Using Corn-Plastic as an Eco-Friendly Packaging Material

Using Corn-Plastic as an Eco-Friendly Packaging Material Introduction: For the purpose of this project, I chose to use sheets of corn-plastic as a wrapper for Big Kahuna Burger. The wrapper would be by inches and less than a millimeter thick. The reason I chose sheets over boxes was because sheets can be stacked by the thousands making shipping more efficient and producing less material in land fills. The material of this wrapper is corn-plastic, or by it’s scientific name, polylactic acid.Polylactic acid or polylactide (PLA) is a thermoplastic aliphatic polyester derived from renewable resources, such as cornstarch, tapioca roots, chips or starch, or sugarcane. This is an environmentally practical material for an assortment of reasons; It is biodegradable, non-harmful to people or the environment and it comes from natural, renewable resources. â€Å"The United States uses 20. 8 million barrels of oil per day, 10 percent of which goes solely to the production of conventional plastic such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET) [sources: CIA World Factbook, Jewell].Bioplastics like corn plastic, however, don't require oil and, as a bonus, their manufacture releases fewer toxins and greenhouse gases. † (Howstuffworks. com) Pre-Production: †¢Harvesting of corn requires fossil fuels to run tractors and other machines †¢Fossil fuels required to ship to factories. Production: â€Å"First, the harvested corn crop is soaked and ground so that the endosperm can be separated from the gluten and fiber. This step is typical in grain crop harvesting, too.Next, producers add enzymes to the starchy endosperm, which converts the endosperm into a simple sugar called dextrose. Then, the addition of bacterial cultures causes the sugar to ferment into lactic acid in the same way brewers use fermentation to produce beer. The resulting acid consists of lactide molecules, which bond into long chains called polymers. At the end of this process, bioplastics produce rs have pellets of polylactic acid plastic, which can then be spun off into fibers or melted to take just about any form. (Howstuffworks. com). †¢Low energy and pollution in manufacturing process. Distribution: †¢Due to thin sheets, thousands of sheet wrappers can be shipped in a single box, making distribution highly efficient. †¢Less fossil fuels used in the distribution process. Utilization: †¢Although is a biodegradable material, it provides a stable water proof protection for food. †¢Wrapping sandwiches of different sizes with the same wrapper as apposed to having different sized boxes for each means less material used. Disposal: Takes a month in a high-humidity composting environment at 140 degrees Fahrenheit to decompose. †¢Can’t be recycled with PLE plastic. †¢After decomposition, turns back into its original form as earth that has zero affect on the environment and no pollution. Cons of Bioplastic: †¢It can only be decomposed i n commercial decomposition plants that require large amounts of energy. †¢ Cannot be recycled with regular plastic. A small amount of bioplastic in a traditional recycling plant can contaminate a much larger portion of reusable plastic, preventing it from being usable. Commercial composters in the Northwestern United States only accept bioplastics from food service operations, not households. (This is not a problem for big Kahuna Burger. Solution: †¢PLA wrappers at Big Kahuna Burger will be disposed of in a special bin and then sent to a commercial composter. This may cost more, but as the bioplastic industry grows and matures, cheaper and easier composting will be available. References: †¢Ã¢â‚¬Å"What is corn plastic? † How Stuff Works. July 2011.

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Speech 1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Speech 1 - Essay Example The liquid in our body needs to be supplied with water daily for our body to live and to function. Without water, we will be dehydrated and will surely die. We also need to drink water at least 2 liters a day for us to be healthy. Proper intake of water improves the circulation of our body making us healthy and disease free. We may be able to survive drinking less than 2 liters a day but that will affect our health and strength. Ample intake of 2 liters of water a day helps the body cleanse itself to improve its circulation and remove the toxin from our body. There are instances when we need to drink more than 2 liters of water a day. This is when we engage in physical activities especially sports. Our body needs more than 2 liters of water when we engage in sport because it uses more nutrition when it exerts effort and part of it is water. Water also keeps our body cool during strenuous exercise through perspiration to avoid it from â€Å"overheating†. Thus we have to replenish those lost waters by hydrating our body by drinking more than 2 liters of water. Water is indeed important to our body. We need to drink 2 liters of water to live and to hydrate our body that is composed of around 80 percent liquid. Water is basically essential to human life. We also need to drink 2 liters of water to keep our body strong healthy. We may survive in drinking less than 2 liters of water a day but that will severely affect our health because the body is not properly hydrated and it does not have enough liquid to keep it strong. Finally, we need to drink to drink more than 2 liters of water a day when we engage in strenuous activity particularly sports to replenish the water that was lost during the increased activity. Indeed water is indispensable to our well-being because we need to drink it in order to live and at least 2 liters of it to remain healthy and more

Struggle of the Spanish Armada Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Struggle of the Spanish Armada - Assignment Example We have no choice but to turn to back Spain; we have no fresh water, we’re out of food, and our ammunition is limited. Some of my comrades have resorted to eating rope! The English fleet has routed us and we are forced to fight our way around Scotland. From there we will return to Spain, hopefully alive. I have been counting the days and nights but I have lost track of time. The English have stopped their attacks for some reason but now we have a new foe. The treacherous waters rock our armada to its will and the harsh rains beat into ships like stones. The moral of my comrades is beckoned into the depths of the ocean by this raging storm. I pray to our Lord that we will make our way safely back into our homeland. The storm has ceased its attack upon our Armada. I could have sworn that we had about twice as many ships at the launch of the invasion. Our captain and our crew are growing weary from fatigue and empty bellies. Many of the ships of the Armada, including our own, are splitting up and sailing into Ireland. I’m sure our Catholic brethren will be most hospitable. There we can fill our bellies and rest before returning to Spain. As we pulled up into the harbor, we were not met with friendly eyes. Our ships were being sunk and men were washing up ashore, dead and alive. I watched in horror as our own ship was struck by the enemy.  

Upper Paleolithic Cave Site of Lascaux Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Upper Paleolithic Cave Site of Lascaux - Essay Example Cattle and bison can be seen, including birds, felines, bear, human beings and rhinos. It is a bit surprising that the cave lacks drawings of reindeers regardless of the fact that it formed part of their main sources of food. Ultimately, geometrical illustrations were also evident in the walls. Illustrative skills of the AMHS The cave entirely shows an out of the ordinary piece of art and skills of the AMHS, who created them. In particular, a painting known as The Crossed Bison, inscribed in the Nave panel is a significant result of skilled Paleolithic cave painters. This piece of art introduces a wonderfully painted bison where its hind legs present a false impression that one bison is nearer to the viewer than the other one (Lascaux, n.d.). This creates a remarkable and illustrative depth that expresses a prehistoric aspect that was distinctively way ahead of the period. This extent of dexterity is also apparent in the Great Hall of the Bulls where some bulls appear moving to a viewer. Functions of the paintings The paintings symbolized many functions where many believe that they represented beauty, hunting techniques or magical power. This is supported by some of the rooms or wall panels being profoundly adorned with paintings than others. This shows that some isolated quotas were used for highly sacred activities than others, such as the Apse (Abside). This is typical of sacred premises.

Al Queda Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Al Queda - Research Paper Example in Laden, in May 2011 may complicate the future of the organization, it remains as one of the most dreaded terrorist group in the world with potential capacity of planning, coordinating, and executing terrorist activities in the world (Bergen, 2011). This paper will discuss the al-Qaeda terrorist group, its brief history, where it is located, what kind of activities they do, how they fund their activities, and what kind of attacks they do. The history of al-Qaeda can be traced to the uprising against the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan. During this uprising, there were thousands of volunteers from across the Middle East who came as mujahidin to Afghanistan. Al-Qaeda grew to be a more formidable organization in mid- 1980s; Osama bin Laden was the prime financier of the organization and he oversaw recruiting of Muslim from mosques across the world (Chaliand and Blin, 2007). The organization was able to bring together a mujahidin that numbered in thousands and was important in defeating Soviet forces against occupying Afghanistan. After successfully defeating the Soviets and prompting their withdrawal from Afghanistan, Osama bin Laden returned to Saudi Arabia, his native land. However, he was expelled from Saudi Arabia in 1991 because of his anti-government activities. This expulsion was instrumental to the rise of al-Qaeda. Osama bin Laden established al-Qaeda’s headquarters in Khartoum, Sudan (Bale, 2006). The group orchestrated terrorist attacks against American interests and servicemen in Somalia. Bin Laden issued a declaration of war against the United States in August 1996. The organization forged alliances with other radical groups with the view of bolstering its capacity to fight America’s interests and the Jews. Since then, al-Qaeda operates as a network that is comprised of radical Sunni Muslim movement, stateless and multinational army. It calls for a strict sharia law interpretation and global Jihad (Atwan, 2006). It is important to note that while

Sanctions. paper 2 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Sanctions. paper 2 - Assignment Example f US Sanctions against Iraq is evident in the article "Smart Sanctions: A Short History" by Uri Friedman reviews different political sanctions in the last decade. Friedman reveals that targeted sanctions were used by the Greek Empire to address territorial conflicts. The aim was to pressure the enemy or political foes to change tactics. The author analyzes the evolution of politically motivated sanctions in the ancient Greeks. Also, Friedman explains that there has been a lengthy history of nations blockading their opponents to force a change in behavior. Friedman concluded from the article that sanctions have become a new political tool of the 20th century since they are currently active compared to the 2,400 years ago (Friedman). A series of conferences enacted by European pacifists were held in order to discuss how to enforce the decisions of the proposed International System of the arbitration. Henri La Fontaine, Belgian International law professor persuaded delegates to approve peaceful sanctions through borrowing the legal terms. As a result, delegates from member countries adopted the resolution as a solution to national conflicts. However, French representatives endorsed a treaty to isolate countries in times of war. The French representatives described the resolutions as a diplomatic expression. In 2011, the US and the United Nations enforced political, economic and territorial sanctions against the Libyan president. The mission for the enforcement was to isolate the Libyan president and the allies. The librarian uprising during the sanction highlights the striving of freezing assets in the 21st in spite of technology and plans. During the sanction, struggles for bank software to recognize the various spellings of the Librarian president were unwind. However, the sanctions could not achieve their objectives because of technical flaws. Between 2011 and 2012, the US imposed targeted sanctions on Syria, North Korea, Iran, and Iraq. However, Friedman argues

Cross cultural management - International Teams Essay

Cross cultural management - International Teams - Essay Example during the conversation means that the person who is speaking is confident and knows what he is talking about; while in others such as in Japan, it is considered as showing disrespect and eye contact is avoided during business meetings. Hence, it becomes important for the companies to understand the dynamics of culture, ethics and communication in different work settings. According to Keogh (2012), the international teams or multicultural teams vary and they need to take account of four important factors to ensure that the team progresses in the right direction i.e. purpose of the team’s existence, degree of personality differences influence, role and impact of both professional and cultural identities and degree emotional intelligence’s importance alongwith the appropriate supporting systems. From the studies of Taras and Rowney (2011), it is evident that the teams need to first understand the dynamics of the international teams and decide on a common goal. The team needs to understand the purpose of its existence so that every member has fair idea about their role and also the norms and culture of the team as well. The communication medium and interaction activities must be decided on a consensus way so that the teams can have effective communication and everyone has clear understanding about the team’s objectives alongwith the direction. One of the most effective ways of managing the cross-culture problem among the groups is that the team member should meet frequently so that all of them have cordial relations with each other and the rules of the team are set with utmost ease. Everything for the team must be described in a written form so that each member has a proof that they are part of the team and are aware of the milestones and the goals that are to be met by the team. The most common problem found in the international teams is that they have certain set of preferences for their work and rewards and therefore, they hesitate to move out of that

Laredo I.S.D. School Board Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Laredo I.S.D. School Board - Essay Example Additionally as in any group dynamic, those things affecting organizational behavior and ultimate action include the catalyst of leadership attributes of members, the vision, mission and goals of the organization, individual dedication and beliefs, and the social interaction required for board compliance and excellence in District performance (Kimbrough 1964). Specific to the Laredo I.S.D. Board of Trustees Public Facilities Corporation Public Hearing of Thursday October 16, 2008, a full agenda was published and each category on the itinerary was covered in the meeting. A significant part of the agenda was associated with budgets, tax allocation issues of one sort or another, and individual testimony associated with behavior and cultural issues in the district environment. A high level view of the 33 agenda items are listed in appendix A. The structure and format of the agenda is arranged in a specific manner to ensure consistency and follow up. The agenda included Board of Directors as well as Board of Trustees meeting components. As evidenced by the scope of the agenda items, a variety of district education and fiduciary issues were given space on the docket to encourage discussion and ultimate action including approval or disapproval. ... The issues that received the most attention included financial and budget reports. Votes that were taken during this meeting included approval of various budget and tax related issues as well as other administrative board decisions. There were a hand full of individuals that utilized the public forum, and their issues were heard and recorded for further action. Public speakers included: Janet Bowman; Pamela Sheran; Juan Gutierrez; Anna Maria Hernandez; Mr. Lavienia; Mr. Cabooses; Mr. Sinuous; and Mr. Bueno. Other presentations and comments were by staff members including Mr. Alvaro Perez, Chief Financial Officer Mr. Raul Cisneros, Executive Director for Facilities and Support Services; Mr. David Garza, Executive Director of Curriculum and Instruction; Mr. Gerardo Cruz, Mrs. Ofilia Chapa, Ms. Elsa Arce, and Mrs. Severita Sanchez; Mr. Jose A. Valdez; Mr. Daniel Rigal; Mrs. Guillermina Montes; Mr. George M. Beckelhymer; Mr. John Peter Montalvo; Mr. Jesus J. Guerra; Mr. John Kazen; Ms. E lizabeth G. Henry, Internal Auditor; Mr. Ernesto Guajardo, Ex. Director for Human Resources; and Mrs. Veronica Castillon, Director of Communications. In combination, the speakers presented issues associated with the school board oversight responsibility on budgets, investments, bids, and other administrative functions. The overall impression of the experience of viewing the board proceedings was positive, although there were many uncomfortable political and personal attacks in the open forum component. The general professional conduct of the meeting was fairly impressive regardless of the posture and negativity of some speakers. It was obvious that there is a strong political component interwoven in the board activities and meeting agenda items. The agenda was well structured and