Biodegradable packaging

Buy best value eco packaging, including biodegradable bags and compost bags, to do your bit for the environment.

Biodegradable packaging is...

• Better for the environment than traditional plastic or polythene packaging
• A term that covers a range of biodegradable products, including carrier bags, mailing bags, clear bags, bin liners, refuse sacks, wrapping, compost bags, food waste bags, dog poo bags, garment covers, loose fill and much more
• Made from natural materials like starch or paper
• Broken down over time by natural microorganisms, like fungi or bacteria, when placed in prolonged contact with soil, such as when placed in landfill
• Converted into carbon dioxide, water and biomass over a period of time, which varies depending on the product in question
• Also known as eco-friendly packaging, eco-packaging or green packaging
• Every bit as useful as traditional polythene packaging - it really gets the job done and at less cost to the environment
• Becoming more popular over time and therefore more competitively priced, in comparison to traditional polythene packaging

Why people are talking about waste bags

The annual setting of transport station charges and official kerbside waste bag prices affects above the stop bill. If the bag cost goes up, householders tend to use bins less carefully, overfill sacks, or grasp waste back until assortment day, which can create handling problems for crews and additional mess at the kerb. Where official bags are used, the material spec has to balance tear resistance with enough flexibility to transport mixed waste without splitting at the seams. A weak bag costs more in rejected lifts and clean-up time than it saves on film gauge, so the proper decision is normally about reliability rather than the lowest unit cost.

Refuse Sacks

Refuse sacks need strength first, because the proper test comes when a bag is lifted, dragged, or filled with awkward waste rather than tidy household waste. A superb sack has to cope with mixed contents, sharp corners, and moist material without splitting at the base or along the side welds. Gauge, film blend, and seal quality all matter here, particularly where bags are used for normal clean-ups and not only tied in a kitchen caddy. If the film is also thin, a bag can fail at the worst moment and make a mess that takes longer to transparent. The better selection is the one that stands up to rough handling without becoming fat or wasteful.

Large Bin Liners

Large bin liners need proper strength because once a bag is filled towards 240 litres, the load on the film rises fast and weak spots display up at the seams and base. A higher gauge material gives better resistance to stretching and burst failure, particularly when rough food waste or mixed household waste is dropped in without much care. That matters in wheelie bins, where a split bag can leave liquid and scraps stuck to the container and create additional cleaning work. Good gauge control and consistent manufacture make the contrast between a bag that grasps its shape and one that gives method amid lifting or dragging.

Mini Bin Bags

Bin bags need to be sized and specified around the waste stream, not only the bin itself. A light bag that stretches also far soon splits at the rim or through a sharp edge, and that means additional cleaning, wasted time and more handling damage amid assortment. Gauge, film blend and draw-string style all affect how the bag behaves when lifted from a full container. In shopping back-of-house, catering and normal housekeeping, the proper bag also improves select-face efficiency because staff are not stopping to double-line or repair sacks. A bag that matches the job saves labour and retains the sorting area tidier.

Black Sacks of Flour

Black sacks manufactured for flour need to be tough enough to transport weight without splitting, nevertheless they also have to suit the method the product transports through filling, warehousing and transport. A sack that sees acceptable on paper can still fail if the film gauge is also light or the seal quality is uneven, particularly when sharp flour dust acquires into the closing area. Dark packaging conceals staining and gives a cleaner shelf appearance, yet the proper test is whether the sack survives being dropped, stacked and shifted on a pallet. Good specification selections reduce handling damage and retain the consignment tidy proper through dispatch.

Waste Bags -12pack

Waste bags have to do above simply grasp waste; they need to contain smell, prevent leaks, and survive rough handling from bin to assortment point. A thin film that splits easily can turn a tidy disposal system into a hygiene problem, particularly when the load includes damp or sharp waste. Gauge selection, seal quality, and knot strength all matter here, because a bag that sees fine on the shelf may fail once it is lifted or compressed in a caddy. Good bag design also assists with storage and dispensing, so the pack stays practical in a kitchen or utility room. A sensible waste bag saves cleaning time and reduces mess at the point where waste is handled.

Biodegradable bin liners need to be matched to the waste stream, not only ordered because the label sounds green. A liner that smashs down also fast will split below food waste, caddy moisture, or rough handling in a waste sack, while one that is also thin can undo assortment efficiency by tearing at the rim. Gauge, film blend, and seal quality all matter, particularly where bags are pulled from a dispenser in a busy back-of-house area. The practical aim is simple: the liner has to grasp waste securely long enough to be collected, then behave as expected in the proper composting or biological waste route.

Coloured waste sacks do far above conceal waste, because the proper gauge, closure and colour coding can cut handling time and reduce mess on busy floors. A low-density polythene suppliers sack requirements enough film weight to resist punctures from food scraps, paper hand towels and strange bits of packaging, otherwise leaks and split seams fast create additional work. A tie-waist format also assists by removing the need for separate knotting or above-lapping the bin rim with a loose liner. The optimal selection is a sack that survives normal swing-bin use without forcing staff to double-handle waste, since a weak liner costs more in labour than it saves in material.

Clear waste sacks used for recyclable waste sit at an awkward intersection of legislation, handling practice and material science; transparency facilitates instant visual verification at the select face and loading bay, yet the film itself must still tolerate point-loading from tins, carton edges and damp paper fibre without splitting amid secondary bagging or compaction. In practice, that pushes converters towards carefully controlled polythene suppliers blends with stable melt-flow consistency, where micron-specific gauging is used to trim tare weight without inviting failure in the seal area. The better formats are not merely lighter; they maintain pallet stability across a mixed consignment, avoid the volumetric inefficiency that comes with above-engineered liners, and mitigate pollution disputes because operatives and downstream sortation staff can identify off-stream material at a glance. There is also a circular economy logic to the specification: a mono-material film with predictable surface behaviour and consistent polymer chain structure is far easier to reprocess than composite alternatives, particularly where recovered feedstock is expected to return to non-food packaging applications with a known degree of draw strength and puncture resistance.

Milton Keynes Council 'do not transport recycling sacks abroad' despite media reports

Recycling sacks can become a service problem when supply is restricted or awkward to acquire, because the bag itself is only part of the system. If residents cannot acquire sacks easily, assortment habits slip, pollution rises and more material ends up in the gross stream. The issue is often about stock control, distribution and the method a simple consumable is managed through the chain, not only about the sack material itself. Polyethylene sacks need to be tough enough to grasp mixed dry recyclables without tearing, nevertheless they also need proper availability in the proper place and format. When access is poor, a well-designed recycling scheme beginnings to lose consistency at the kerbside.

Why we use eco-friendly bags

Biodegradable bags are a convenient alternative to traditional polythene bags and cause less pollution or damage to the environment. Traditional polythene will degrade - i.e. break down into smaller and smaller molecules - over time but this process takes a lot longer than the time it takes for biodegradable materials to break down when they come into contact with microorganisms.

Therefore, biodegradable packaging takes less time to break down from the full product to nothing, which means they take up less valuable space in landfill sites, thereby creating less of a long term impact on the environment.

The argument for using eco-friendly bags is represented for many by the common 'single use' plastic carrier bag or traditional thin carrier, often handed out in shops and supermarkets across the UK.

Whilst the term 'single use' is, in itself, a misnomer and one that potentially contributes to the problem of plastic bag waste - there is, after all, no reason why a 'single use' carrier bag can't be used more than once, thus lessening its impact on the environment - the extremely high use of thin carrier bags in everyday life sums up the argument that many people make against the use of polythene packaging.

There is no denying that plastic bags create a lot of waste and, even though this represents less than 1% of household waste in the UK*, most of this waste ends up in landfill sites.

* Source: WRAP - Waste & Resources Action Programme

Whilst most carriers bags today are made from recycled polythene, the material (polymers) that these bags are made from, such as polythene and polypropene, are unable to be broken down by microorganisms and therefore take longer to break down in landfill sites than biodegradable alternatives.

So if you use a biodegradable carrier bag to do your shopping, you can console yourself with the fact that you are doing your bit for the environment and, when that bag eventually gets disposed of, it will take longer to become one with the earth than a traditional polythene alternative.

But, perhaps just as importantly, whatever bag you use - make sure you don't throw it away after using it when it's still perfectly capable of being used again.

Remember people - there is no such thing as a 'single use' carrier bag!

Degradable and biodegradable - what's the difference?

"What's the difference between a biodegradable product and a degradable product?" we hear you ask. Both degradable and biodegradable materials are both used to make packaging today, so why is biodegradable packaging supposed to be so much better to use than normal degradable packaging?

Well, let's first take a look at the definition of each word:

degradable (adjective) - Capable of being degraded. spec. Susceptible to chemical or biological degradation.

biodegradable (adjective) - Of a substance or object (esp. refuse or a potential pollutant): able to be broken down and decomposed by the action of living organisms (esp. bacteria), or their metabolic or biochemical processes

So both a degradable packaging and biodegradable packaging, when disposed of, will break down over time into smaller and smaller pieces. Sounds like there's not much a difference between the two then? Well, that's where you're wrong.

The key difference between biodegradable and degradable materials is that natural organisms and bacteria will break down a biodegradable product much faster than oxygen, moisture, heat and/or light will break down a degradable product.

So if you throw away two plastic bags - one biodegradable, the other degradable - at the same time and in similar conditions, then the biodegradable bag will break down into biomass, water and carbon dioxide significantly faster than the degradable bag.

For the biodegradable product, the biodegradation process might take just a few weeks or months, while a degradable bag will take many years to degrade fully.

Faster degradation leads to less time in landfill sites, which saves space, energy and cost, hence why biodegradable bags are the eco-friendly alternative to degradable packaging.

Where to buy biodegradable packaging

Biodegradable packaging manufacturers and suppliers include:

Biodegradable Packaging Ireland
VAT-registered customers in Ireland can save 21% VAT on all of purchases made from Biodegradable.ie - providers and stockists of a huge range of biodegradable and eco-friendly packaging.
www.biodegradable.ie

Environmental Bags
Environmental Bags stock a huge range of eco-friendly packaging and biodegradable products, from eco-friendly mailing bags to biodegradable bin bags and specialist eco packaging. Order online today.
www.environmentalbags.com

Environmental Bag
Stockists of compostable, degradable and biodegradable bags, with useful information on each type to help you choose the right type of bag for you. Also manufacture and stock a wide range of other eco-friendly packaging.
www.environmentalbags.co.uk

Environmentally Friendly Bags
Environmentally Friendly Bags is the place to go for all your biodegradable packaging needs. Tells you all you need to know about a range of biodegradable polymers used to make eco-friendly packaging and how they are made.
www.environmentally-friendly-bags.co.uk

Biodegradable Bags
With loads of information on biodegradable, degradable and compostable bags and other packaging, this website is a must for anyone looking to buy the right type of eco-friendly packaging for their particular needs.
www.biodegradablebags2u.com

Recycled Bags
A very useful website for anyone hoping to find out more about recycled bags, the recycling process and eco-friendly alternatives to plastic packaging, including biodegradable and degradable packaging.
www.recycledbags2u.co.uk

Compostable Bags
Compo Bag is a free website providing loads of information on compostable bags, including how they are made, types and features of compo bags, pros and cons of compo bags and where to buy them.
www.compobag.co.uk

Degradable Bags
A fantastic resource for anyone looking to find out more about degradable bags and other packaging. Featuring tonnes of information and news on degradable bags, along with a buying guide to degradable bags, so you can pick them up at the best discount prices.
www.discountdegradablebags.co.uk

Biodegradable Bag
A very useful website for anyone interested in biodegradable, degradable or compostable packaging. Helps you choose the right type of packaging for you and tells you where to buy any type of biodegradable bag or each eco-friendly product.
www.discountbiodegradablebags.co.uk

Biodegradable Plastic Bags
If you are looking to buy biodegradable bags or eco-friendly packaging then this is the website for you. Detailing the difference between compostable, degradable and biodegradable packaging, while telling you the best place to buy all three.
www.biodegradablebags2u.co.uk

Biodegradable Bags UK
Need information on compostable, degradable or biodegradable bags in the UK? Want to know more about the difference between each type and where to buy them at the best discount prices? Discount Biodegradable Bags is the site for you!
www.discountbiodegradablebags.com

Recycled Plastic Bags
Recycled Bags is a treasure trove of information on recycled plastic bags and other recycled packaging, the recycling process and eco-friendly alternatives to traditional plastic packaging. No other website tells you more about recycled bags.
www.recycled-bags.co.uk

Research & Resources

For more on biodegradable bags, the huge range of eco-friendly packaging available, along with details of how it is made and how it works, please visit:

PlasticBags.uk.com: The UK's number one polythene packaging directory. Advertisers can list items for free and shoppers can browse a selection of biodegradable bags websites.

Goldstork: Free 'pick-of-the web' directory featuring specialist websites and lots of information on biodegradable bags.

PackagingKnowledge: The go-to knowledge website of the polythene packaging industry, featuring loads of useful information about biodegradable bags.

Eco-friendly packaging

Biodegradable packaging - i.e. packaging made from biodegradable polymers - is sometimes known as 'eco-friendly packaging' or 'eco-packaging'.

If you take the traditional polymers (molecules) used to make traditional polythene and add particular chemicals to these polymers, you can create biodegradable polymers that can be broken down by microorganisms.

These polymers can then be used make biodegradable polythene, which can in turn be used to make biodegradable packaging, or eco-packaging.

Eco-friendly packaging is created using a range of biodegradable polymers, including starch- or bacteria-based polymers or blends, water-soluble polymers, oxo-biodegradable polymers or photodegradable polymers.

Eco-friendly packaging has been a popular alternative to traditional polythene packaging for a number of years and can be found, amongst others, in the form of carrier bags, bin liners, refuse bags, compost bags, dog poop bags and other waste bags.