10 Questions You Should to Know about china biodegradable packaging factory

Has a customer ever asked you a difficult question about your packaging?

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“Is this packaging paper from recycled materials?”

“Is the ink used in your packaging soy-based?”

Or even questions that probably have nothing to do with your brand such as: “Is the packaging factory paying its workers a fair living wage?”

It’s surprising how many people take the time to find out more about what they are purchasing. Reports have shown that 69% of respondents are concerned about the environmental impact of plastic packaging and 48% say that recyclable packaging is a viable option to replace single use plastic and other harmful materials. 37% say that they will look for and pay up to 5% more for environmentally friendly products.

In an attempt to be more environmentally and ethically conscious, numerous brands have switched to sustainable packaging alternatives. In fact, your brand might have been one of them and kudos to you for being socially responsible! But there’s more to it. You must know exactly the kind of packaging you use and the kind of partners you work with. This is not just to answer customers' questions but as a way to add value to your company.

If those difficult questions have left you speechless, it's time to start looking for answers. Take the first step by asking the right questions. As a trusted packaging expert, we have compiled a list of questions you need to ask your manufacturers. In part 1, we are tackling questions about what the packaging is made of?

1. What materials make up the packaging? Is it recyclable?

Packaging material could be made of paper, rigid plastic, or even flexible packaging, made of low-density polyethylene. It is important to know what materials go into the packaging to gauge whether it can protect your product, reflect your brand, and to understand if it is sustainable.

The most common material for recyclable packaging is cardboard but materials such as glass, metal, paper, and even some kinds of plastics can be recycled. Be sure to ask how much of the new packages are made of post-consumer recycled content. Post-consumer content includes any waste that is produced by the end customer that is recycled and put back into the production process. Although 100% post-consumer recycled packaging is available, some manufacturers use other materials to make the packaging more durable. For example, PackMojo’s materials are made from at least 70% post consumer content.

One of the best practices when it comes to sustainability is reducing. This might mean that you may need to opt-out of using foams, films, and air pellets. It is always good to ask your packaging partners to only use packaging materials that your product really needs.

2. Is the packaging biodegradable?

Biodegradability is the ability to break down the materials by microorganisms. Thanks to bacteria, fungi, a good amount of heat and oxygen, materials disintegrate into natural elements. However, the time needed for disintegration is not specified. Some biodegradable packaging could leave behind chemicals and toxins. Anything plant-based, animal-based, or natural mineral-based is biodegradable. Here are some examples of common materials and how long they take to decompose:

1. Paper roughly takes 2 - 5 months
2. A plastic bag would take 10 - 20 years
3. Tin can take up to 50 years
4. Glass can take thousands of years

You might also come across the use of bioplastics. Bioplastics are made from vegetable fats, straw, sawdust, recycled food waste, etc. It requires extremely high temperatures to break down and cannot do so in closed landfills or home composts.

3. Is the packaging compostable?

Compostable packaging is also made of natural resources which breakdown at high temperatures. Though unlike biodegradable packaging, it goes one step further to leave behind nutrients that can be used as fertilisers to help soil nutrition and plant growth. The best way to differentiate compostable and biodegradable packaging is that all compostable material is biodegradable, but not all biodegradable material is compostable.

Compostable packaging should typically decompose within 80 days, so ensure all the raw materials used in your packaging breakdown within that time frame. While cardboard is the most commonly used compostable material, many other alternatives such as banana skins, bamboo and potatoes are also being used.

With more research and more customers demanding home compostable packaging, many companies are now manufacturing packaging that can break down at lower temperatures, in your own backyard. Along with cardboard, sawdust, fruit and vegetable skins, and paper can be composted at home.

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4. Is the ink used in packaging sustainable?

Inks play an important role in packaging. Many ink manufacturers have eliminated the extreme use of heavy metal like lead and other by-products that are a potential hazard to human health and nature.

Soy-based and water-based inks reduce and in some cases eliminate the use of petroleum-based solvents. Be mindful that for soy-based, the ink’s oil only needs to contain a minimum of 6% soy for it to qualify as soy-based. Make sure you ask your supplier about the other materials that go into the ink.

Thanks to developments in the water-based ink industry, these inks are not only environmentally friendly but also suitable for printing on cardboard packaging without the risk of the ink being absorbed. Typically, these inks compose of 60% water.

Plastics have been in the news lately for being a major source of pollution. You might have questions, and you’re not alone. Here, we answer some of the questions we get asked most about plastics and recycling.

1. Does banning single-use plastic even make a dent in the bigger problem of climate change?

Yes! Plastic is derived from crude oil. Banning plastic puts pressure on its producer, the fossil fuel industry. Plastic bans also bring attention to climate change, pushes customers to reuse, and encourages businesses to create reusable options.

2. I’ve heard that China used to buy plastic recyclables from the US but has cut back? What should I do with my plastic recycling?

Every town has a different situation. To find out what your recycling program’s current policy is, contact your municipality. If they’re no longer taking certain plastics, try to avoid those in the store as much as you can. You can also inquire about local drop off facilities for those types of plastic.

3. How can I avoid bringing home plastic packaging from the supermarket? Some of this plastic is not recyclable through the municipal system.

Opt for produce that isn’t wrapped in plastic and bring your own bag to carry them in. If possible, buy from a farmers market where food generally is loose. If it’s a product you love, contact the company asking for non-plastic wrapping. Your consumer voice matters!

4. What are microplastics, and what kind of plastic is most likely to become a microplastic?

Microplastics are pieces of plastic that are 5 mm or smaller. They can be created to be that size–such as microbeads in soaps—and they can be broken bits of a larger plastic or material with plastic parts. A Friends of the Earth study of UK waters found that the four leading contributors are car tires (due to abrasion on the road), external paint (from buildings and road markings), plastic pellets (used to make plastic products), and synthetic fibers from clothing.

5. Are certain plastics worse than others?

Yes. Non-recyclable and non-reusable plastics are the worst in that they take several lifetimes to break down and leach chemicals like BPA in the process. Plastic straws have taken the limelight in the single-use arena, but abandoned fishing gear, plastic bags, cigarette butts, and food packaging (including water bottles) are the more commonly found debris in the ocean.

6. What do the numbers on the bottom of plastic products mean?

Plastic is coded with numbers 1-7 that designate material. Not all plastics are recyclable, and some aren’t reusable. Refer to your local recycling center’s guidelines of what numbers are accepted at search.earth911.com

7. Why is so little plastic recycled?

Plastic is the most complicated material to recycle because each number designates a different polymer design–in other words, a #1 can’t be recycled with a #5 because they melt at different temperatures. Municipal funding levels, community pressure, and demand for recycled plastics determine what gets recycled. Unlike metals like aluminum that can be recycled indefinitely, plastics degrade each time they’re processed, making recycling more expensive than manufacturing new plastic.

8. Is it ever environmentally helpful to have plastic-wrapped food to keep food from being wasted?

Plastic wrap extends shelf life by regulating contact with air. Since food waste has a larger carbon footprint than any country except China and the US, reducing waste is important. However, alternatives to plastic wrap like Bee’s Wrap, Green America’s People and Planet Award Winner, achieve the same goal while being reusable and eco-friendly.

9. Most vegan non-food products are made of plastic, like faux leather shoes. Is there a better alternative?

Many vegan clothing companies use recycled plastic as a leather-free alternative, but plastics in clothing still break down into microplastics that marine life consume. Consider buying secondhand.

10. When we ban plastic, doesn’t that force us to use other materials that are more expensive and energy-intensive? Shouldn’t we keep using it, but get better at recycling it?

While plastic bans are a recent trend, the reality is that plastic has become so integral to society that it won’t disappear soon. We should get better at recycling it, but that alone won’t solve the plastic problem. While alternatives may be more energy-intensive and expensive than plastic, reusables last longer than single-use plastic and may be indefinitely recyclable or compostable, making their overall carbon footprint lower. Lowering our consumption of plastics, not buying to begin with, and opting for reusables are less energy-intensive than consuming more.

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