Glossary
ASTM D6400 ASTM D6400 refers to the specific certification given to compostable products.
ASTM International is one of the largest voluntary standards development organizations in the world-a trusted source for technical standards for materials, products, systems, and services).
Barrier A membrane, tissue, or mechanism that blocks the passage of certain substances; referring to oxygen and liquid migration.
Blown Extruder Etrusion process where the rigid sheet material is forced into the mold shape.
Breathable Allowing the passage of air and or moisture.
Carbon Imprint A measure of the impact activities have on the environment and climate change; relating to the amount of greenhouse gases produced daily through burning fossil fuels for electricity, heating and transportation etc. A complex carbohydrate that is composed of glucose units, forms the main constituent of the cell wall in most plants, and is important in the manufacture of numerous products. (the freedictionary.com)
Cellulosic Grass A complex carbohydrate that is composed of glucose units, forms the main constituent of the cell wall in most plants, and is important in the manufacture of numerous products. (the freedictionary.com)
Compostable A materials ability to complete composting process. Compost is organic material that can be used as a soil amendment or as a medium to grow plants. Mature compost is a stable material with a content called humus that is dark brown or black and has a soil-like, earthy smell. It is created by: combining organic wastes (e.g., yard trimmings, food wastes, manures) in proper ratios into piles, rows, or vessels; adding bulking agents (e.g., wood chips) as necessary to accelerate the breakdown of organic materials; and allowing the finished material to fully stabilize and mature through a curing process. (EPA)
Co-Extruded Simultaneous extrusion of two or more different yet compatible metals or plastics through the same die.
Cubing To measure the cubic contents of.
Dextrose Sugar.
Down Gauging The manufacturing process in which material strength and performance are not compromised while the amount of material needed is reduced.
Extruded The process of making a shaped object, such as a rod or tube, by forcing a material into a mold.
FDA Food and Drug Administration; The FDA is responsible for protecting the public health by assuring the safety, efficacy, and security of human and veterinary drugs, biological products, medical devices, our nation’s food supply, cosmetics, and products that emit radiation. (FDA.org)
Fermentation Any of a group of chemical reactions induced by living or nonliving ferments that split complex organic compounds into relatively simple substances.
Form Fill Seal (FFS) The process by which semi-rigid film is molded to a form, filled with product and sealed with lidding film.
Flake Industrial regrind of scrap material.
Flange A projecting rim, collar, or ring, cast or formed to give additional strength, stiffness, or supporting area, or to provide a place for the attachment of other objects.
Gauge The thickness or diameter of various, usually thin, objects, as the thickness of sheet metal or the diameter of a wire or screw.
Green House Gas Gases that trap heat in the atmosphere are often called greenhouse gases. Some greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide occur naturally and are emitted to the atmosphere through natural processes and human activities. The International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) recognizes four primary GHG’s water vapor(H20), carbon dioxide (CO2), nitrous oxide (N2O) and methane (CH4).
Life Cycle A progression through a series of differing stages of development
Mil A unit of length equal to one thousandth (10-3) of an inch (0.0254 millimeter), used, for example, to specify the diameter of wire or the thickness of materials sold in sheets.
Polyester (PET) Polyesters are highly crystalline, hard, strong and extremely tough. The most familiar uses are soda bottles and textiles, but they are also used in X-ray film, magnetic tape (audio, video and computer); packaging; metallized film, strapping and labels.
Polyethylene (PE) The largest volume plastic in the United States; in fact, it is the largest in the world. Applications for polyethylenes are many and varied, including: packaging films; trash, garment, grocery and shopping bags; molded housewares; toys; containers; pipe; drums; gasoline tanks; coatings and many others. Polyethylenes are thermoplastic resins obtained by polymerizing the gas ethylene (C2H4). (SPI glossary)
Pliable Easily bent or shaped. (dictionary.com)
Polymerizes The act of the combination of many like or unlike molecules to form a more complex product of higher molecular weight, with elimination of water, alcohol, or the like (condensation polymerization), or without such elimination (addition polymerization).
Post Consumer Recycled Content Post consumer content, as its name implies, is material that has been used by consumers. Examples are clear plastic water and soda bottles made from PET that carry the #1 recycle symbol. (FTC)
Post Industrial Recycled Content Scrap that is generated during the normal maufaturing process that is recycled back into its raw material state. (FTC)
Renewable A resource is considered renewable when it is a natural resource that can be remade, regrown or regenerated in a relatively short period of time. Examples of renewable resources are plants and trees. (U.S.EPA)
Resin Pellets Any of a large class of synthetic products that have some of the physical properties of natural resins but are different chemically and are used chiefly in plastics; any of various products made from a natural resin or a natural polymer. (dictionary.com)
Scrap (trim scrap) The remnant portion of material between sheets or forms unnecessary in the manufacturing of a product.