Biodegradable products

Polybags Ltd. now manufacture and stock a wide range of eco-friendly green packaging and biodegradable products to suit your needs and help towards a better environment (both PolyBio and Biodegradable). These include kitchen waste and refuse bags, bin liners, carrier bags and standard bags developed in Polybags laboratories in conjunction with the Polymer Research Department at the London Metropolitan University.

Common views on bioplastics

Custom Oxo-Degradable Bags

Degradable bags only work properly when the structure is chosen to suit the job, because the method the layers are built changes how the bag behaves in storage, use and disposal. A two-layer bag may use a starch or chemical coating on paper or plastic, then a biodegradable polymer film is bonded on top with heat or pressure, giving a simple building that still requirements controlled film tension and seal quality. That sort of make-up can suit lighter duties, nevertheless the coating must transport evenly or weak spots appear. If the additives and layer stick are poorly controlled, the bag may beginning breaking down at the gross time or fail in handling, so the production line has to match the chemistry to the pack's proper life.

Environment Friendly Biodegradable Bags

Biodegradable bags have become popular because they reply a proper packaging problem without asking the rest of the operation to change also much. For dispatch teams, they still behave like a normal bag in packing, sealing, and handling, which makes them easy to slot into existing lines and stock systems. That matters when a site requirements secondary packaging that is simple to issue and fast to use at the point of occupy. The material selection also assists buyers justify a more responsible specification when normal plastic would draw criticism. In practice, the appeal comes from convenience, familiarity, and a better waste story all at once.

Learn more about Bioplastics

Bioplastics can cut reliance on petroleum-based materials, nevertheless the supply chain behind them is not as simple as swapping one polymer for another. The feedstock has to come from somewhere, and that means balancing land, harvest cycles and processing capacity against the requirements of food production. A resin manufactured from plant material may see cleaner on paper, yet the proper test is whether it can be sourced consistently without pushing pressure into other parts of the agricultural system. That makes specification and supply planning only as necessary as the chemistry. If the raw material stream is shaky, the packaging line soon feels it.

Global Compostable Bags Market Growing Demand 2019 to 2025

Compostable bags can reduce plastic waste, nevertheless only if the material matches the job and the supply chain can handle it properly. In packaging terms, that means checking gauge, seal quality and puncture resistance before switching from normal polythene suppliers to a compostable film. Some grades see fine on a sales sheet yet struggle with moisture, heat or rough handling in a warehouse, which leads to split seams and reject rates. Stock control also matters because old rolls can sit also long and lose performance. A bag that works on paper nevertheless fails in dispatch will simply create another waste problem.

Starch bags can make sense when a packer wants a lower-impact option without moving straight into paper that may need more fibre, more weight, or more handling space. The proper question is not the label on the bag nevertheless whether it survives filling, stacking, and delivery without split seams or weak seals. In hot or humid conditions, a few starch-based materials can soften, absorb moisture, or lose shape, which affects pallet stability and store presentation. That means the specification has to match the climate and the route, not only the environmental brief. A bag that sees greener on paper nevertheless fails in transit fast becomes waste.

Global Biodegradable Plastic Packaging Market is Trending in Worldwide with Demand, Supply, Net Profit, Expansion Plans & Business Analysis

Biodegradable plastic packaging still has to be judged by how it behaves on the line, not by the promise on the label. If the material is also soft, also brittle, or only smashs down below conditions that not ever exist in a normal warehouse, it can create sealing faults, punctures, and poor pallet stacking long before any recycling or composting decision is manufactured. The proper gauge, film tension, and board or tray pairing matter only as much as the material grade itself. When the pack travels through dispatch, transport, and storage without splitting or sagging, it does its job properly and avoids costly handling damage.

Global Green Packaging Market 2018 by Manufacturers, Countries, Type and Application, Forecast to 2023

Green packaging in the Asia-Pacific market has grown because buyers are paying more attention to what happens after a pack leaves the shop shelf. That shift is not only about utilising less material; it is also about selecting board grades, films and closures that can still keep safe the product while making recovery easier at the sorting stage. In practice, that means better control of gauge, lighter secondary packing, and clearer decisions on whether a pack can be reused, recycled or composted. When those selections are badly matched, waste rises and handling costs follow. A package that balances protection with stop-of-life treatment earns its place in the line.

Global Biodegradable Packaging Materials Market Insights, Forecast to 2025

Biodegradable packaging can make sense when the product, the shelf life, and the waste route all line up properly. A film or tray that smashs down well on paper may still be poor in a busy packing line if it tears also easily, seals badly, or requirements tighter control of gauge and heat settings than the plant can grasp. That can lead to slower output, more rejects, and additional handling damage before the products even leave the warehouse. The optimal selection relies on whether the material suits the pack format, not only the label on the spec sheet. If the board grade, film tension, and seal quality are gross, the environmental story fast loses value on the shop floor.

Environmental bags now rely on material engineering rather than hopeful green branding, because print quality, seal integrity and handling strength all beginning with the chosen substrate. A polythene suppliers film or paper-based bag only performs well when the gauge is stable, the surface has been treated correctly, and the ink can stick without rubbing off in transit. That matters on the conversion line, where poor melt consistency or weak surface preparation can lead to wandering web, split gussets and waste at beginning-up. A sound specification makes the bag behave properly below load and gives a cleaner stop on press, so the finished pack sees deliberate instead of improvised.

Eco-friendly bags – be ECO!

Eco-friendly bags only earn the name when the material selection matches the job and the proper route through supply, storage and reuse. A woven polypropylene bag can transport heavy loads without adding much tare weight, nevertheless only if the gauge and seam quality are controlled well enough to grasp shape on a pallet and survive rough handling in transit. Cotton behaves differently, offering a softer feel and a useful reuse pattern, yet it takes more space at the select-face and can slow stock rotation when folded packs bulk out the racking. The proper spec retains wasted material down and reduces handling damage, which is better trade than a flattering label.

Why Degradable or Biodegradable bags/film?

Conventional plastics do not break down. Litter and landfill waste take years, even decades, to degrade. Litter is visual pollution, an eyesore that regulations and educational programs have failed to eliminate. In landfills, not only do ordinary plastics degrade very slowly but also anything contained within them may not reach their full degradation potential. This results in a needless waste of valuable landfill space.
Source biodegradable bags at Packagingknowledge.com

What is biodegradable

Biodegradation is the process by which organic substances are broken down by the enzymes produced by living organisms. The term is often used in relation to ecology, waste management and environmental remediation (bioremediation). Organic material can be degraded aerobically, with oxygen, or anaerobically, without oxygen. A term related to biodegradation is biomineralisation, in which organic matter is converted into minerals.

Biodegradable matter is generally organic material such as plant and animal matter and other substances originating from living organisms, or artificial materials that are similar enough to plant and animal matter to be put to use by microorganisms. Some microorganisms have the astonishing, naturally occurring, microbial catabolic diversity to degrade, transform or accumulate a huge range of compounds including hydrocarbons (e.g. oil), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), pharmaceutical substances, radionuclides and metals. Major methodological breakthroughs in microbial biodegradation have enabled detailed genomic, metagenomic, proteomic, bioinformatic and other high-throughput analyses of environmentally relevant microorganisms providing unprecedented insights into key biodegradative pathways and the ability of microorganisms to adapt to changing environmental conditions.
Source: Wikipedia.

Degradable vs. Biodegradable vs. Compostable

Compostable Plastic is plastic which is:

capable of undergoing biological decomposition in a compost site as part of an available program, such that the plastic is not visually distinguishable and breaks down to carbon dioxide, water, inorganic compounds, and biomass, at a rate consistent with known compostable materials (e.g. cellulose). and leaves no toxic residue.
American Society for Testing & Materials (ASTM).

In order for a plastic to be called compostable, three criteria need to be met:

1. Biodegrade - break down into carbon dioxide, water, biomass at the same rate as cellulose (paper).
2. Disintegrate - the material is indistinguishable in the compost, that it is not visible and needs to be screened out.
3. Eco-toxicity - the biodegradation does not produce any toxic material and the compost can support plant growth.

Biodegradable Plastic

Biodegradable Plastic is plastic which will degrade from the action of naturally occurring microorganism, such as bacteria, fungi etc. over a period of time. Note, that there is no requirement for leaving "no toxic residue", and as well as no requirement for the time it needs to take to biodegrade.

Degradable Plastic

Degradable Plastic is plastic which will undergo a significant change in its chemical structure under specific environmental conditions resulting in a loss of some properties. Please note that there is no requirement that the plastic has to be degrade from the action of "naturally occurring microorganism" or any of the other criteria required for compostable plastics.

Please visit environmentalbags.com to know more about degradation and the types of degradable bags.

A plastic therefore may be degradable but not biodegradable or it may be biodegradable but not compostable (that is, it breaks down too slowly to be called compostable or leaves toxic residue).

Bioplastics

Bioplastics can take different length of times to totally compost, based on the material and are meant to be composted in a commercial composting facility, where higher composting temperatures can be reached and is between 90-180 days. Most existing international standards require biodegradation of 60% within 180 days along with certain other criteria for the resin or product to be called compostable. It is also important to make the distinction between degradable vs. biodegradable vs. compostable as often these terms are used interchangeably.

Biodegradable or Biodegradeable?

It is very common to misspell biodegradable as biodegradeable (please take note yourself as some of our domains are actually misspelt!) and the same happens with degradable as degradeable. In fact when written down the word biodegradable often looks like an incorrect spelling and has been known to be corrected to biodegradeable by some overzealous and missinformed editors. So, now you know if someone tells you otherwise stick out your guns!

Biodegradable courier bags and mailing bags

For an extensive range of mailing bags including more green options for delivering your products by post to your customers please visit www.mailingbags.co.uk.

Green is the new black

The choice of packaging used by e-commerce retailers and how well this demonstrates a consideration for the environment affects the purchasing decisions of consumers, according to a packaging survey.

Research by strategic logistics partner Dotcom Distribution revealed that 60% of consumers think it is either important or very important that a retailer's packaging is sustainable.

Their 2013 e-Commerce Packaging Survey found that retailers who demonstrate sustainability is a priority are perceived as environmentally friendly, whilst customers themselves like to be seen as environmentally-conscious when deciding on where to shop and what to buy.

"It's clear that a retailer's packaging choice can have repercussions", said Maria Haggerty, president of Dotcom Distribution. "The results of this study show that packaging is not to be overlooked or underestimated for its possible impact on a brand."

Source: Dotcom Distribution 2013 eCommerce Packaging Survey - 'Brown Boxes Don't Deliver for Brands'