Patent Application
20180220633
Not Applicable.
This patent or application file contains at least one drawing executed in color. Copies of this patent or patent application publication with color drawing(s) will be provided by the Office upon request and payment of the necessary fee.
Before explaining at least one embodiment of the presently disclosed and claimed inventive concept(s) in detail, it is to be understood that the presently disclosed and claimed inventive concept(s) is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangement of the components or steps or methodologies set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The presently disclosed and claimed inventive concept(s) is capable of other embodiments or of being practiced or carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.
Unless otherwise defined herein, technical terms used in connection with the presently disclosed and claimed inventive concept(s) shall have the meanings that are commonly understood by those of ordinary skill in the art. Further, unless otherwise required by context, singular terms shall include pluralities and plural terms shall include the singular.
All patents, published patent applications, and non-patent publications mentioned in the specification are indicative of the level of skill of those skilled in the art to which this presently disclosed and claimed inventive concept(s) pertains. All patents, published patent applications, and non-patent publications referenced in any portion of this application are herein expressly incorporated by reference in their entirety to the same extent as if each individual patent or publication was specifically and individually indicated to be incorporated by reference.
All of the articles and/or methods disclosed and claimed herein can be made and executed without undue experimentation in light of the present disclosure. While the articles and methods of the presently disclosed and claimed inventive concept(s) have been described in terms of preferred embodiments, it will be apparent to those of skill in the art that variations may be applied to the articles and/or methods and in the steps or in the sequence of steps of the method described herein without departing from the concept, spirit, and scope of the presently disclosed and claimed inventive concept(s). All such similar substitutes and modifications apparent to those skilled in the art are deemed to be within the spirit, scope, and concept of the presently disclosed and claimed inventive concept(s) as defined by the appended claims.
As utilized in accordance with the present disclosure, the following terms, unless otherwise indicated, shall be understood to have the following meanings:
The use of the word “a” or “an” when used in conjunction with the term “comprising” in the claims and/or the specification may mean “one”, but it is also consistent with the meaning of “one or more,” “at least one,” and “one or more than one.” The use of the term “or” in the claims is used to mean “and/or” unless explicitly indicated to refer to alternatives only or the alternatives are mutually exclusive, although the disclosure supports a definition that refers to only alternatives and “and/or.” Throughout this application, the term “about” is used to indicate that a value includes the inherent variation of error for the device, the method being employed to determine the value, or the variation that exists among the study subjects. For example but not by way of limitation, when the term “about” is utilized, the designated value may vary by plus or minus twelve percent, or eleven percent, or ten percent, or nine percent, or eight percent, or seven percent, or six percent, or five percent, or four percent, or three percent, or two percent, or one percent. The use of the term “at least one” will be understood to include one as well as any quantity more than one, including but not limited to, 2, 3, 4, 5, 10, 15, 20, 30, 40, 50, 100, etc. The term “at least one” may extend up to 100 or 1000 or more, depending on the term to which it is attached; in addition, the quantities of 100/1000 are not to be considered limiting, as higher limits may also produce satisfactory results. In addition, the use of the term “at least one of X, Y and Z” will be understood to include X alone, Y alone, and Z alone, as well as any combination of X, Y and Z. The use of ordinal number terminology (i.e., “first,” “second,” “third,” “fourth,” etc.) is solely for the purpose of differentiating between two or more items and is not meant to imply any sequence or order or importance to one item over another or any order of addition, for example.
As used in this specification and claim(s), the words “comprising” (and any form of comprising, such as “comprise” and “comprises”), “having” (and any form of having, such as “have” and “has”), “including” (and any form of including, such as “includes” and “include”) or “containing” (and any form of containing, such as “contains” and “contain”) are inclusive or open-ended and do not exclude additional, unrecited elements or method steps.
The term “or combinations thereof” as used herein refers to all permutations and combinations of the listed items preceding the term. For example, “A, B, C, or combinations thereof” is intended to include at least one of: A, B, C, AB, AC, BC, or ABC, and if order is important in a particular context, also BA, CA, CB, CBA, BCA, ACB, BAC, or CAB. Continuing with this example, expressly included are combinations that contain repeats of one or more item or term, such as BB, AAA, MB, BBC, AAABCCCC, CBBAAA, CABABB, and so forth. The skilled artisan will understand that typically there is no limit on the number of items or terms in any combination, unless otherwise apparent from the context.
As used herein, the term “substantially” means that the subsequently described event or circumstance completely occurs or that the subsequently described event or circumstance occurs to a great extent or degree. For example, the term “substantially” means that the subsequently described event or circumstance occurs at least 90% of the time, or at least 95% of the time, or at least 98% of the time.
The term “living organism” as used herein will be understood to include any organism capable of reproduction. The presently disclosed and claimed inventive concept(s) includes the use of two types of living organisms; a first type of living organism is capable of consuming article(s) disclosed herein by biodegradative means (referred to herein as a “biodegradative living organism”). A second type of living organism functions to stimulate and/or attract the first type living organism (i.e., biodegradative organism) to article(s) as disclosed herein and/or enhance and/or expedite the rate of consumption of the article(s) by the biodegradative living organism; these secondary living organisms may also be biodegradative, or they may be non-biodegradative. Non-limiting examples of living organisms (both biodegradative and non-biodegradative) contemplated for use in accordance with the presently disclosed and claimed inventive concept(s) include worms (such as but not limited to, earthworms), termites, ants, microbes (including but not limited to, bacteria, viruses, protozoa, algae, and fungi), and the like. Living organisms functioning as described herein above are well known in the art, and it is well within the skill of a person of ordinary skill in the art to identify and select organisms capable of functioning as the first and second types of living organisms in accordance with the presently disclosed and claimed inventive concept(s). Thus, no further discussion on the identification and selection of the first and second types of living organisms is deemed necessary.
The terms “microbe” and “microorganism” may be utilized interchangeably herein. Selection of microorganisms capable of functioning as first and/or second types of living microorganisms in accordance with the presently disclosed and claimed inventive concept(s). Thus, no further discussion on the identification and selection of first and/or second types of living microorganisms is deemed necessary.
The term “type” in the phrase “type of living organism” as used herein will be understood to refer to a function of the living organism rather than a structural characteristic of the living organism. That is, the term “first type of living organism” will be understood to refer to the biodegradative ability of that living organism, while the term “second type of living organism” will be understood to refer to the ability of that living organism to stimulate and/or attract the biodegradative organism and/or enhance and/or expedite the rate of consumption of the biodegradative organism. The term “type” in the phrase “type of living organism” is not to be construed to refer to a single species; indeed, a combination of multiple species that share a similar function may be encompassed within the scope of a single “type of living organism,” as the term is utilized herein.
The combination of terms “nutrients,” “attractants,” “stimulants,” and “hormones” encompass any substance for which a biodegradative living organism utilized herein has an affinity. For example but not by way of limitation, these substances may provide nutrition to the organism, attract the organism, and/or stimulate the organism's metabolism and/or consumption rate, and/or function in any other manner that would be conducive to the consumption of an article by the biodegradative living organism.
The term “associate” as used herein will be understood to refer to the direct or indirect connection of two or more items.
Turning now to the presently disclosed and claimed inventive concept(s), one embodiment thereof is directed to a kit that includes an article formed of a material, at least a portion of which is consumable by at least one biodegradative living organism. The kit may further include a first type of living organism capable of consuming the consumable portion of the material (i.e., at least one biodegradative living organism), or instructions for obtaining the first type of living organism capable of consuming the consumable portion of the material from which the article is produced. In addition, the kit may further include instructions for causing the at least one biodegradative living organism to begin consumption of the consumable portion of the article.
Any article for which consumption of at least a portion thereof is desired may be utilized in accordance with the presently disclosed and claimed inventive concept(s). In particular, the degradation/consumption of disposable articles, and in particular, disposable paper articles, is typically desired and thus encompassed within the scope of the presently disclosed and claimed inventive concept(s). Non-limiting examples of articles include various types of floral packaging materials (including but not limited to, a sheet of wrapping material, a roll of wrapping material, a bag, a sleeve, combinations thereof, and the like); decorative grasses and other types of packaging materials; cups, plates, bowls, and other types of eating/drinking supplies; food wrappers and food containers; bags; as well as various paper products like toilet paper and paper towels; as well as any combination thereof.
The consumable portion of the article may be formed of any material capable of consumption by the at least one biodegradative living organism. Non-limiting examples of consumable materials that may be utilized herein include any of the renewable and/or biodegradable materials described or otherwise contemplated herein. Particular non-limiting examples of consumable materials that may be utilized in accordance with the presently disclosed and claimed inventive concept(s) include paper, cardboard, similar-type consumable materials, as well as any combination thereof.
Any living organism capable of consuming material as described or otherwise contemplated herein for the purpose of biodegradation of the material falls within the scope of the first type of living organism (i.e., biodegradative living organism) utilized in accordance with the presently disclosed and claimed inventive concept(s). Non-limiting examples of biodegradative organisms capable of functioning in accordance with the presently disclosed and claimed inventive concept(s) include worms, termites, ants, microorganisms, and any combination thereof.
The kits of the presently disclosed and claimed inventive concept(s) may further include a second type of living organism. The second type of living organism functions to stimulate and/or attract the first type of living organism to article(s) as disclosed herein and/or enhance and/or expedite the rate of consumption of the article(s) by the first type of living organism. These secondary living organisms may also be biodegradative, or these secondary living organisms may be non-biodegradative. Alternatively, the term “second type of living organism” may encompass a combination of biodegradative and non-biodegradative organisms.
Alternatively, the kits of the presently disclosed and claimed inventive concept(s) may include instructions for obtaining the second type of living organism. In addition, the kit may further include instructions for causing the second type of living organism to begin stimulating and/or attracting the first type of living organism and/or enhancing and/or expediting the rate of consumption of the first type of living organism.
The first and second types of living organisms utilized in accordance with the presently disclosed and claimed inventive concept(s) (whether biodegradative or non-biodegradative) may be utilized at any point during their life cycle. For example but not by way of limitation, eggs, embryos, youth, and/or adult organisms may be utilized. In addition, the living organisms (regardless of life stage) may be disposed in a package, covering, or the like. The package/covering may be naturally-occurring, such as but not limited to, a cocoon or spore (a non-limiting example of which is an earthworm cocoon). Optionally, a package/covering may be added to the living organism; for example but not by way of limitation, a living organism may be encapsulated. In addition, it may be desirable to encapsulate a living organism that is already disposed within a naturally-occurring package/covering.
A non-limiting example of biodegradative living organisms contemplated for use herein are earthworms, such as those typically present in gardens and flower beds, including but not limited to the species Lumbricus terrestris, Eisenia fetida, and/or Eisenia hortensis. Another non-limiting example of earthworms that may be utilized in accordance with the presently disclosed and claimed inventive concept(s) include the VERMIPOD™ encapsulated earthworm cocoons (VermiPod, LLC., Highland, Ill.). Production of encapsulated earthworm cocoons is described in detail in U.S. Pat. No. 6,834,614, issued to Kreitzer on Dec. 28, 2004, the entire contents of which are expressly incorporated herein by reference.
Other examples of living organisms possessing biodegradative abilities are well known in the art. Based on the disclosure provided herein, it is well within the skill of a person of ordinary skill in the art to select a particular type of biodegradative living organism for use in the kits and methods described herein, and thus no further description thereof is deemed necessary.
The use of combinations of biodegradative living organisms (whether as the first type of living organism and/or as the first and second types of living organisms) also falls within the scope of the presently disclosed and claimed inventive concept(s). One such combination includes multiple species of living organisms. A non-limiting example of such a combination includes earthworms with at least one microbe (such as bacteria); however, any combination of species of living organisms described or otherwise contemplated herein may be utilized (including two or more species, three or more species, four or more species, five or more species, as well as higher combinations of species). The combination may be formed of the first and second types of living organisms, or a single “type” of living organism may include a combination of multiple species.
In addition, combinations of living organisms (whether first and/or second types of organisms) at different stages in their life cycles may be utilized. Also, combinations of living organisms in which only a portion thereof contain a naturally-occurring packaging/covering may be utilized herein, as well as combinations of encapsulated and non-encapsulated living organisms. Further, any combination of the above combinations (such as but not limited to, multiple species of living organisms, each present at more than one stage in their life cycle and in both encapsulated and non-encapsulated forms) is encompassed by the scope of the presently disclosed and claimed inventive concept(s).
It may be desirable to provide biodegradative living organism(s) in a “biodegradably inactive form,” so that consumption of the article does not begin immediately upon contact with the biodegradative living organism(s). Rather, it may be desired that the biodegradative living organism(s) remain in a somewhat dormant state until “activated” by contact with a particular agent (such as but not limited to, water and/or soil). Once the biodegradative living organism(s) is brought into contact with the particular agent, the biodegradative living organism(s) become biodegradably active and begin consumption of the article. In a non-limiting embodiment, the biodegradative living organism(s) may be rendered biodegradably inactive by the package/covering disposed thereabout (such as but not limited to, a capsule or cocoon).
In certain embodiments, the living organism(s) (including first type and/or second types, biodegradative and/or non-biodegradative) may be separate from and unattached to the article. Alternatively, the living organism(s) may be attached to and/or contained within the article. The living organism(s) may be directly and/or indirectly attached to the article by any method known in the art or otherwise contemplated herein. For example but not by way of limitation, a bonding material may be utilized to directly attach the living organism(s) to the article. Alternatively, a coating containing the living organism(s) may be disposed on a surface of the article. A non-limiting example of a type of coating that may be utilized in accordance with the presently disclosed and claimed inventive concept(s) is a lacquer.
In addition to the presence of the second type of living organism, the article may be formed of a material, or have a composition disposed thereon and/or therein, that also functions to attract and/or nourish the biodegradative living organism(s) and/or enhance and/or expedite the rate of consumption of the material by the biodegradative living organism(s). Non-limiting examples of compositions that may be utilized in this manner include nutrients, stimulants, attractants, hormone like substances, and any combination thereof. Particular non-limiting examples of substances that may be present in the composition include a metal, a metal salt, a metal stearate, theobromine, theophylline, mildronate, 3-(2,2,2-trimethylhydraziniumyl) propionate, caffeine, starch, sugar, tea, tea leaves, chocolate, cocoa, coffee, coffee grounds (i.e., coffee grounds used to make a coffee beverage), ground coffee beans, a short chain saturated fat, a grain, a thyroid hormone, a pheromone, dichloroacetic acid (DCA), sodium dichloroacetate, an enzyme, and combinations thereof.
Thus, the use of combinations of biodegradative and non-biodegradative living organisms (whether as the second type of living organism and/or as the first and second types of living organisms) also falls within the scope of the presently disclosed and claimed inventive concept(s). A non-limiting example of such a combination includes biodegradative earthworms with at least one non-biodegradative microbe (such as but not limited to, bacteria, viruses, protozoa, algae, or fungi); however, any combination of species of biodegradative and non-biodegradative living organisms described or otherwise contemplated herein may be utilized (including two or more species, three or more species, four or more species, five or more species, as well as higher combinations of species). In addition, combinations of biodegradative and non-biodegradative living organisms at different stages in their life cycles may be utilized. Also, combinations of biodegradative and non-biodegradative living organisms in which only a portion thereof contain a naturally-occurring packaging/covering may be utilized herein, as well as combinations of encapsulated and non-encapsulated living organisms. Further, any combination of the above combinations (such as but not limited to, multiple species of living organisms, each present at more than one stage in their life cycle and in both encapsulated and non-encapsulated forms) is encompassed by the scope of the presently disclosed and claimed inventive concept(s).
In a particular embodiment of the presently disclosed and claimed inventive concept(s), the kit comprises a flower pot cover having a consumable portion that is formed of paper, and at least one worm.
In certain embodiments, separate and/or unattached elements of the kit may be associated with one another via a packaging. The term “packaging” as used herein will be understood to include any element(s) that associate the content(s) of the kits contemplated herein with one another. Non-limiting examples of packaging that may be utilized in accordance with the presently disclosed and claimed inventive concept(s) include a bag, a wrapper, adhesive, cohesive, tape, a flexible container, a rigid container, stretch wrap, shrink wrap, and combinations thereof.
Any of the kits described or otherwise contemplated herein may contain further separate components for use in the methods described herein below. For example but not by way of limitation, the kit may include one or more materials in which the article may be disposed to provide an environment conducive to the article's degradation by the biodegradative living organism(s). Alternatively, the kit may include one or more compositions as described herein above that function to attract and/or nourish the biodegradative living organism(s) and/or enhance and/or expedite the rate of consumption of the article by the biodegradative living organism(s). In this manner, the composition may be applied to the article at a time when consumption thereof is desired.
Other embodiments of the presently disclosed and claimed inventive concept(s) include methods of degrading an article using any of the kits described herein above. In the method, the kit is opened, and if the first and/or second types of living organism(s) are not contained within the kit, the first and/or second living organism(s) are obtained as described in the provided instructions. The article is then exposed to the two types of living organism(s), and the biodegradative living organism(s) consumes the consumable portion of the article, while the second type of living organism stimulates and/or attracts the biodegradative living organism(s) and/or enhances and/or expedites the rate of consumption of the biodegradative living organism(s).
As the biodegradative living organism(s) consumes the article, the living organism(s) may convert the article to soil. Alternatively or in addition, the first and/or second types of living organism(s) may produce excretions (such as but not limited to, earthworm castings) that add various desirable features to soil that is added to the method and/or produced by the living organism(s). These features include, but are not limited to, humus, nitrogen, phosphates, potassium, plant growth hormones, and factors enhancing soil water retention properties.
The article may be directly subjected to consumption in its originally provided form, or the article may be divided into smaller pieces/segments (such as but not limited to, by cutting or tearing) for ease and/or expedition of consumption thereof. In addition, the method may further include placing the article in an environment conducive to biodegradation thereof. For example but not by way of limitation, worms typically require moisture for consumption of an article, so the article may be moistened to provide an environment conducive to its degradation. Optionally, the article may be placed in contact with soil and/or a composter in order to provide a desirable environment for degradation.
Also, the method may further include the step of activating a biodegradative organism to begin consumption of the article. The activation step may include removal of a package/covering from a biodegradative organism to begin consumption of the article. Alternatively, activation of the biodegradative organism may require disposal in the environment conducive to biodegradation as described above.
In addition, the method may further include the step of activating the second type of living organism to begin to attract and/or nourish the biodegradative living organism(s) and/or enhance and/or expedite the rate of consumption of the material by the biodegradative living organism(s). The activation step may include removal of a package/covering from the second type of organism, or activation may require disposal in the environment conducive to the functioning of the second type of organism, as described above.
Further, the method may further include the step of disposing on the article (or otherwise placing the article in contact with) one or more additional compositions as described herein above. In this manner, placing the article in contact with the composition may result in (1) activation of the biodegradative living organism(s) to begin consumption of the article, (2) attraction and/or nourishment of the biodegradative living organism(s) that are consuming the article, and/or (3) enhancement and/or expedition of the current rate of consumption of the article by the biodegradative living organisms(s).
Instructions for determining the ideal consumption/biodegradation conditions to utilize with the VERMIPOD™ encapsulated earthworm cocoons (VermiPod, LLC., Highland, Ill.) are described in detail in U.S. Pat. No. 7,478,604, issued to Kreitzer on Jan. 20, 2009, the entire contents of which are expressly incorporated herein by reference. The ideal consumption/biodegradation conditions for other biodegradative organisms that can be utilized in accordance with the presently disclosed and claimed inventive concept(s) are well known in the art and/or can easily be determined by a person having ordinary skill in the art, given the description provided herein. Therefore, no further description of determining these conditions is deemed necessary.
Another embodiment of the presently disclosed and claimed inventive concept(s) includes an assembly. The assembly includes an article having at least a portion thereof formed of a material consumable by at least one biodegradative living organism; non-limiting examples of articles and materials have been described in detail herein above. The assembly also includes a composition disposed on and/or in at least a portion of the material that functions to attract and/or nourish the biodegradative living organism(s) and/or enhance and/or expedite the rate of consumption of the treated material by the biodegradative living organism(s). The composition may be a nutrient, a stimulant, an attractant, a hormone, a non-biodegradative living organism, and/or a combination thereof, as described in detail herein above. The composition may enhance and/or expedite consumption of the treated material by the biodegradative living organism(s) by any method known in the art or otherwise contemplated herein. Non-limiting examples of enhancing/expediting methods include: (a) attracting the at least one biodegradative living organism to the article; (b) increasing the speed of consumption of the article by the at least one biodegradative living organism; (c) increasing activity of the at least one biodegradative living organism; and (d) enhancing the health of the at least one biodegradative living organism. The composition may be disposed on a surface of the material and/or impregnated within the material.
In another embodiment of an assembly constructed in accordance with the presently disclosed and claimed inventive concept(s), an assembly similar to the assembly described herein above is provided, except that the article is formed of a substantially non-biodegradable material, and the composition disposed on and/or in at least a portion of the material functions to cause its consumption by the at least one biodegradative living organism. In this embodiment, the composition may only be disposed on a portion of the material, and the remaining portion of the material is not substantially consumed by the at least one biodegradative living organism.
In yet another embodiment of the presently disclosed and claimed inventive concept(s), a method of enhancing and/or expediting biodegradation of an article is provided. In the method, a composition is disposed on and/or in at least a portion of a material from which an article is formed (the article, material, and composition being described in detail herein above), wherein at least a portion of the material is consumable by at least one biodegradative living organism, and wherein the composition enhances and/or expedites consumption of the treated material by the at least one biodegradative living organism. The composition may be a second type of living organism, as described in detail herein above.
In yet a further embodiment, a method of producing a biodegradable article formed from a substantially non-biodegradable material is provided, in which a composition is disposed on and/or in at least a portion of a substantially non-biodegradable material from which an article is formed (the article, material, and composition being described in detail herein above), wherein the composition enables consumption of the treated portion of the material by at least one biodegradative living organism.
The above-described methods may further include the step of contacting the article (containing the composition that causes, expedites, and/or enhances biodegradation thereof) with at least one biodegradative living organism to begin consumption thereof. The methods may also further include the step of contacting the article with a second type of living organism to further expedite and/or enhance biodegradation of the article. The methods may further include any of the other steps described in detail herein above with reference to the methods of using the kits constructed in accordance with the presently disclosed and claimed inventive concept(s) (i.e., placing the article and organism(s) in an environment conducive to consumption of the article, dividing the article into smaller pieces/segments, moistening the article, activating the first and/or second types of organism(s), etc.).
While examples of sequences of method steps are provided herein, it is to be understood that the method steps, as well as the order of the steps, may vary. Any combination of method steps and sequences thereof may be utilized so long as the kits and/or assemblies described herein are capable of functioning in accordance with the presently disclosed and claimed inventive concept(s).
Turning now to the Drawings, shown in
While a plurality of living organisms 20 is depicted in
The visibility of the organisms 20 on the outer peripheral surface 16 of the article 12 in
While
While the kit 30 of
The package 40 is depicted as being detachably associated with the article 32 so that no further packaging is required.
The instructions 58 may be disposed on any portion of the article 52, and disposal of the instructions 58 on the bottom 56 of the article 52 is for illustrative purposes only. The instructions 58 may be disposed on the article 52 by any manner known in the art, including but not limited to, printing and/or embossing a portion of the article 52, or by attachment of a label containing the instructions 58. The instructions 58 may describe how to obtain at least one living organism, how to obtain a plurality of living organisms (whether the same or different organisms), and/or how to obtain a combination of living organisms.
Optionally, the instructions for obtaining the first and/or second types of living organisms may not be attached directly to the article.
Any type of written wording and/or pictorial drawings capable of conveying a method of obtaining the living organism(s) may be utilized as the instructions described and claimed herein. Non-limiting examples of instructions for obtaining the at least one living organism that may be utilized as the instructions 58 and 66 include a website and/or e-mail address for placing an online order, a post card for requesting the organism(s) through the mail, a bar code (such as but not limited to, a QR code) that is readable by an imaging device/code reader, instructions for gathering naturally-occurring organism(s) from their natural habitat, and any combination thereof.
The composition 80 may be disposed on and/or in a portion of the article 72 or on and/or in the substantial entirety of the article 72. The composition 80 may be disposed in any desired coating, shape, and/or pattern, and the fanciful pattern in which the composition 80 is illustrated as being disposed in
The assembly 70 of
Examples are provided hereinbelow. However, the presently disclosed and claimed inventive concept(s) is to be understood to not be limited in its application to the specific experimentation, results and laboratory procedures. Rather, the Examples are simply provided as one of various embodiments and are meant to be exemplary, not exhaustive.
In Example 1, earthworms were disposed in soil to expedite consumption of the article; however, it is to be understood that worms or other living organisms utilized in accordance with the presently disclosed and claimed inventive concept(s) may be placed directly in contact with the article to be consumed in the absence of any additional materials. When earthworms are utilized, the only requirement is that moisture be present.
In Example 2, four paper flower pot covers similar to those shown in
In another experiment, earthworms did not consume a competing flower pot cover formed from petrochemical-based films (not shown).
Thus, in accordance with the presently disclosed and claimed inventive concept(s), there has been provided kits and assemblies, as well as methods of producing and using same, that fully satisfy the objectives and advantages set forth hereinabove. Although the presently disclosed and claimed inventive concept(s) has been described in conjunction with the specific drawings, experimentation, results and language set forth hereinabove, it is evident that many alternatives, modifications, and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, it is intended to embrace all such alternatives, modifications and variations that fall within the spirit and broad scope of the presently disclosed and claimed inventive concept(s). Changes may be made in the construction and the operation of the various components, elements, and assemblies described herein, as well as in the steps or the sequence of steps of the methods described herein, without departing from the spirit and scope of the presently disclosed and claimed inventive concept(s) as defined in the following claims.
This application is a continuation of U.S. Ser. No. 15/383,263, filed Dec. 19, 2016, now abandoned; which is a divisional of U.S. Ser. No. 14/168,451, filed Jan. 30, 2014, now abandoned; which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. Ser. No. 13/940,993, filed Jul. 12, 2013, now abandoned. The entire contents of the above-referenced patent application are hereby expressly incorporated herein by reference.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 14168451 | Jan 2014 | US |
| Child | 15383263 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 15383263 | Dec 2016 | US |
| Child | 15940054 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 13940993 | Jul 2013 | US |
| Child | 14168451 | US |
