| Entanglement
What is entanglement?
Entanglement is entrapment of an animal by carelessly discarded litter.
Hi-Cone has taken positive action to respond to concern about animal
entanglement.
All recyclable six-pack rings have been made of photodegradable LDPE
(#4) plastic since 1989. This means that is if ring carriers are carelessly discarded, they will photodegrade or break apart when exposed to UV
rays. Shortly after Hi-Cone carriers are exposed to the sun's UV rays, they
begin to lose "structural integrity," and "elongation"
decreases as they degrade. The carrier loses approximately 75% of its
structural integrity in a matter of days. Continued exposure will cause maximum
embrittlement in a matter of weeks. At this point, it will break apart when
disturbed by wind, rain or other forces occurring naturally in the environment,
allowing an entangled animal to tear and break away from the degraded carrier.
All ring carriers sold in the U.S. must be degradable per EPA
Regulation*. Various state laws also require that the carriers be marked
with a small diamond symbol to indicate photodegradability. All
Hi-Cone carriers have been manufactured to photodegradable standards
for more then 20 years. So check for the Diamond symbol as shown on the
right on multipacks and you can be sure that they are photodegradable. The diamond symbol indicates the the plastic is photodegradable and in compliance with federal regulation.
*Click here to read more on Public Law 100-556, Degradable Plastic Ring Carriers Law and Federal Law 40 C.F.R. Part 238.
What are the real facts about entanglement?
Perception: One picture of an entangled animal represents thousands.
Reality: Entanglement has occurred, but how often is not entirely clear.
What
percentage of entanglements involve six-pack rings and how many animals were
entangled?
International Coastal Cleanup, conducted by the Ocean Conservancy, generates the
only empirical database on debris in the ocean and waterways and has acquired a
substantial amount of statistics
and data on debris and animal entanglements. The 2010
information from the Ocean Conservancy International Coastal Cleanup shows
entanglements from 6-pack carriers to be less than 1% of the total entanglements,
reporting a total of 6 animals entangled. Over
the past 25 years, 1 entangled animal has been found for every 1,998 miles shoreline
and waterways. You could hike to New Orleans from Chicago and back again and you may find one
animal entrapped. It most likely would be alive.
To view the 2011 Marine Debris Report
from the Ocean Conservancy click here.
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