Compostable Packaging: The Pros and Cons in 2023

Compostable Packaging: The Pros and Cons in 2023

What is Compostable Packaging?

Compostable packaging reflects the progressive shift toward sustainable living. According to Google, it "decomposes into natural elements in a compost environment, leaving no toxicity in the soil." This material is rapidly gaining popularity as an environmentally friendly alternative to conventional plastic.

Plastic packaging materials like parcels, stickers, and polythene bags account for 42% of all plastic produced worldwide. The company is the world’s best compostable adhesive postal bags supplier. Our staff is highly specialized and will help you find the product you need.

Unfortunately, it has a very short usability lifetime (typically around 6 months or less). This is where businesses can take advantage of alternative solutions, like compostable packaging. In fact, compostable packaging has the potential to extend the end-of-life performance of packaging materials.

Compostable packaging is made from various natural materials such as sugar cane, corn starch, potato starch, and wood pulp. It’s a popular sustainable packaging option because microorganisms can break down compostable materials into compost, a valuable fertilizer that enriches plants and soil. This helps reduce a large portion of plastic pollution by keeping it away from waterways and landfills.

With home composting, the decomposition of organic waste into compost may take up to 180 days, but industrial composting facilities can decrease this time to 3 months. In this article, we'll cover everything you need to know about compostable packaging.

What Kind of Materials Can Be Composted?

Traditional packaging options can be extremely wasteful and harm ecosystems. For that reason, it’s important to invest in compostable packaging options that are right for your product and logistics.

Cardboard and Paper

Cardboard made from organic materials can be composted by simply putting it into a compost pile. Only add clean cardboard to compost bins because cardboard treated with chemicals can contaminate the compost and decrease its value. A compostable cardboard box from EcoEnclose costs between $0.62 and $3.17, depending on the box dimensions.

Bubble Wrap

Plant-based bubble wrap rolls are more eco-friendly than the traditional PE plastic ones. Compostable bubble wraps are made up of cornstarch polylactic acid polymers (PLA), and they can be completely degraded within 90 to 180 days. A 50cm x 50cm roll costs around $49.

Cornstarch

Cornstarch packaging materials are a viable alternative to styrofoam and plastics. They are developed from bio-based plastics, like PLA, that can be turned into nutrient-rich biomass through composting. A compostable cornstarch bag costs between $0.10 to $0.40.

Other Alternatives

Other eco-friendly packaging options are available for parcel shipping, such as Kraft paper rolls, postal tubes, tissue paper, and compostable mailers and envelopes.

Why Switching to Paper Bags Is Good for Your Business?

Last Updated on February 29, 2024 by Packoi Team

Switching to paper bags may not seem like a big step, but it can significantly influence your business's environment and reputation. According to Statista, humans generate around 350 million metric tons of plastic trash annually.

We can see why plastic is becoming the biggest problem for our planet, right?

If you are a responsible business owner worried about your environmental footprint, paper bags are the right answer. Paper bags are a budget-friendly, effective, and sustainable solution. They have many advantages that can boost business productivity and revenue.

If you are still wondering why your business must switch to paper bags and ditch plastic, this article is for you!

Below, we will discuss some critical problems we face using plastic. Moreover, we will provide seven unique reasons for switching to paper bags and some potential challenges you might face.

But don’t worry; we have all the solutions for you!

What Problems Are We Facing?

Plastic packaging enters our natural environments mainly because of poor waste management systems globally. We need a complete article to mention and define all the major problems arising from businesses using plastic packaging.

But we are bound to keep things short, so below are some of the most critical issues that Mother Earth faces due to plastic waste:

• There is a shortage of landfill space. At this point, nearly all packaging ends up in landfills or the environment.
• Plastic production harms the environment and atmosphere since it uses a lot of energy and releases greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide into the air.
• Each year, 8 million tons of plastic end up in the water, threatening aquatic life.
• Wildlife is in danger, ecosystems are changing, and people’s health is at stake due to plastic pollution.
• To create space for additional incoming garbage, landfills burn plastic trash, raising further threatening issues. Toxic chemicals and allergens are released into the air when plastic is burned.

We see how reducing plastic waste can improve global air quality. It’s high time we all do our part to reduce the quantity of plastic trash in landfills before it’s too late!

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Contact us to discuss your requirements of pbat material. Our experienced sales team can help you identify the options that best suit your needs.

7 Reasons Why Switch to Paper Bags Is Good for Your Business

After reading the above (some of the) major environmental issues caused by plastic waste, we believe you are all set to make the big business switch to paper bags!

Let us take you through the 7 most prominent reasons that will push you to make this plastic-to-paper switch the earliest:

1. Environmentally Friendly

Due to its biodegradable nature, paper is highly eco-friendly. Making your business more eco-conscious is one of the main advantages of using eco-friendly paper bags instead of single-use plastic bags. Not only does this help save the planet, but it’s also crucial to grow your customer base. This is because nowadays, the majority of customers base their purchasing decisions on a company’s environmental policy. Custom-printed bags are a great way to show you care about the environment!

2. Enhancing Brand’s Image

Your business may establish a unique identity with custom paper packaging by customizing paper bags with your brand features like a logo, color scheme, and slogan. Custom paper packaging is an excellent method to raise brand awareness and offer your business a much-needed makeover. Your product packaging speaks a lot about your brand’s image hence, paying attention is important.

3. Customer Preferences

Modern and educated buyers are considering how their purchases will affect the planet. Your consumer base will grow significantly if you use environmentally friendly packaging. A simple change in packaging, such as using paper bags instead of plastic ones, can have a dramatic impact.

4. Easy Marketing

Paper bags can be the best marketing tool for your business. Printing your logo or other graphics on bags is a great way to get your brand noticed with minimal effort. Additionally, companies may send advertising materials fast and effectively without paying costly shipping and handling expenses because of paper bags’ lightweight and easily transportable nature.

5. Cost-Effective

A responsible business owner will seek methods to advertise a business that does not break the bank. When resources, such as manpower or money, become limited, this becomes much more noticeable. One inexpensive option would be to start using custom-printed paper bag options instead of generic ones.

6. Social Responsibility

There is a lot of competition in today’s business environment, and some companies might not make it if they focus only on becoming purely profit-oriented businesses. Being socially responsible helps businesses thrive and establish a great brand. If you want to appear more socially responsible and win over your clients’ trust faster, choose paper bag packaging that is both appealing and an eco-friendly packaging option.

7. Waste Reduction Goals

The best thing about paper bags is their exceptional capacity to reduce pollution. Paper custom bags do not cause pollution like plastic bags, especially over long periods of time. They naturally break down in a short amount of time and do not leave any dangerous leftovers behind. Paper bags help create a cleaner and healthier environment when discarded into recyclable materials correctly.

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Challenges and Considerations

As a business owner, you might face challenges when switching to paper bags. You need to address a few considerations with the proper knowledge.

Have a look below for a better understanding:

Cost Implications

Paper and plastic bag packaging prices differ for various reasons. Some of the top ones are:

• Kind of paper or plastic used
• The bag’s size and strength
• The quantity bought
• Customization
• Raw material used

Paper bag packaging is more costly than disposable plastic bags. This is because of the higher cost of raw materials and production procedures. Paper bags are more expensive than plastic ones, but they’re more popular since people think they’re better for the environment and can be recycled.

Although paper bags might get costly for you, on a long-term basis, custom paper bags are sustainable and come with many benefits. You may buy plastic bags at a low cost, but you are spending your money on a threatening material for which our planet and the upcoming generations will pay with their health.

Moreover, environmental policies and legislation affect the price of paper and plastic bags. Take the second one as an example; environmental concerns-related taxes or fees could impact their total cost.

Finding the Right Suppliers

Another challenge you might face is finding the right supplier who provides the best cost and quality, along with other services.

Below, we have a breakdown of how paper bags can be an easy option for your business by comparing various seller options:

• Online Retailers: You can find a variety of paper bags at reasonable prices and enjoy the ease of purchasing online at many different online stores. If you are one of the small-scale businesses that need smaller quantities, you are typically their target customer to get the best price.
• Local Suppliers: Shorter lead times, more personalized service, and ease of use are often benefits of working with local suppliers providing in-store sales. Overhead expenses, material sourcing, and manufacturing techniques are a few of the factors that might affect their prices.
• Wholesale Distributors: Since wholesale distributors can negotiate cheaper costs with manufacturers, they offer advantages for big orders. Large companies can find what they’re looking for among their many paper bag options, and they can even personalize them with your brand details!

It depends on your situation, green business type, quantity of bags, and the level of customization you are looking for to become a trustworthy brand. Along with getting the best price for your purchase, spending your money to save our planet and upcoming generations is the best motivation!

Conclusion

At the end of the day, businesses need to realize how critical it is to protect the environment before it’s too late. Simply saying you will no longer use plastic in your business will not do the job. It’s time to take a practical step and prove your environmental responsibility.

The best part is that this responsibility comes with many benefits, as we discussed above. Apart from being environmentally friendly, you get to enjoy improved branding, attractive customization options, economical options, easy-to-meet customer demands, easy marketing, and more customers when you use paper bags!

Try Packoi to Find the Best Packaging Solution for Your Business!

We understand that making a major switch in your business takes time, effort, money, and a reliable partner. Packoi is here to help!

From eco-friendly options to cost-effective packages and amazing designs, our teams are all set to make this paper-to-plastic shift a smooth journey for you. For more information about our customized packaging options or to schedule a consultation, contact us now!

Count on Packoi to be your go-to packaging solution, meeting and exceeding your expectations!

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