There are a lot of options when it comes to choosing sustainable packaging and eco-friendly packaging materials. For businesses wanting to know how to choose the most appropriate eco-friendly packaging materials for your products, it can be sometimes confusing and overwhelming.
We have provided an overview of the main eco-friendly packaging materials available to help you decide what is the best choice for your business to meet your sustainable packaging goals.
Packaging needs to be designed to be reused, recycled and recovered
As part of the 2025 National Packaging Targets, plastic packaging needs to be designed to be reused, recycled and recovered.
The 2025 National Packaging Targets include:
- 100% reusable, recyclable or compostable packaging
- 70% of plastic packaging being recycled or composted
- 50% average recycled content included in packaging
- Phase out of problematic and unnecessary single use plastic packaging
When it comes to biodegradable plastics, the 2 main choices are:
- Landfill-Biodegradable (which is our choice)
- Compostable (home and commercial)
What is landfill biodegradable plastic?
Biogone landfill biodegradable plastics biodegrade naturally in landfills – as our plant-based additive attracts microbes to the plastic in landfill environments, and the microbes gradually digest it. As they do this, the enzymes (the microbes secrete) break the carbon bonds in the plastic molecule allowing the microbes to digest them for their energy. As more enzymes are secreted, more atoms are removed from the plastic molecule (called depolymerisation) which the microbes can digest.
Biogone landfill-biodegradable plastics have the sturdiness and versatility of traditional plastics but break down in landfill over a period of tens of years – compared to traditional plastics taking up to hundreds of years to break down. Biogone landfill biodegradable plastics do not fragment into microplastics during biodegradation, as the microbes digest our plastic.
What is oxo-degradable plastic?
‘Oxo-degradable’ is another label, however is a very different process. Degradable plastic is a plastic with a metallic salt additive that sets off a slow chemical reaction and over 12-24 months will cause the plastic to fragment into little pieces. This has nothing to do with biodegradation and microorganisms. Also, the reaction will only work in the presence of oxygen and sunlight. So, if a degradable plastic is buried in a landfill where there is no sunlight and very little oxygen, it will stay there like conventional plastic, not degrading. Therefore, for degradable plastic to fragment down into little pieces it must be up on top of the ground and there those little pieces will blow around and disperse into the environment, which is very harmful to wildlife and ecosystems.
Biogone’s landfill-biodegradable products do not feature any ‘degradable’ additives and do not fragment down to microplastics during biodegradation. From 2022, oxo-degradable technology will be phased out under the 2025 National Plastic Plan.
Can landfill biodegradable plastic be recycled?
Biogone landfill-biodegradable products can be reused and recycled with other mainstream soft plastics and have REDcycle approval. Our additive does not impact the recycling process, and some local recyclers have been taking our soft plastic waste since 2018 and have not encountered any issues. Landfill-biodegradable plastics are categorised by their resin identification code (1-7), just like standard plastic products.
Are Biogone products made with recycled plastic?
Some of our products are made with a percentage of post-industrial recycled plastic. This is different to post-consumer recycled plastic, such as when soft plastics go to ‘REDcycle’ or other soft plastics recyclers. Post-industrial usually means recycling from otherwise wastage or by-products within the manufacturing facility or factory itself. Unfortunately, post-consumer recycled plastic is not readily available for most manufacturers.
What is home compostable plastic?
There are two types of compostable plastic – home compostable and commercial compostable.
Home compostable plastics have an extra component in them, which is a highly biodegradable material. This allows home compostable products to biodegrade in cooler temperatures such as home compost bins or landfills. Their biodegradation rates are longer than commercial compost facilities but still relatively fast being several months up to 1-2 years, depending on the plastic thickness.
Home compostable plastic can be disposed of in a commercial compost facility (if available), home compost pile (based on the continents and residue) or rubbish bin destined for landfill. However home compostable plastic packaging is not recyclable. Biogone’s home compostable products are certified for home compostability in accordance with Australian/NZ standard AS5810.
What is commercial compostable plastic?
Commercial compostable packaging will biodegrade under commercial composting conditions as per AS4736. Currently, in Australia, there are several limitations for commercial compostable plastics that make them not a sustainable option, because for a compostable plastic to biodegrade it must be in a commercial compost facility with temperatures of 60 degrees Celsius, plenty of oxygen and good moisture levels. If those conditions are not met, the compostable plastic will not biodegrade as the microorganisms need those conditions to live.
Due to their different composition, compostable plastics cannot be recycled with mainstream soft plastics. Their materials have different properties and would contaminate other conventional plastics if they were mixed. There are very few commercial compost facilities in Australia, making it very unlikely that commercially compostable plastic will ever be transported there. Therefore, if the plastic cannot be collected and delivered to a commercial compost facility, the alternative option for disposal is a general rubbish bin destined for landfill, where it will not biodegrade anytime soon.
Both home and commercial compostable materials require a specific set of moisture, heat, and oxygen to break down into a nutrient-rich organic material.
Is biodegradable, home or commercial compostable packaging better?
While they are all eco-friendly packaging options, it comes down to disposal:
- Biogone’s landfill-biodegradable plastic is recyclable with other soft plastics and biodegrades in landfill, is strong like conventional plastic and does not have a shelf life
- Home compostable plastics can be disposed of in a home compost (depending on the contents) and can be disposed of in the general rubbish bin, however can’t be recycled and have a shelf life
- Unfortunately due to the lack of infrastructure and commercial compost facilities to collect, sort and process commercial compostable packaging, the most common and convenient option is the general rubbish bin where it does not have the right conditions to biodegrade
What kind of eco-friendly packaging will you choose?
In summary, Biogone’s landfill-biodegradable plastic is the logical solution in most cases as it is recyclable in line with the 2025 National Packaging Targets, and when it cannot be recycled, it can be disposed of to a landfill where it will biodegrade over time. Alternatively, home compostable packaging is a great eco-friendly option depending on the use and disposal options available.
Landfill-biodegradable and home compostable packaging are the plastic smart options to deal with the current rate of 84% of plastic ending up in Australia’s landfills.
Check out Biogone’s landfill-biodegradable packaging products and home compostable product range today.