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

Best Design for Lawn And Leaf Bags 2 Reusable Garden Bags Collapsible Yard Waste Bags And Debris Container 53 Gallons Per Bag 2019

Waste bags need the proper material thickness if they are going to survive rough garden and waste handling without splitting at the first awkward load. A flimsy gauge may see tidy on the shelf, nevertheless once damp leaves, twigs, and mixed debris are packed in, the seams and base beginning to work hard. Collapsible styles are useful because they store flat and save warehouse space, yet the panel structure still has to grasp shape when filled. Good folding design also affects select-face efficiency and dispatch, since fat packs are harder to stack and count cleanly. The practical test is whether the bag retains its form in use, not how tidy it sees in the carton.

Biodegradable bin liners only work properly when the material, gauge and seal are matched to the job in hand. A specimen that sees fine on a sample table can fail once it is filled with damp waste, awkward scraps or sharp edges that stretch the film and open weak seams. Lightweight film may suit cleaner household waste, nevertheless a poor specification soon leads to split bags, dirty bins and additional labour at the point of assortment. Roll format also matters, because a pack that is fiddly to dispense slows down busy crews and makes storage less tidy. The proper selection is the one that survives proper handling, not only a tidy test.

Coloured waste sacks only work when the colour code and the waste stream are properly matched. A bright sack may assist staff spot the proper skip or trolley load at a glance, nevertheless the colour alone will not stop a bag from failing if the contents are awkward. Metal trimmings can cut into the film, rubber offcuts can drag and snag, and loose sweepings can shift around as the sack is moved. That means the gauge, type of polythene suppliers and seam strength need to suit the load, not only the visual system. A sack that survives the handling retains sorting cleaner and reduces mess on the shop floor.

Clear waste sacks work properly only when the film is tough enough to survive rough daily handling without giving up the main benefit of being see-through. Transparency speeds checking at the select face, in the waste bay and on loading, because mixed material can be spotted at a glance, nevertheless the sack still has to cope with sharp can edges, broken board and wet offcuts that drag across the film and pull at the seams. That puts the focus on polythene suppliers blend, gauge control and seal quality. A weak sack bursts also soon, while an above-specified one wastes material and takes up more space in storage.

Recycling sacks need tighter material control than a wheelie bin because loose glass can cut the sack, hurt handlers, and spread shards through the load. Glass also adds weight where the sack is already working close its practical limit, so one heavy bottle can make lifting awkward and increase the chance of split seams or dropped waste. Mixed paper, cans, and clean plastics travel far better in a sack system because they stay lighter and are easier to sort at the point of assortment. A sack scheme only works properly when its contents stay safe to transport and simple to process.

Rubble bags at the heavier stop of the duty spectrum are judged less by the headline load and more by how they survive sharp, awkward waste on site. Broken brick, concrete chips and timber splinters tend to cut into weak spots, so a bag fails because a puncture beginnings running, not simply because the weight is high. A heavier polythene suppliers gauge gives the film more body, which assists it take impact and resist splitting at the fold or seam. That means less sudden bursts amid filling, less mess around the skip edge, and a bag that can cope properly with demolition spoil instead of only light rubble.

Waste Disposal Bags

Waste disposal bags need to be specified for the method waste is in reality handled, not only for nominal thickness on a datasheet. A bag that sees robust can still fail if the seal line is weak, the gauge wanders, or the film is also stiff to take rough loading at a select-face. In practice, the better designs open cleanly, resist side-seam splits and retain their shape when lifted, stacked or compacted. That matters with wet waste, awkward specimens and mixed waste, where stress builds fast and a small flaw turns into a burst bag or a messy spill.

Cardiff Council calls on residents to assist stop gulls ripping open waste bags

Rubbish bags fail most often because the film is matched poorly to the waste, not because the bin is also full. A thin sack can split the moment a sharp edge or awkward item shifts below load, and then the all contents beginning working loose as the tear travels through the polythene suppliers. That creates additional sweeping, additional pollution, and additional handling for assortment crews, which is a poor use of labour and time. A better selection is a bag with the proper gauge, puncture resistance and seal quality for the likely contents, so the liner grasps together without becoming fat or wasteful. The proper specification retains waste where it should be and cuts avoidable mess at origin.

Refuse sacks manufactured from recovered agricultural polythene suppliers work properly only when the waste feed is clean and the reprocessing is tightly controlled. The material already has superb puncture resistance, nevertheless dirt, moisture and mixed plastics can upset melt flow and leave the film uneven on the line. That soon shows up in bag making, where the gauge has to stay consistent if the sack is to grasp damp, heavy waste without splitting at the seal or tearing when handled roughly. For this reason, the value lies less in a green label than in disciplined sorting, washing and extrusion control. When that discipline is in position, the sack becomes a practical item rather than a compromise.

Bin Bags & Bin Liners

Bin liners work optimal when the size, film and seam are matched to the bin rather than treated as a loose afterthought. A 3840 litre liner in a size J profile sits neatly inside the container, so there is no awkward excess polythene suppliers folding above the rim and getting in the method of the lid. That tidy fit matters in depots and stores as well as in kitchens, because overhang slows loading, spoils closure, and causes more handling snags when liners are picked in quantity. The film itself requirements enough puncture resistance to cope with broken packaging and sharp waste, nevertheless not so much stiffness that it becomes brittle at the fold points. When the gauge is proper and the seams are sound, the result is less split bags, cleaner lifts and less waste from damaged stock.

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.