Earthbound is the first brand of biodegradable food containers in Jamaica, which provides the convenience of the traditional, plastic, paper and foam packaging with the advantage of being healthier and environmentally friendly. Made from sugar cane, wild reed and cornstarch, Earthbound products are 100 per cent biodegradable, which means that they decompose naturally into compost and pose no threat to the environment.

The Earthbound brand, which is the creation of a newly-formed company of the same name, was established by food professionals with over 15 years experience.  Managing Director and co-owner Yolande Rattray-Wright explains that the product was born out of the desire to protect and preserve the integrity of Jamaica’s environment.

Seeing firsthand the challenges presented by solid waste disposal and the negative impact improper methods of waste disposal had on the environment,” such as working within the entertainment industry in the production of major music festivals, one sees the sea of waste, in the form of food containers, left by the thousands of patrons attending these events. Research has proven that disposable food containers were a significant contributor to solid waste.

In association with American and Canadian-based partners, I invested in the technology to create Earthbound, which constitutes a wide range of attractive, biodegradable, disposable food containers including plates, cups, drinking straws, utensils and self-covered food containers. Earthbound has been Certified by Canada’s Environmental Choice Program which means that its products meet the requirements of the Food and Drug Regulations, Part B, Section 23 which states that they may not yield any “injurious substance to the health of a consumer”. 

In addition to being good for the environment, Earthbound products are high quality products with high performance standards. They are sturdy, rigid, stain, cut and grease resistant, microwave and oven friendly up to 450 degrees Fahrenheit (230◦ C), freezer friendly down to minus 135 degrees Fahrenheit (-25◦ C) and have good insulation thus maintaining food at desirable temperatures.

There are five major characteristics which Earthbound products share with other biodegradable material. They create less garbage, contribute to keeping food healthier, they are environmentally friendly, they provide moisture for the earth and decompose easily and quickly into compost. On average a person throws away 10 times his or her bodyweight in rubbish per year. One kilogram sent to landfill produces 2 kg of methane. The simplest way of reducing this burden is to buy and waste less unnecessary packaging, recycle paper, glass, aluminum, steel and other materials to produce “new” materials. 

The Hazards of MSG.

The food additive Mono-Sodium Glutamate (MSG) is a slow poison, which hides behind 25 or more names, such as Natural Flavoring."  MSG is even in
your favorite coffee from Tim Horton's and Starbucks coffee shops!  

MSG triples the amount of insulin the pancreas creates, causing rats (and perhaps humans) to become obese.  They even have a name for the
fat rodents they create:  "MSG-Treated Rats." (Other names for MSG are "Accent, "Aginomoto," "Natural Meat Tenderizer," etc.) No wonder I loved
to eat that coating on the skin -- their secret spice was MSG! 

So why is MSG in so many of the foods we eat?  In the book ‘The Slow Poisoning of America’, John Erb stated that MSG is added to food for the addictive effect it has on the human body.

Even the propaganda website sponsored by the food manufacturers lobby group supporting MSG explains that the reason they add it to food is to make people eat more.  MSG manufacturers themselves admit that it addicts people to their products.   Not only is MSG scientifically proven to cause obesity, it is alsoan addictive substance. Since its introduction into the American food supply fifty years ago, MSG has been added in larger and larger doses of pre-packaged meals, such as: soups, snacks, and even the fast foods we are tempted to eat every day.

 Many more of the studies mentioned in John Erb's book link MSG to  diabetes, migraines and headaches, autism, ADHD, and even Alzheimer's.   Dangers of packaging chemicals getting into food Benzene from multilayer, oxygen-barrier, laminated bags has been found to migrate into meat, poultry, cheeses, and other packaged foods.

The benzene volatilized whenever meat is heated. Increasingly, plastic food wraps and containers have gained in popularity for microwaving foods. Many plastics contain plasticizers, used to increase the wrap's flexibility. Some plasticizers have been found to migrate from the plastic into food wrap, which is popular for covering stored and microwaved food. The highest migration levels were found when the plastic film was in direct contact with food with a high fat content on its surface. The amount of DEHA that migrates into foods depended on how long the film was in contact with the fatty surfaces of foods. Polyethylene, a popular plastic film commonly used for food, freezer bags and wraps, does not contain plasticizers, and is considered to be generally safe for microwaving foods.

Only clear polyethylene is suitable for microwaving food. Some plastic packaging materials now in use for microwaving have not been approved for use at high heat. Thin layers or strips of metallic heat susceptors are placed in plastic food packaging intended for microwaving. This high heat permits food to be browned, crisped, or popped--features usually lacking in microwave cooking. Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is a popular plastic film wrap. It was demonstrated recently that the film allowed the migration of adhesive components into foods when oils or foods were cooked in contact with it.

Approximately 50% more plasticizers migrated than did polymer components. In 1973, the FDA banned the dye as a meat marker. Polystyrene Foam Report. This is a petroleum-based plastic made from styrene monomer. It is also known as Styrofoam, which is the trade name of a polystyrene product, used for housing insulation. It is lightweight, about 95% air with very good insulation properties and is used in all types of products, from cups that keep your beverage hot and cold to packaging materials that keep your computer safe during shipping.

These sounds good, but guess what, it is not wise to use because of the styrene in it. And this styrene is widely manufactured in plastics, rubber and resin, the styrene have been known to cause many health complications, for example those who make boats and were exposed to styrene, have had extreme acute health effects that include irritation of the skin and eye, gastrointestinal effects and upper respiratory tract problem.

Then after a period of being exposed to the styrene, the nervous system starts to show symptoms such as: depression, headache, fatigue and weakness and also minor kidney problems. So, not everything that seems ‘good’ is always good for our health.

I know that many of you may be wondering if polystyrene can be recycled the answer is yes, but they are not remanufactured into polystyrene products but other products instead, such as packaging filters and cafeteria trays. This means that more resources will have to be used, and more pollution created, to produce more polystyrene cups.

Styrofoam/Plastic is so dangerous to the body and has for many years been the underlying cause to much illness. The lack of not being able to degrade means the same in our bodies, for the garbage, the build up is unhealthy it brings on known and unknown diseases.  We have had a fight to start but we believe very much in our country and wish for our people to instill more pride in their culture and the environment in which they live. 

We have had many hard times trying to educate our people, and most are about the dollar and have no care for the environment. We are so overdue for an earthquake here in Jamaica. North America is getting ready to ban Styrofoam and no one else knows why they got rid of the Styrofoam in the food industry. Mother Nature has been so kind to us and we have the chance to make amends starting today, but yet we stay selfish and ignorant - maybe then a disaster might happen, or unbearable damage occurs, but it might be too late.  

I do get some complaints about the prices, but I tell them anything of quality is not cheap, garbage is cheap. For example, Styrofoam has one purpose as a food container, but look at the negatives it promotes. Some do not read the instructions on the new product and are not happy when they microwave above the specified temperature and the container is not what they are used to, but we still try to educate and sensitize the masses.

Jamaicans do not like change and they do not read to know what is going on; the entire world is in trouble. Thank you so much again for taking the time out to respond and thank you for doing your part. We’re always in need of partners and helpers in the fight for the environment and the fight for change.  Thanks again and please share this message and stay in touch.

For more information, contact Yolande Rattray-Wright at earthboundja@yahoo.com  (www.earthboundja.com).