Over the past five years, the world including Australia has seen high growth in eCommerce sales with brands looking to continue engaging with their customers online across all product categories, from apparel and fashion to home and appliances.
This was accelerated as a result of COVID-19, having a knock-on effect with states and territories going into lockdown, and businesses overnight switching to click and collect, directly impacting consumers’ buying behaviour.
During this period, a boom in home compostable packaging was also witnessed, with brands and consumers looking for more eco-friendly and plastic smart packaging to combat eCommerce packaging waste.
Department of Agriculture, Water, and the Environment acknowledges Australia has a plastic problem:
- Between 2018 to 2019 Australians used 3.5 million tonnes of plastics.
- Our use of plastic is increasing, and across the world will double by 2040.
- 84% of plastic currently used is sent to landfill and only 13% is recycled.
Addressing the plastic packaging issue, including eCommerce packaging, the Federal government has introduced the National Plastic Plan. They understand the entire plastic life-cycle needs an overhaul, and plastic packaging needs to be designed to be reused, recycled, recovered and redesigned.
Part of the plan is the 2025 National Packaging Target which means all packaging needs to be 100% reusable, recyclable or compostable.
This means it’s a critical time for businesses regardless of size, to start thinking now about their packaging needs so they can start planning and switching to packaging that will meet government standards.
Biogone plastics aims to help eCommerce and other businesses make the switch. We offer a wide range of cost-effective landfill-biodegradable and home compostable packaging and shipping materials. Including machine stretch wrap, bubble wrap, pallet strapping, mailing satchels, tape, and much more. You can shop the range here.
Landfill-biodegradable technology
Biogone’s landfill-biodegradable plastic technology is relatively new to Australia, however is currently being used across 25 countries. The product is made by combining traditional plastic with an organic additive. This makes the plastic: 
- Strong and durable like conventional plastics
- Reusable and recyclable
- Biodegrade approx. 90%+ faster than conventional plastics
- Biodegrades to a humus-like material (organic matter) which is a natural plant fertiliser and biogas
- Does not fragment to microplastics
The benefit to this technology, is the methane produced from accelerated landfill-biodegradable plastics, can be captured within the time frame the landfill is actively managed, rather than being released into the atmosphere over hundreds of years after the landfill has closed and stopped being managed. This captured methane can be used for fuel and energy production.
Home compostable technology
Biogone’s home compostable plastics are certified in accordance with Australian/NZ home compostable standard AS5810. As with all home compostable products which are certified in accordance with AS5810, they contain a component called PBAT, which is a highly biodegradable material, and can be disposed of in a home compost, commercial compost facility (if the waste stream is available) or landfill. They can also be disposed of in some council food and organic green bins where permitted, however, we recommend you enquire with your local council.
Explore the Biogone product range to see how your business can work towards meeting the 2025 National Packaging Targets.
Reference: National Plastic Plan, 2021 Department of Agriculture, Water, and the Environment. Commonwealth of Australia 2021
