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Manufacturing Magazine
Volume 33, No. 4
April 2010 

Revolutionary plastic
By Adam Munster 

A motto at EarthFirst Products Inc. is to "go green wherever you are." In this case, wherever includes the cash register.

The manufacturer of environmentally-friendly plastics, started six years ago with $200,000 in seed money, projects revenues of $6 million this year and about $10 million the next. But EarthFirst President Tim Orsborne does not expect the growth to stop there.

"The sky's the limit," said Orsborne. "In the world of plastic, the potential is enormous. People use disposable food-service items every day. It's a gigantic market."

EarthFirst carved its niche in this estimated $15 billion-a-year industry by making biodegradable plastic bags from natural plant and vegetable sources rather than petroleum. It has since expanded into cutlery, including plates, trays, cups, and take-out boxes. Its website claims that if EarthFirst made all plastic disposable products in America, it could reduce annual oil consumption by 350 million barrels.

The company uses a blend of organic polymers, proteins, and plant starches such as corn and tapioca to make products that biodegrade in landfills within 36 months. Traditional plastic bags, made of high-density polyethylene, do not biodegrade and persist on the planet up to 1,000 years, according to Chicago-based ReusableBags.com.

More than 200 Taco Loco restaurants use EarthFirst's products, and the company recently struck similar deals with eight Office Universe Business Centers and 128 Super Store delicatessens.

Depending on the market, Orsborne said EarthFirst goods sell in grocery stores for about the same to 10 percent more than traditional plastic cutlery, plates, and cups. His goal is to give businesses and retail customers a "green plastic" alternative, then let them decide if it's worth the slightly higher price.

Orsborne said EarthFirst is also testing compostable products -- bioplastics that decompose within 180 days in a commercially controlled composting facility. But since there are only 48 such facilities in the United States, the chief focus will continue to be on biodegradable plastics.

"We're becoming the incubator for big plastic producers out there. We want to make sure that our core values are built into the product," Orsborne said.

"Did we develop sustainable materials? Sustainable packaging? I want to be able to reduce our carbon footprint."