Composting biodegradable plastics and waste paper with other organic compostable materials, such as yard waste, food and agricultural waste, can produce a large amount of carbon-rich fertilizer (humic material). Fertilizer-improved soil has many benefits. Due to the increased content of organic carbon, water and nutrients, it can reduce the amount of chemicals and inhibit plant diseases. Nowadays, people are increasingly using compost to maintain the sustainable development of agricultural systems. In many countries, food waste and other biological waste are collected separately and composted to produce good, high-value soil improvement materials, which are returned to the field to maintain the carbon cycle.

Bio based plastics and biodegradable plastics (PHAs) is the environment, sustainable new material which is instead the traditional petroleum-based plastics. “degradable”、”biodegradable”、”compostable” etc is the usually involved when discussing  these new materials, they are similar but different.

When designing a new product, it’s important to considering the ecological behavior, which is related to the ultimately deal with. And sometimes the packaging represent the products, our colleague often received the inquiry which consult the 100% recyclable plastic stand up pouch and need the biodegradable 100% compostable stand up pouch or other flat bottom pouch or etc, 

Today Gaoaog Packaging solution will discuss the difference between 100% recyclable, biodegradable and 100% compostable digitally printed packaging bag(such as coffee packaging).

100% recyclable digital print packaging bag, generally use single pe material or PE/PE material, here the pe material is not the common use materials, generally means PE/EVOH PE or PE/milk PE(white PE); Maybe you have some questions, why need PE/Pe, why not PET/Pe, PET/PE can recyclable but can not 100% recyclable, because if need 100% recyclable must need single material, and the bag’s type is lay flat pouch, or side gusset bag or stand up pouch, and the bag need heat seal, so we must need composite(laminated) package bag; and for this PE/PE material, we can choose glossy or matte finished.

Biodegradable digitally print packaging bag generally means the raw material add the PLA or PBAT, Biodegradable plastics need to be completely degraded under specific conditions of temperature, humidity, and the combined action of microorganisms, and produce carbon dioxide, water and other substances that are harmless to the environment.

100% compostable digitally print packaging bag generally use NK/kraft paper/ PBAT, or NK/VMPLA/PBAT material, for example stand up pouch with zipper, we also can do 100% compostable(100% degradable), and customer can according to their actually situation to order the quantity they need, no need like before need purchase more quantity in stock, it will reduce the waste of the packaging and it’s protect environment behavior,  by digital print flexible packaging bag can with a very Low minimum order quantity for 100% compostable stand up pouch or 100% compostable flat bottom pouch (100% biodegradable stand up pouch/ 100% biodegradable flat bottom pouch);

For example, the degradation of photodegradable plastics relies heavily on the participation of light sources. When buried in the soil without light, there is almost no degradation. Biodegradable plastics need to be degraded under the corresponding industrial composting conditions. Taking PLA as an example, its biodegradation needs to meet the two most basic conditions: 50%-60% humidity and 50-70 degrees Celsius temperature. Under these conditions, it is possible for microorganisms to gradually decompose PLA over a period of months or even longer. 

Therefore, the use of degradable plastics does not mean that consumers can discard them at will. Such products should be sorted and recycled in a unified manner like traditional plastic products, and recycled and reused (including physical recycling and reuse) according to appropriate disposal methods. Utilization, chemical recycling and reuse and biological recycling such as composting, etc.).

In addition to being biodegradable by microorganisms, there must be a time requirement for a plastic to be called "compostable" plastic. For example, ASTM 6400 (specification for compostable plastics), ASTM D6868 (specification for biodegradable plastics used for surface coating of paper or other compostable media) or EN 13432 (compostable packaging) standards stipulate that these materials are used in industrial composting environments It should be biodegraded within 180 days. The industrialized composting environment refers to the prescribed temperature of about 60°C and the presence of microorganisms. According to this definition, compostable plastics will not leave fragments longer than about 12 weeks in the residue, contain no heavy metals or toxic substances, and can sustain plant life.

The composting method is a method developed in recent years to evaluate the biodegradability of plastics. Its essence is to rely on the widely distributed bacteria, actinomycetes and fungi in nature to promote the biochemical process of the conversion of biodegradable organic matter into stable humus. This method is used to evaluate the biodegradability of plastics quickly, effectively, simply and intuitively, and can reflect the biodegradability of plastics under natural conditions to a considerable extent. So far, the composting method has become the main method for evaluating the biodegradability of plastics in the United States, Japan and European countries.

The selection of priority order commonly used packaging materials are paper, cardboard, aluminium, glass, plastic, iron and so on. From the perspective of green packaging, the most priority choice is no packaging or the least amount of packaging, it fundamentally eliminates the impact of packaging on the environment; The second is returnable, refillable or recyclable packaging, whose recycling benefits and effects depend on the recycling system and consumers' concepts.

Green packaging design generally follows the three R principles, namely Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.

• Recycled and recycled packaging materials

The land and forests are the basis of the ecological balance of human beings. In view of this situation, people can consider the use of reusable and recycled packaging materials, such as beer, beverages, soy sauce, vinegar and other packaging using glass bottles repeatedly, polyester bottles after recycling can be recycled with some methods. Recycling packaging can be used in two ways, physical method refers to the direct and complete purification and crushing, no residue of any pollutants, after the treatment of plastic and then directly used in recycling packaging containers. Chemical method refers to the recovery of PET (polyester film) after crushing and washing, under the action of catalyst, PET all depolymerization into a monomer or partial depolymerization, purification and then polymerization monomer into recycled packaging materials. The reuse and regeneration of packaging materials only prolong the service life of polymer materials such as plastic as packaging materials. When the service life of packaging materials is reached, they still have to face the problem of waste disposal and environmental pollution.

• Edible packaging material

This is a good way to solve the contradiction between food packaging waste and environmental protection. In the design of partial food packaging, it can be made into an edible packaging film that does not affect the original flavour of packed food. By the 21st century, countries around the world have developed a variety of, such as an Australian company developed an edible potato chip packaging, people eat potato chips after eating the packaging. Another example is an edible fruit and vegetable preservative made by a British company. It is a translucent emulsion made of sugar, starch, fatty acid and polyester, which can be sprayed, painted or dipped on the surface of fruits and vegetables such as apples, oranges, watermelons, bananas and tomatoes. Because this kind of preservative forms a layer sealing film on the surface of the fruit, it can prevent oxygen from entering the interior of fruits and vegetables, thus prolonging the ripening process and playing a role in keeping fresh. The preservative period of fruits and vegetables coated with this preservative can be as long as 200 days or more. Best of all, it can also be eaten with fruits and vegetables.

The glutinous rice paper used on candy packaging and the corn baking cup used in ice cream packaging is typical edible packaging. Synthetic edible packaging film in the more mature is transparent, colourless, odourless, non-toxic, with toughness, the high oil-resistant film can be used for food packaging. Its lustre, strength, folding resistance are better. 

• Degradable material

Degradable material refers to a kind of plastic whose chemical structure changes in a specific environment that causes performance loss in a specific time. Biodegradable plastic packaging materials not only have the functions and characteristics of traditional plastics but also can be completed after the service life, through the role of ultraviolet light in the sun or the role of microorganisms in soil and water, in the natural environment to split degradation and reduction, and finally re-enter the ecological environment in a non-toxic form, return to nature. For example, a French dairy company mixes ingredients from sugar beets with minerals to create an eco-box.

• Paper material

Paper raw materials are mainly natural plant fibre, in nature will rot quickly, will not cause pollution to the environment, can also recycle paper. Therefore, many large international companies use recyclable paper for annual reports and publicity materials and use recycled paper to make letterhead and letterhead to reflect their green purpose of environmental concern and establish a good corporate image. Paper materials also pulp injection parts, composite materials, building materials and other USES. Pulp moulded products in addition to lightweight, cheap, shockproof and other advantages it also has good air permeability, is conducive to fresh goods, in the international circulation of goods, is widely used in eggs, fruits, glass products and other fragile, fragile, afraid of extrusion items turnover packaging.

In addition, packaging designers can use pure and natural materials to improve the packaging design, such as using coconut shell to design a bowl container can be cleverly designed into food packaging. With packaging design design and color and arouse people's environmental consciousness, the design and colour of the product packaging sounds a little to do, and environmental protection, but it has a direct impact on consumers' visual perception, if deliberately attach some environmental mark on the package and environmental image, will stimulate the consumer's brain, remind consumers don't want disorderly throw away packaging waste. Some packaging pictures often use beautiful landscape pictures, not only can give people visual enjoyment but also enhance consumer awareness of environmental protection.