Biodegradable Packing Machinery

Biodegradable packaging materials and machinery

September 9th, 2007 · 4 Comments

Lately, there have been various global issues doing the rounds even in the packaging industry. Experts recommend packaging companies to offer options for biodegradable packaging. The materials normally used may not be recyclable or environment friendly. Several packing companies are working towards creating biodegradable packaging solutions for clients.

Materials used for Packaging

Biodegradable plastics: special polymer substances and plastics based on eco-friendly raw materials are used. They can be mad made or obtained from micro organisms even. Synthetic polymers can be transformed efficiently into biodegradable substances for packing. Based on polypropylene or polyethylene, they are not totally biodegradable, though. Natural sources like protein and starch are also utilized. Hydrophilic synthetic polymer molecules are blended in with these natural products to give environment friendly plastics.

Plant sources: corn and other plant products are increasingly used to produce eco-friendly packaging material. A combination of acetic acid and hard castor oil is also used to produce biodegradable substances for packing. Cornstarch packing peanuts have been in the market for many years. Fiber packaging materials are also gaining popularity. Such substances are mostly thermo formable and compostable. Packing companies also resort to foams based on wheat flour.

Eco-pack: made from agricultural residues, this material is incredibly non toxic, lightweight, compact, economical, convenient packaging substance made from natural cellulose fibers. It needs 60 days for decomposing if landfill method is used. It can be embossed, sealed and handled easily. This is appropriate to store edible food items whether they are fatty, moist or dry foodstuffs. It can also be used as protective packing material for VCDs. Ideal for storing fluids and is microwaveable as well.

Machineries and Technologies Employed

Environment friendly substances are a major point of interest for packaging companies that want to attract clients. There are several machines and methodologies implemented by various packaging suppliers for biodegradable packaging.

Molding technology – specialized equipments are designed for the purpose of molding the biodegradable material into the desired shape after pre heating process.

Extrusion machinery – these are employed to obtain various environment-friendly substances from plant products or synthetic polymers. Lactide polymers are subjected to extrusion processing to produce thermally processed packaging items.

Biodegradable plasticizers – used to produce biodegradable plastics either from synthetic polymers or from natural sources. Partially crystalline polymers are difficult to process and require vegetable-oil based plasticizers as processing agents. Nanofillers are used to improve barrier properties.

why use Biodegradable Materials

Why use biodegradable?

Conventional plastic is made from oil. Oil can take up to 300 million years to form.

Oil based plastic packaging that is not recyclable will usually end up in landfill sites or be washed out to sea.

Plastic packaging can take up to 1000 years to "degrade" naturally. Poisonous toxins and particles released over time pollute our rivers, harm wildlife and landfill sites scar our once beautiful landscape.

What's the alternative?

Packaging made from natural plant materials like corn and sugarcane uses up to 70% less CO2 to produce than conventional plastic.

Unlike oil based plastic, packaging made from plants can be turned into natural compost after use in just 12 weeks.

By switching to sustainable packaging, your business can substantially reduce its carbon footprint and . Waste packaging previously destined to landfill sites could be composted or recycled instead, greatly lowering the environmental impact.

What does "biodegradable" mean?

The term "Biodegradable" refers to a material that breaks down naturally into organic components as a result of exposure to moisture, heat and naturally occurring micro-organisms. The time it takes a material to degrade depends on it's size, genetic make-up and the level of exposure it has to these three factors.

What does "compostable" mean?

The American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) defines materials as "compostable" if they can degrade in a compost site. They must break down into carbon dioxide, water and organic matter at a similar rate to other naturally occurring materials (e.g. cellulose in plants). Disintegration is important - the resulting particles must be very small. They must also leave no toxic residue. The compost must not contain heavy metals or other toxins, and be useful as organic fertilizer.

Regulations and Standards

All our biodegradable products conform to European standard EN13432. This is the most stringent of all the standards requiring 90% biodegradation within 90 days and requires the product to be within the allowable levels of toxins.

Business Benefits

Not only can switching to biodegradable packaging help to distinguish your product, it can also increase brand recognition and build loyalty with the increasing number of environmentally aware consumers.

Many consumers feel increasingly guilty when buying items wrapped in excessive oil-based plastic packaging, as they know it will end up in landfill. In today's competitive environment, your business success may depend on your products' ability to stand out from the competition and the loyalty of your customers.

Green Man customers often use this opportunity to re-design their packaging or label designs to include the statement "100% Biodegradable Packaging". The introduction of biodegradable packaging across your product range is also a great PR opportunity and demonstrates to customers that your brand is committed to a more sustainable environment.

An increasing number of forward-thinking business owners are turning to biodegradable packaging as an environmentally responsible alternative to conventional plastic. Leading technology giant Apple recently made the decision to supply all it's new iPhones in 100% biodegradable packaging.

Why choose Green Man Packaging?

Green Man Packaging is independent and distributes world-class products on behalf of the UK's leading "green packaging" suppliers. Because we are independent we can source the most suitable products for your needs at the best price without bias.

For every order placed with Green Man Packaging, The Green Man Environmental Trust will commit to planting new trees through our woodland partners. So every order placed starts a new cycle of growth.

Switching to biodegradable is easy - your packaging can remain identical to the oil-based original and independent tests conclude that packaging made from biodegradable materials is often more flexible and stronger than conventional plastic.

To request your FREE SAMPLES and find out more about switching to sustainable packaging call us today on 0845 130 7642

biodegradable

What is BIODEGRADABLE?

Biodegradable means a product can dissolve easily in the environment without destroying nature.If everything was biodegradable, our world would be extremely clean.

Here is the time that is takes for some products to dissolve.

Product Time to Biodegrade Vegetables 5days-

1 month Paper 2-5 months

Cotton Tshirts 6 months

Orange Peels 6 months

Trees Leaves 1 year

Wool Socks 1-5 years

Plastic Coated Milk Carton 5 years

Leather Shoes 24-40 years

Nylon Fabric 30-40 years

Tin Cans 50-100 years

Aluminum Cans 80-100 years

Glass Bottles 1 million years

Styrofoam Cups 500 years-

forever Plastic Bags 500 years- forever

BIODEGRADABLE PRODUCTS

Biodegradable products are good. They break down naturally through microorganisms like bacteria and fungi over time but when dumped in landfills they sometimes get buried under where the "good" bacteria survives and the oxygen is depleted.

Compostable is the new and improved biodegradable. It's greener. In order for plastic to be considered as compostable, it must be able to break down into carbon dioxide, water and biomass at the same rate as paper. It must look like compost and can not produce any toxic material and must support plant life. Most compostable items are made from plant materials like corn, potato, cellulose, soy and sugar.

List of Biodegradable, Everyday Products

o Purchasing environmentally friendly products has become a mainstream consideration in family life, the business world, medical facilities and fast food restaurants. Entrepreneurs around the world have responded to these demands with numerous product improvements geared toward developing a wider selection of biodegradable products that can please a homemaker, a gardener or even a surgeon. We've come a long way in eliminating harmful chemicals in items that are used every day.

School and Office

o Paper products are among the most common biodegradable items. They are used in the office to print images and reports, for paper cups, paper towels, and shipping boxes. Schools use notepaper, paper dishes, milk cartons and lots of toilet paper. Paper is mainly comprised of wood, glue and miscellaneous linen and cotton fibers, which are biodegradable. Paper products have been the forerunner in biodegradable household and office products.

Gardening

o Common biodegradable gardening products include peat pots for starting seeds, garden fertilizers, plant-based pesticides, tomato stakes and leaf nets that can be placed directly in your composter. There are several brands of biodegradable garbage bags on the market today that can also be used for this purpose. In order for a garbage bag to be marketed as biodegradable, it must meet strict standards according to greenplastics.com and must degrade at least 60 percent by normal means from microorganisms such as algae, fungi and bacteria within 180 days.

Home and Cleaning

o Many cleaning products including laundry soaps are going green with nontoxic, plant-based formulas. Other items that are gaining market share are biodegradeable printer ink, cat litter and various odor removers. Clothing made from cotton, wool, silk or any plant- or animal-based fiber are also biodegradable. Several companies are now offering biodegradable diapers, but ciwmb.ca.gov states that they do not decompose any faster than regular diapers in a landfill due to the absence of elements that are necessary to encourage decomposition.

"biodegradable disposable" products they buy are actually biodegradable. Companies that manufacture such products were able to, and continue to, make false claims of a product being "biodegradable," because there was no scientifically based test method or standard. Since 2002, The Biodegradable Products Institute, also known as BPI, verifies companies with a recognizable logo. Companies must demonstrate with scientifically proven techniques that their products are completely biodegradable.

Plastic Bags

• Over 1,000 years goes by before a plastic bag breaks down completely. During that time the plastic contaminates the water and the soil. Hundreds of thousands of whales, sea turtles, and other marine mammals die each year from eating plastic bags mistaken for food. On land, many cows, goats and other animals also die from accidentally ingesting plastic bags. There are many companies that sell compostable plastic bags. It is important to do your research; however, because companies may have several lines of bags available and only one particular bag is biodegradable, while the rest are not. Other companies carry a much wider selection, including small kitchen bags, and pet-waste bags. It is easy to shop for certified compostable bags of any kind online. The Biodegradable Products Institute has a directory of all certified compostable products by category on its website.

Compostable Cleaning Wipes

• Greenworks Compostable Cleaning Wipes manufactured by Clorox are made with naturally derived ingredients, such as citric acid and wood fibers and are safe for most non-wood surfaces, including vinyl, fiberglass and acrylic. Greenworks Cleaning Wipes have been certified by The Biodegradable Products Institute. Greenworks Compostable Cleaning Wipes are made from 100 percent wood-based fibers, which is what makes them compostable.

Prima Bottled Water

• Prima water bottles are made from a natural, sustainable, renewable plant-based material. The Prima bottle is made from 100 percent plants and will biodegrade in under 30 days in a commercial composting facility. Lowes Foods in Winston-Salem, North Carolina was the first grocery store chain to offer Prima Bottled Water. As of 2010, Prima can be found in over a dozen chain grocery stores. The company encourages consumers to ask their local grocery store to carry Prima.