New home compostable wrap leaves no microplastics
A clear, certified home compostable mailing film has been created in Adelaide by local manufacturer BioBag World Australia for Direct Mail Centre of Australia as an alternative to single-use plastic that breaks down into microplastics.
BioBag World Australia Director Scott Morton said the Compostable Wrap is an opportunity for a better environmental outcome because it can be returned to the earth as organic matter and is certified to leave no microplastics behind, even in a home compost bin.“When exposed to microorganisms and oxygen, Compostable Wrap can be gone in a matter of weeks. It’s important to read the small print and check for certifications to the Australian Standard AS4736-2006 for industrial compostable and AS5810-2010 for home compostable,” Mr Morton said.
Direct Mail Centre of Australia Director Chris Lawson came to BioBag for the Compostable Wrap solution because he was looking for a plastic alternative for mailing film. “We worked with BioBag to create a home compostable wrap that completely eliminates plastic because it is 100 percent compostable,” Mr Lawson said.
“When you think about the millions of magazine wraps that break down into microplastics, we have the ability to change that right now.
“Companies have a duty to be socially responsible, and those that send out tabloids or magazines can show a commitment to environmental sustainability by switching to Compostable Wrap, as this product now exists.
“In my current MBA studies at the University of South Australia, our first class was strategic management. We had to find opportunities for innovation in direct mail so we could adapt to a changing marketplace. One of the opportunities I identified was for product diversification into greener alternatives and this lead me to BioBag, and is how Compostable Wrap was born,” Mr Lawson said.
Compostable Wrap has already been used by a number of Direct Mail Centre customers, including a mail out to retirement villages around Australia.
The Government of South Australia is taking action against plastic pollution by banning single-use plastics, including oxo-degradable plastic, and supporting compostable plastic alternatives.BioBag’s Scott Morton welcomes South Australian Environment Minister David Speirs’s bid to ban certain single-use plastics and all products made of oxo-degradable plastics.
“Significant evidence indicates that oxo-degradable plastics do not degrade into harmless residues, but instead fragment into tiny pieces of plastic and contribute to microplastic pollution, posing a risk to the ocean and other ecosystems, potentially for decades to come,” Mr Morton said.
“BioBags are becoming as functional as traditional plastic polyethylene and with access to the leading Mater-Bi resin, manufacturing locally has given us more flexibility to customise compostable solutions.”“New machines were installed in March this year, so we can now lead the way with more advanced films, enhanced capabilities, greater capacity and increased commitment to compostable alternatives,” Mr Morton said.
