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Our ECLIPSE™ Technology (patent pending) is a crucial safety net for plastic products should they not be recycled properly. ECLIPSE™ ensures complete bio-assimilation after a products tailor-made guaranteed functional life span, resulting in zero microplastics no matter what environment the plastic lands in.
SPTek ECLIPSE™ (patent pending) harnesses the power of bio-assimilation to completely breaks down PE and PP plastic in terrestrial, marine and landfill environments, all within 6-42 months. This additive does not change the recyclability of each product ensuring that they can be effectively used, collected and recycled without the bio-assimilation process kicking in.
After its guaranteed useful life, ECLIPSE™-enabled material begins to break down in any environment. Our ECLIPSE™ technology causes the break of carbon-to-carbon bonds within the polymer molecules, transforming it from hydrophobic, repelling water, to hydrophilic, allowing water to mix in. This process allows for microorganisms to use the exposed carbon-to-carbon bonds as a fuel source. Once the microorganisms consume the available carbon all that is left is CO2, biomass and water.
If ECLIPSE™-enabled material is not recycled and ends up as litter, it provides a feast for microorganisms and leaves no impact on the environment. Although it provides a no-impact end-of-life solution, ECLIPSE™ Is not a get out of free jail card, products should always be properly recycled.
ECLIPSE bio-assimilation technology causes the complete molecular transformation of plastic. In other words, it breaks the carbon-to-carbon bonds within the polymer molecules, allowing microorganisms to feed on the available carbon. Once this process is initiated, it becomes a runaway freight train that can't be stopped, resulting in zero microplastics.
Here’s a step-by-step explanation of what happens during the bio-assimilation process.
A Dalton (Da) is a unit of molecular mass used in biochemistry. This unit of mass is incredibly small, with 1 Da equal to the weight of a single carbon-12 atom.
A functional life span is the period of time that a product is designed to last before the onset of the bio-assimilation process. It is designed around the length of time a product needs to be functional, so that it can be effectively used, collected and recycled before the onset of the bio-assimilation process.
There are products on the market that are able to achieve similar outcomes as our technology but they have limitations. One of our unique attributes is the ability to bio-assimilate in any environment. Our unique ECLIPSE™ formula (patent pending) works in all environments, including terrestrial, marine and landfill. This ensures that no matter where ECLIPSE™-enabled products land, they will not be a lasting detriment to the environment.
In addition, our technology is 100% proven by a first-of-its-kind test completed by our partners at LMPE, Italy. This revolutionary test conclusively proves the power of our ECLIPSE™ technology.
Together with LMPE, Pisa University, CNR Laboratories, and other university bio-science labs, we designed and conducted the first-ever C-13 carbon labeling test to determine bio-assimilation in ECLIPSE™ enabled plastic (patent pending). This bio-assimilation test conclusively tracks the origin of carbon within a closed environment using Carbon-13.
The methodology of the C-13 bio-assimilation test is quite simple: the test took ECLIPSE™ enabled material and fed it to a colony of microorganisms in order to prove bio-assimilation. To track the amount of carbon given off during the test and the growth of the colony, proving bio-assimilation, the researchers used carbon labeling with Carbon-13 atoms. The carbon labeling showed that the locked hydro-carbon chains in the plastic broke down to an open carbon source which the colony of microorganisms could use as a fuel source, breaking the material down completely with no microplastics left behind.
ECLIPSE™ enabled products go through rigorous efficacy and performance testing to determine that each product performs exactly like the original product. The addition of SPTek ECLIPSE™ bio-assimilation technology does not alter the benefits of conventional plastic products.
We have conclusively proven our ECLIPSE™ bio-assimilation technology (patent pending) through rigorous independent third-party testing and a world’s first C-13 bio-assimilation study conducted at LMPE, a leading Ecosustainable Polymeric Material Laboratory located in Italy. ECLIPSE™ technology is also compliant with recognized ASTM standards.
ECLIPSE™ (patent pending) works with all polyolefins and does not alter the recyclability of any product. With the low inclusion rate of 1%, it is an easy addition to products. Each ECLIPSE™-enabled product has a customizable functional life span that will ensure the bio-assimilation process doesn’t kick in before the end of use or recycling.
Yes you can recycle ECLIPSE™-enabled products (patent pending) ! First and foremost, ECLIPSE™ enabled products are designed to be recycled. The addition of ECLIPSE™ technology does not negatively impact the recyclability of the products or the recycle stream, provided the plastic has been collected and recycled before the bio-assimilation process has begun. If the material still has the mechanical characteristics of its original product, it can be recycled. The addition of ECLIPSE technology acts as a safety net in the event that the item evades the recycling system. It is not meant to encourage disposal in landfill.
Will they compost, yes? ECLIPSE™-enabled material will decompose in a composting environment. However, ECLIPSE™ enabled materials are not ASTM D6400 compliant due to the nature of the bio-assimilation process. With ECLIPSE, the vast majority of carbon in bio-assimilated material is sequestered as biomass whereas ASTM D6400 requires the majority of carbon within the material to be turned into CO2.
Supported by the results of our world’s first C-13 bio-assimilation test, we conduct a multiple tests on third-party products. The ‘Standard Test’ measures the CO2 and biomass within a closed environment containing a colony of microorganisms, and the ‘Expedited Test’ detects carbonyl groups to prove that the molecules have reached sub-5000 daltons. The combination of these tests unequivocally proves the efficacy of ECLIPSE.
Each ECLIPSE™ enabled product has a tailor-made functional life span. For instance, SPTek ECLIPSE™ Stretch Film has a guaranteed functional life span of 2-years. It is only once the stabilizers run out at the end of this programmed period that the bio-assimilation process begins.
ECLIPSE™ is organic and is comprised of non-toxic raw materials which are independently approved for direct contact with food.
We don't just talk the talk, at Smart Plastic we prove everything we say with credible third-party testing. Below you will find the corresponding tests that apply to all our claims.
