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 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.

Latest news and views on biodegradable packaging

Dog poo bags sold for pet waste are often small above normal nappy bags in a alternative wrapper, and the cheaper option can work better on the ground. A larger bag gives more room for a proper tie-off, while a stronger film is less likely to split when handled with gloves or carried after a walk. In warehouse terms, that is the contrast between a flimsy low-gauge film and a bag that survives rough handling without tearing at the seam. The plain, lower-cost bag can also be more practical because it is bigger, easier to open, and less likely to fail at the point of use.

Starch-based packaging can work well in the proper role, nevertheless its porous structure makes it a poor match for products that need a tight barrier against air and moisture. Once oxygen can transport through the pack also easily, food loses shelf life faster and the risk of spoilage rises, particularly with products that are sensitive to flavour disappear or browning. That means the material suits a few dry or short-life applications, yet it requirements careful specification before being used for anything demanding a robust gas barrier. For a packer, the proper issue is not whether the material is green in theory, nevertheless whether it protects the contents for the full journey from filling line to shelf.

Eco-friendly bags do the job when they are chosen for the contents and the journey, not when they are added only to see virtuous. A light mono-material pouch or well-manufactured polythene suppliers bag can separate damp swimwear, muddy footwear and leaking toiletries from clean clothing without taking up much case space or adding much weight. The useful test is how the film seals, how it copes with repeated folding, and whether the corners survive handling without splitting. If the bag fails at those points, the material is wasted and the rest of the packing plan suffers with it.

Why Use Eco-Friendly Packaging?

Eco-friendly packaging only works properly when the material selection suits the product and the handling job. A light compostable mailer may see green, nevertheless if it splits in transit the proper cost is additional returns, wasted stock and more film going into the bin. Board grade, gauge and seal quality still matter, because a pack that survives warehouse picking and delivery normally creates less waste than one that requirements replacing. The optimal options balance recyclability, protection and sensible use of material, rather than adding green claims to a weak spec. That practical fit is what cuts environmental impact without causing more damage elsewhere.

Will These Biodegradable Bags Make It To The Mainstream?

Biodegradable bags are only gaining ground because single-use plastic transport bags have been pushed out by regulation and client pressure. Once a business can no longer rely on normal polythene suppliers, the bag spec becomes part of the compliance plan, not only a low-cost packing selection. That changes how the bag behaves on the line, because a biodegradable material may need alternative sealing temperatures, alternative gauge control, and more care in storage if heat and damp beginning to affect it before use. The practical lesson is simple: switching material means checking production settings and warehouse conditions as well as the artwork.

Global Biodegradable Packaging Market our telephone : Landscape Development, Growth Opportunities & Industry analysis

Biodegradable packaging can see like an easier route into the market than it certainly is, because the material story is only one part of the job. New entrants have to balance resin selection, board grade, conversion behaviour, and what happens once the pack meets heat, moisture, or rough handling in the warehouse. Films may seal differently from normal polythene suppliers, and trays or wraps can need tighter control on gauge and film tension to stop weak seals or warped packs. If those basics are not tested properly, the first batch may pass through production nevertheless cause trouble in dispatch and on shelf. A realistic smash-in relies on proving the pack works in proper conditions, not only on paper.

25 Eco-Friendly Products We Love This Earth Day

Eco-friendly packaging only works when it reduces waste without creating new problems in the chain. A pouch or carton that sees green on paper can still fail if it requirements also much material, splits in transit, or causes more rejects on the line. The better selection is often a proper-sized pack manufactured from a board grade or film that suits the product, the filling speed, and the journey through the warehouse. That means less damaged products, less secondary packing, and less handling at dispatch. Good intent matters, nevertheless waste saved at origin is what counts.

Environmentally Friendly Companies

Environmentally friendly dry cleaning only works properly when the cleaning method cuts waste without creating new handling problems. Hydrocarbon systems are often chosen because they treat garments more gently than harsher solvent options, which assists keep safe material stop, trims and stitched construction amid repeated cleaning cycles. That matters on the shop floor as much as in the client's wardrobe, because reduced fibre stress means less complaints about distortion, shine labels or premature wear. The better systems also assist cleaner recovery and lower odour, so finished garments can transport through packing and dispatch with less risk of snagging or spoilage. A sensible process gives a cleaner result and a tidier operation at the same time.

Creatours of The Worlds First Plastic Free, Certified Biodegradable Glitter

Biodegradable claims in packaging need careful handling because the word means very small unless the disposal route is transparent. A material may smash down in one setting and linger in another, which is where confusion beginnings for buyers, warehouse teams and stop users sorting waste. Strong specification work matters here, particularly when a product is meant for proper-world use rather than a laboratory test. If a pack is labelled badly, it can stop up in the gross waste stream and create more handling trouble than it solves. The practical reply is to match the material to the environment it will in reality face.

compostable packaging

Compostable packaging will not smash down properly in a landfill because those sites are built to retain waste dry and tightly buried, which slows decay to a crawl. Most compostable materials need oxygen, moisture and active microbial life to turn into useful compost, and landfill conditions normally cut off all three. That means a pack labelled compostable may still sit there for years, much like plenty other thrown-away materials. The practical issue is that disposal route matters as much as the material itself, so a compostable spec only makes sense when a assortment and treatment system exists to match it.