Bio-Adaptive™ Technology

No.

TOTO-TOA® has developed three unique solutions. TOA-Resin, TOA-LITE™ and TOA-CELL™ that incorporate our Bio-Adaptive™ Technology.

This means each resin and product we make has been uniquely formulated and tested to optimise its performance in both its intended use and its ability to biodegrade in targeted environments.

The word "biodegradability" can be used in a lot of different ways. Most things we use every day are biodegradable, degradable, or compostable. The only difference is the environment and how long it takes for those things to biodegrade.

In the case of regular plastics, the degradation rate is very slow and can take hundreds or even thousands of years. The reason is simple: these materials, including most bioplastics, are not familiar to microbes and bacteria in nature. The polymer chains in the plastic are so strong that microbes and bacteria have difficulty efficiently breaking them down to consume as a food source. As a result, over time, the plastic will breakdown into smaller and smaller fragments, which we call microplastics, instead of being a source of food.

Unlike regular plastics, which do remain in landfills or the environment for hundreds or even thousands of years, our TOTO-TOA® Solutions attract hundreds of different types of microbes that efficiently digest and consume the plastic in a matter of years. After the microbes digest and consume the plastic, only traces of biomass and water remain. This process eliminates microplastics and returns natural materials back to nature. 

In simple terms, the TOTO-TOA® solutions are made to be more appetising to nature than standard plastic products to be used as a source of food, enhancing the speed of the biodegradation process.

Each TOTO-TOA® Solution is a unique compound of ingredients, adapting each product to biodegrade in targeted environments. Each polymer type is different and has different characteristics. TOTO-TOA®'s formulation of specific ingredients targets specific polymer types, allowing microbes in both aerobic and anaerobic environments to break down the plastic. This is different from other’s biodegradable additive technologies that claim to work with a wide range of polymers.

Biodegradable additives help microbes break down plastics by making the surface easier to dissolve, reducing the plastic's weight and shape over time. The biodegradation speed depends on the product's thickness and molecular weight; a higher molecular weight means slower degradation. Our tests have shown that using biodegradable additives incompatible with the base resin can further slow down this process or its effectiveness. However, mixing additives for processing reasons rather than biodegradation efficiency may not yield the best degradation rates. Additive created to biodegrade plastics in landfills may not biodegrade outside of landfill environments like topsoil.

The product's mass and thickness can greatly affect biodegradation rates, making some product claims invalid. When using TOTO-TOA® Solutions for products with variable mass and thicknesses, our Bio-Adpative™ Technology focuses on effectively accelerating the biodegradation of material fragments that come off and end up in soil during product use. These TOTO-TOA material fragments are able to biodegrade not only in landfills but in topsoil as a solution to target the microplastic problem.

No.

TOTO-TOA® Solutions are designed to biodegrade only in active aerobic and anaerobic environments, such as landfills and certain soil conditions. This ensures durability throughout their intended use, storage, or exposure to sun or rain away from soil.

(Active means that bacteria and microbes are present and eating resources. )

This gives TOTO-TOA® Solutions an advantage over compostable plastics, which start to break down as soon as they are made.

This makes compostable plastics a poor choice for durable and long-lasting goods.

No.

Microplastics are tiny fragments of plastic that are less than 5 mm in size and do not continue to break down naturally.

TOTO-TOA® Solutions are specially designed and adapted to target the biodegradation of these tiny fragments.

When TOTO-TOA® Solutions break down, gases account for the loss of most of the product's mass, leaving behind only trace amounts of biomass and water. The whole product safely breaks down and goes back to nature.

TOTO-TOA® Solutions do not add to microplastics.

Microplastics form when items using technology like oxo-degradable ones break plastic into smaller pieces using heat, light, and mechanical stress. This is a non-living process (related to a physical breakdown rather than a biological breakdown). This can result in the presence of tiny pieces of plastic.

Our Bio-Adaptive Technology helps bacteria and makes them better at breaking down the polymer, which leads to real biodegradation only through a biological process, not a physical one.

Product mass and thickness, as well as the use of fillers and other additives, can greatly affect biodegradation rates.

Products made with and without TOTO-TOA® Solutions, using multiple materials, will also impact the biodegradation of the entire product.

Therefore, TOTO-TOA® Solutions are designed to be recyclable and focus on biodegrading the tiny fragments that come off during use and at the end-of-life stage of a product. This means that even if the whole product is not biodegradable, the TOTO-TOA® components will not add to microplastics.

For example, when TOA-CELL™ Foam is used on a shoe outer-sole, you can rest assured that the fragments that end up in the soil during wear will safely break down back into nature.

No.

Oxo-degradable technologies use UV light, heat, and mechanical stress to break down the product into tiny fragments that contribute to microplastics. Unlike oxo-degradable technology, TOTO-TOA® Solutions are resistant to heat, UV light, and mechanical stress and do not contribute to the microplastics problem.

The biodegradation process starts when TOTO-TOA® Solutions are disposed of in an active aerobic or anaerobic environment, like a landfill or soil.

(Active means that bacteria and microbes are present and eating resources.)

TOTO-TOA® Solutions naturally break down in both active aerobic and anaerobic environments, making them ideal for landfills, where most plastics are discarded.

No.

We focus on solutions for engineering plastics that require high performance and durability rather than meeting industrial compostability standards with TOTO-TOA® Solutions.

Instead, we concentrate our efforts on improving biodegradation when used in the most popular disposal procedures, such as landfills and soil. 

This is our way of reducing the negative effects of plastic on our environment.

Yes.

However, this will only apply to products made with a single material component or components that can be separated.

Check product information for the materials used, as well as check with your local recycling authority for details on recycling facilities available in your area.