Environmental issues are harmful effects of human activity on the biophysical environment. Environmentalism, a social andenvironmental movement, addresses environmental issues through advocacy, education and activism. The carbon dioxide equivalent of greenhouse gases (GHG) in the atmosphere has already exceeded 400 parts per million (NOAA) (with total "long-term" GHG exceeding 455 parts per million). (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Report) This level is considered a tipping point. "The amount of greenhouse gas in the atmosphere is already above the threshold that can potentially cause dangerous climate change. We are already at risk of many areas of pollution... It's not next year or next decade, it's now." Report from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) There are many methods to counter pollution that leads to an increase in CO2. One way is to reduce the production and disposal of plastics. Governments around the world encourage recycling and the reduction of the usage of plastic bags and moving towards the usage of bio-plastics instead of pure plastics. Degradation is a process whereby very large molecules are broken into smaller molecules or fragments. Normally, oxygen is incorporated into these molecular fragments. Typically, strong, tough plastic films become weak and brittle as a result of oxidative degradation. Degradation can be caused by heat, exposure to UV light and mechanical stress. All normal plastics are degradable but it takes a very long period of time to do so, normally in excesses of 500 years. Biodegradation is the chemical dissolution of materials by bacteria, fungi, or other biological means. Although often conflated, biodegradable is distinct in meaning from compostable. While biodegradable simply means to be consumed by microorganism, "compostable" makes the specific demand that the object break down under composting conditions. The term is often used in relation to ecology, waste management, biomedicine, and the natural environment (bioremediation) and is now commonly associated with environmentally friendly products that are capable of decomposing back into natural elements. Organic material can be degraded aerobically with oxygen, or anaerobically, without oxygen. Biosurfactant, an extracellular surfactant secreted by microorganisms, enhances the biodegradation process. Biodegradable matter is generally organic material that serves as a nutrient for microorganisms. Microorganisms are so numerous and diverse that, a huge range of compounds are biodegraded. These biodegradable products will "disappear" after some time if they are place or buried in landfill or compost facility. There are no toxic residue or harmful by product during the decomposition process. Compost is organic matter that has been decomposed and recycled as a fertilizer and soil amendment. Compost is a key ingredient in organic farming. At the simplest level, the process of composting simply requires making a heap of wetted organic matter known as green waste (leaves, food waste) and waiting for the materials to break down into humus after a period of weeks or months. Modern, methodical composting is a multi-step, closely monitored process with measured inputs of water, air, and carbon- and nitrogen-rich materials. The decomposition process is aided by shredding the plant matter, adding water and ensuring proper aeration by regularly turning the mixture. Worms and fungi further break up the material. Bacteria requiring oxygen to function (aerobic bacteria) and fungi manage the chemical process by converting the inputs into heat, carbon dioxide and ammonium. The ammonium (NH4) is the form of nitrogen used by plants. When available ammonium is not used by plants it is further converted by bacteria into nitrates (NO3) through the process of nitrification. Compost is rich in nutrients. It is used in gardens, landscaping, horticulture, and agriculture. The compost itself is beneficial for the land in many ways, including as a soil conditioner, a fertilizer, addition of vital humus or humic acids, and as a natural pesticide for soil. In ecosystems, compost is useful for erosion control, land and stream reclamation, wetland construction, and as landfill cover (see compost uses). Organic ingredients intended for composting can alternatively be used to generate biogas through anaerobic digestion. GreenWare is 100% biodegradable, specifically 70% compostable. The polypropylene (PP) content is assimilated with the corn. When micro-organism ingest and digest the starch aspect of the product, that component is fully broken down into compost. GreenWare products, or its compost can be safely disposed off in landfills without causing land pollution. Unlike pure plastics, GreenWare composts are non-toxic in nature. Run-offs of GreenWare compost into land and rivers or seas will not result in land and water pollution. Many sea animals perish from consuming conventional plastics or trapped with ordinary plastics that were thrown into the sea and oceans. Bio-plastics on the other hand, disintegrate quickly thus reducing or even eliminating this problem. Carbon neutrality, or having a net zero carbon footprint, refers to achieving net zero carbon emissions by balancing a measured amount of carbon released with an equivalent amount sequestered or offset, or buying enough carbon creditsto make up the difference. It is used in the context of carbon dioxide releasing processes associated with transportation, energy production, and industrial processes such as production of carbon neutral fuel. Bio-plastics are made of natural raw materials, primarily corn and yam starch, are carbon-neutral. This means that the quantity of carbon dioxide released when incinerated is up to 68% less than conventional plastics. Here’s an example to illustrate the concept of carbon neutrality: A corn plant takes in carbon dioxide from the atmosphere as it grows. 1 unit of the carbon dioxide is "stored" in the corn. This corn, together with the 1 unit of carbon dioxide, is made into GreenWare products. When GreenWareproduct is incinerated, the same 1 unit of carbon dioxide is released back into the atmosphere. As a result the net amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has not increased! In addition, no toxic gases will be released during burning and the ashes produced are non-toxic. It will not cause land and water pollution when they are eventually dumped in a landfill. Plastics, on the other hand, releases new carbon dioxide into the atmosphere when burnt, contributing to the greenhouse gases. The shortage of corn will add on the burden of world hunger, how do you reconcile this pressing issue? The world produces enough food for everyone to live a healthy, productive life. There is now 17 percent more food available per person than there was 30 years ago. And if all the world's food were evenly distributed, there would be enough for everyone to get 2,700 calories per day — even more than the minimum 2,100 requirement for proper health.The challenge is not a lack of food — it’s making food consistently available to everyone who needs it. Hunger is a social disease linked to poverty, and thus any discussion of hunger is incomplete without a discussion of economics. If we're going to speak meaningfully about hunger, we need to understand the true causes of hunger. For example, hunger is not caused by shortage of food. According to international statistics, the world's farmers produce 4.3 pounds of food per person, per day. This includes vegetables, cereals, fish, meat, and grains. People are hungry because they are too poor to buy food. There is a shortage of purchasing power, not a shortage of food. To put it simply, our Earth generates enough food for all, but sad to say, it’s the interplay of economic forces and politics that decides who gets more, less or none. It is not a question of whether we have enough food or how we deal with them, it is a question of how we can distribute the right food, at the right time to the right people, be it regionally or internationally. In recent years, there has been the issue of food shortages around the world and some people question the use of edible crops for the manufacture of these bio-plastics. However, the corn that we use, which is the main ingredient of GreenWare, is grown specially for the purpose of making our products. Apart from Corn, other starch rich produce can be used for the production of Greenware, such as Tapioca, Yam etc. You can rest assure that each time you use GreenWare products, you are not contributing to the global food shortage problem.   © 2015 GreenWare International