December 6, 2014

Preferred Brands International, LLC

3 Landmark Square, 5th Floor
Stamford, CT 06901
Dear TastyBite Customer Service,
My name is Bryce Ward. Im a junior at Animas High School, which is located in Durango, Colorado. I
recently discovered your instant rice meals which are stored in multilayer retort pouches. Looking at the pouch
after eating, I realized how much plastic waste is being added to a landfill for every meal I eat. I have
conducted research and discovered a company that invests in making partially biodegradable plastics. I ask
you to please look into this company and explore the ideas of making your multilayer retort pouches more
environmentally friendly. Im writing to you because your company is organic and appears to be concerned
with environmental sustainability and the quality of the ingredients in the food you produce.
The multilayer retort pouch is made of 4 separate layers. The outer layer is polyester which provides a gloss
and rigid layer, followed by a layer of nylon which offers resistance to being punctured, then a layer of
aluminum foil providing a thin gas barrier, and the innermost layer consists of polypropylene which serves as
the sealing layer. The food is sealed in the pouch and then heated to kill all microorganisms and prevent
spoiling. The materials and process used in manufacturing these pouches makes them difficult to recycle and
even harder to decompose in a landfill. Plastics are made mostly from petroleum, which is the result of living
organisms that have decayed over millions of years. During the manufacturing process, petroleum is turned
into something that organisms are unable to breakdown. The individual monomers of propylene link together,
forming carbon-carbon bonds. Bonds like this dont exist in nature, so the organisms that break organic matter
down are unable to breakdown plastics.
A company called EcoPure has been producing additives for different types of plastics that decrease the needed
time for plastics to biodegrade. They make additives for polyester, nylon, and polypropylene. These additives
help the plastics in the pouches decompose without affecting the shelf life of a product, reducing or altering
quality, or changing the durability of the plastic. Studies conducted have confirmed that plastics containing
EcoPure additives have increased carbon and methane gas release as a result of anaerobic biodegradation.
EcoPure has tested their additives using the globally accepted ASTM D5511 testing method. The ASTM
D5511 testing method is designed to stimulate the environment found in a typical landfill. The samples are
placed in an inoculum derived from anaerobic digesters and contain the methanogenic bacteria found in
landfills. Three airtight incubation vessels are used. The temperatures of these vessels are strictly monitored
and they are not exposed to UV radiation. After the oxygen is depleted the anaerobic bacteria begin to
multiply in the vessel. When the bacteria utilize the carbon in the samples, it emits carbonaceous gases
including CO2 and CH4. The levels of these gases are recorded and compared to samples not containing

P.O. Box 4414 Durango, CO 81302 (970) 247-2474 animashighschool.com

EcoPure additives. The biodegradation and decomposition processes of EcoPure are the same as the process of
regular plastics, however EcoPure significantly speeds up the process. The company EcoPure does not reveal
how their additives enable the plastics to biodegrade on a molecular level on their website, however these
additives are more environmentally friendly and can help to reduce global pollution. Unfortunately I have yet
to find a way to manufacture biodegradable aluminum foil therefore the pouch is not 100% biodegradable,
however aluminum foil can be recycled. I hope you will consider the benefits of this proposition. Enclosed is
contact information for the EcoPure company. Thank you for reading my suggestion. You can reach me by
contacting my school, or by emailing me at b.ward16@animashighschool.com.
Sincerely,

Bryce Ward
Enclosures (1)

P.O. Box 4414 Durango, CO 81302 (970) 247-2474 animashighschool.com

Bio-Tec Environmental LLC

7009 Prospect Ave NE Suite #202
Albuquerque, New Mexico 87110 USA
Main Office: 1.505.465.8303 Fax:1.505.999.1019
Contact Email: Sales@goecopure.com

P.O. Box 4414 Durango, CO 81302 (970) 247-2474 animashighschool.com