Currently, biodegradable packaging or packaging that naturally decomposes through organisms is widely used by various businesses and households. This situation has contributed to retard the earth destruction due to plastic waste pollution. Concerns about the condition of the Earth due to increasing plastic waste are in line with the theme of Earth Day this year, namely Planet vs Plastics.
According to Voices of Youth, as much as 350 million tons of plastic are produced every year, most of which are not eco-friendly and cannot be recycled. Realizing this alarming fact, BIOPAC is committed to caring for the Earth through various biodegradable packaging that can be used for various industrial, home and office needs.
In this article, we will understand more about biodegradable packaging, the materials that can be used in its manufacture, and the environmentally friendly products provided by BIOPAC as its commitment to protecting the Earth.
Understanding Biodegradable Packaging
Eco-friendly packaging is packaging made from natural materials that easily decompose through organisms in environment. The process does not take hundreds of years like plastic in general. BIOPAC is an eco-friendly packaging, or more specifically compostable, that is, it can break down naturally into compost, so it is safe to throw directly into the soil, mix organic waste from food waste in the form of vegetables or fruit from home consumption, or throw it into plant pots. During the compostability certification process, BIOPAC has gone through the thorough assessment evaluation of heavy metals, toxic compounds, and the influence of the BIOPAC presence on the germination and survival of plants.
More than that, the use of BIOPAC as a substitute for conventional plastic plays a role in reducing carbon gas emissions which pose a threat to the sustainability of the Earth’s atmosphere because the process of making and handling conventional plastic waste causes carbon gas emissions. Deforestation or land conversion for monoculture plantation is not needed, so we can maintain forest biodiversity. This is the advantage that BIOPAC can provide compared to other bioplastics made from terrestrial plants.
Biodegradable Packaging from BIOPAC
Nowadays, bioplastics are made from a wide variety of materials that can be found in nature, but we chose seaweed for these considerations, especially at its commercialization stage.
First, seaweed is widely known as a safe and nutritious food, does not cause allergies, so using seaweed as a raw material for packaging food products will not pose a food safety risk, including migration of toxic ingredients from packaging to food products, allergies, or other adverse effects. Second, seaweed cultivation does not require land, so it does not compete with the housing, agriculture, food and livestock industries. Seaweed cultivation also does not require fertilizer, pesticides and irrigation. Third, the seaweed cultivation period is short, only 45 days, so it is strategic to improve the economy of coastal communities with a liquid cashflow.
BIOPAC packaging is available in various forms, including sheets, sachets, gussets, pouches, shopping bags, and even trash bags for pet waste. Apart from that, BIOPAC has also succeeded in producing environmentally friendly inks that do not use alcohol as an ink solvent, like conventional printing inks. BIOPAC ink can be used to print logos and information products on BIOPAC packaging without requiring stickers.