Saskatchewan where farmers have dropped off their used grain storage bags, bale wrap and twine, they shipped 1.5 million pounds in the past five years.

And that’s only what farmers willing to recycle these materials brought in. There’s plenty more out there, said Myers.

“Our biggest competitor is a Bic lighter and some diesel fuel,” she said.

And while burning may be the cheapest, fastest way to get rid of it, U.S. studies conducted by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) say burning this plastic at lower temperatures than incinerators produces carcinogenic contaminations from drifting from smoke and ash in surrounding soil and water.

But plastic recycling companies in both Canada and the U.S. can include these in their reformulations to create benches, decking and fence posts, and recycled plastic can also be cleaned, shredded and melted into pellets for resale and reuse around the world.

Pilot program

This spring Manitoba will run a pilot program offering farmers a way to recycle their agricultural plastics, with another planned for fall. The pilot will help them learn from farmers the best way to offer this service and determine feasibility of a more permanent program, said Myers.

Experience shows that the easier recycling agricultural plastic can be done, the higher the participation rate.

Manitoba’s spring collection sites in Dauphin, Steinbach, Treherne, Portage la Prairie, Pierson and Neepawa will be in operation March 23 to 27 where clean and dry bale and silage wrap, grain bags and plastic (polypropylene) twine will be accepted. There will be free collection bags at participating sites.

Plastic storage bags have been used by farmers for about 20 years, but their use has notably increased recently. Packaging of hay in individually wrapped bales or in long bale bags allows farms to cut and leave feed in the field and feed on demand, while large plastic grain bags provide a lower unit cost to store grain until ready to ship.

Myers said recycling agencies have eyed all forms of agricultural plastics and worked with producers across the Prairies.

“This actually started between B.C. and Alberta,” she said, adding that large volumes of plastic twine come from Alberta’s feedlot alley, while B.C.’s horticultural industries are also a large generator of plastic there.

CleanFARMS is one of Canada’s first and longest-running stewardship programs and was awarded a Manitoba Excellence in Sustainability Award earlier this winter.

2015 marks the 25th year collecting empty pesticide containers, and the numbers of these are significant as well. In 2013 600,000 containers were diverted from Manitoba landfills in 2013 and in 2012 close to 75,000 kilograms of obsolete product was collected and safely disposed of.

The program has also expanded to collections of obsolete animal health medications.

For more details on Manitoba’s spring pilot program log on to cleanfarms.ca.

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I read your column in our paper and quite enjoy it. I bought an artificial plant, with grass-like plumes a few months ago. This plant has a very strange and disgusting odour. I didn’t notice it at first but some days it is quite unbearable. Is there anything I can do to get rid of the odour? I put it on my deck during the day hoping to air it out but it doesn’t seem to help. I bought the plant at Superstore. It is made of artificial materials like plastics. My son says it smells like dog pee. My sister-in- law, who works at a gift shop, says that a lot of their products have similar smells. She likens the smell to a “mouse” smell. I have sprayed

it with Febreeze, which is only a temporary fix. – Dorothy

Dear Dorothy,

It makes sense that the plant is made of plastic because artificial silk plants are often not silk but rather made from a variety of synthetic materials, and then heat pressed into expertly designed moulds. These newer synthetic materials hold shape much better than silk, allowing for a wider range of natural-looking leaf and flower designs.

This smelly challenge is similar to that of people who purchase backpacks that carry a strange odour. It sounds to me like the culprit is the dye used to colour the plant. The not-so-good news is that any fragrant spray that you use will only be a temporary fix. The good news is that the smell will minimize over time. If your plant were actually silk instead of synthetic it may still carry an odour. In fact some experts say, “Inferior silk gives off a slight smell of chemicals and silkworm pupa, which will become stronger in more humid and warmer environments.”

Since you have observed that the plant is plastic, your best bet is to soak it in the bathtub with a half-box of baking soda, water to cover and 3 tbsp. inexpensive shampoo. Soak, rinse and leave outside to dry. Keep me posted!

Hi Reena, I recently saw you at a show where you gave a very informative

talk on unusual cleaning supplies and methods. The one I’m interested in is cleaning toilet bowls with pumice stone. Would you be so kind as to send it to me? Thanking you in advance,

– Lyn

No problem Lyn,

Put a little shampoo or dish soap onto a pumice stone and rub the inside of the toilet bowl to remove stains. That’s it! Does a great job!

Dear Reena,

I am in a bit of a quandary and have always appreciated your approach to cleaning. I have been put in charge of finding a solution for removing allergens from student desks at the school where I work. As peanuts and eggs are not bacteria, but proteins, I don’t see harsh chemicals as having any benefit. Plus, this would just add more unhealthy molecules waiting to be ingested by our children. I am thinking vinegar and water, although I fear the smell would turn up noses. I cringe as I spray the harsh chemical solution I am currently using.

– Jaine Way to go Jaine,

It’s people like you who are really making a difference. Before trying a new cleaner please check with your supervisors to make sure that they approve any new cleaners that you are using. In my opinion, you are on the right track with vinegar but what you need to add to the bottle is about 10 drops of nice-smelling essential oil (found at grocery and health food stores). Choose tea tree oil, lavender, peppermint, rose, orange or grapefruit. The room will smell great and the concoction in the bottle has wonderful additional antiseptic properties. Let me know how it goes!

I enjoy your questions and tips, keep them coming!

Check out my website: www.householdsolutions.org.

Reena Nerbas is a highly popular professional speaker and the author of three national best-sellers, Household Solutions 1 with Substitutions, Household Solutions 2 with Kitchen Secrets and Household Solutions 3 with Green Alternatives. Books and Household Solutions 1, 2 and 3 Cooking/Cleaning Gift Packs are available online or by calling: 204-320-2757.

———

RENA NERBAS

The post Questions For Reena – for Aug. 5, 2010 appeared first on Manitoba Co-operator.

To be more energy efficient, I had the ageing windows replaced in the old farmhouse. They were the type that had storm windows which had to be taken off in the spring and put on in the fall, and any gaps filled with caulking.

Now there was an excess of old windows, various shapes and sizes, some with divided panes, and all of them with weathered frames. I decided to try using them to frame some of the paintings that I had done. I sprayed my designs twice with an acrylic lacquer to give them durability, and added a chain hanger, well anchored into the wood frame so the finished item could be used as a wall hanging either indoors or out. I recommend that they be kept out of the worst of the weather however, to prolong the brilliance of the paint.

A garden centre and a rural gift shop took some of my pieces on consignment and they are selling well. The old frames are left in their aged state, as this appearance adds to the appeal.

My stock of old windows is diminishing, but I have been the recipient of several from friends and neighbours who are glad not to send them to the dump. One more recycling effort that gives enjoyment to me as well as to others.

The post One More Recycling Idea appeared first on Manitoba Co-operator.

Solanyl Biopolymers Inc., based in Carberry, Man., manufactures starch-based biodegradable polymers that are used to create new and innovative environmentally friendly products.

The company was established in 2005 by potato farmers Derek and Earl McLaren, who wanted to further process the industrial byproduct of Manitoba food processors. In Europe, a technology of bioplastics for this purpose was already in the commercial stage. As a result, an international partnership was formed with Rodenburg Biopolymers B. V. from the Netherlands with the goal to bring biodegradable plastics to North America.

Solanyl Biopolymers applied to the Manitoba Rural Adaptation Council (MRAC) in 2007 for funding to further their vision.

“The MRAC funding has been instrumental in our project,” said Derek McLaren, managing director of Solanyl Biopolymers.

Solanyl biodegradable plastic resins are a renewable substitute for petroleum-based plastics, especially for short life or disposable plastic products.

“We’re not here to replace plastic, we just want to offer an alternative,” said Ferdi van Dongen, president and CEO of Solanyl Biopolymers Inc. “We’ll supply the niche plastic market.”

These plastics are made from reclaimed potato starch using a patented process which converts the potato starch into a plastic-like resin that can be heated and shaped into a variety of products through the injection moulding process. Solanyl receives this potato starch, which is considered an industrial byproduct, from the local McCain and Simplot plants.

Solanyl bioplastics can also be composted returning carbon back to the soil to be used again as an energy source for plants. This makes Solanyl a carbon-neutral and sustainable resource to be used in numerous applications.

With financial assistance from MRAC, Solanyl Biopolymers is creating a new generation of smart materials. And van Dongen sees a bright future for these materials.

“People are much more motivated now to be environmentally friendly,” he said.

For more information please visit www.solanylbiopolymers.com.

The post Creating A New Generation Of Smart Materials appeared first on Manitoba Co-operator.

Did you know? Seventeen million Canadians (nearly two-thirds) have access to recycling.

1. Want to freeze hamburgers? Save the plastic from individually wrapped cheese slices and use them between the patties.

2. If you buy convenience meals for the microwave or oven, many of them include microwave-safe containers that are reusable. Save them and when you make a large meal, make some frozen TV dinners with the left overs.

3. Don’t throw away that old shower curtain! During the winter, cover your car’s windshield with a section of the curtain (cut to fit) and secure with magnets. This isn’t practical when there are howling winds but works well on milder winter evenings.

4. Use an old shower curtain as a picnic tablecloth or as a drop sheet when painting or sanding.

5. An old shower curtain gives added insulation to draughty windows – especially in the basement – if you hang it up behind the curtains.

6. If you’re refinishing furniture or involved in some other messy project, protect your clothes with an apron made from an old shower curtain.

7. Sprinkle a few drops of cologne onto some used gift wrap and use it to line your dresser drawers and storage boxes.

8. Buy a reusable coffee filter instead of using disposable paper ones.

9. Glue or staple leftover wallpaper onto cardboard boxes to make attractive storage containers for closets and shelves.

10. Cereal boxes make handy clipboards. Cut the fronts and backs off the box and write your grocery list on them. Your list will be sturdy enough to sit in your grocery cart and you can clip your coupons onto the cardboard.

11. Using an old quilted housecoat for the inside of a baby quilt is a great way to recycle the housecoat and makes an inexpensive and light filling for the quilt.

12. Second-hand clothing is an excellent source of material and trim for making doll’s clothes.

13. Try to reuse every scrap of paper, even if it is written on before recycling it. You can even go one step further and buy writing pads that are made with recycled paper which costs a fraction of the price.

14. Buy fresh produce instead of canned. Buying loose or “bulk” is another way to reduce trash. Bulk refers to items that are loosely stored in large bins; purchase only the amount you need and scoop the product into a small plastic bag.

Tip: Take a shopping bag to the supermarket or buy a “bag for life.”

15. Reuse as many products as possible in your own household. Plastic milk jugs make great pitchers for iced tea and water. Reusing also occurs when recyclables are turned into different products, such as asphalt for paving roads or new notebooks.

Reena Nerbas is the author of the national bestsellers, Household Solutions 1 with Substitutions, Household Solutions 2 with Kitchen Secrets and the soon-to-be-released book Household Solutions 3 the Green Edition available online and in stores across Canada. She graduated as a home economist from the University of Manitoba and speaks professionally throughout Canada on the subject of fixing life’s messes by using products behind everyone’s cupboard doors. As well as being a columnist, Reena can be heard on radio and TV programs across Canada and the U. S.

Visit online at www.householdsolutions.org.

The post Reduce, reuse and recycle appeared first on Manitoba Co-operator.