Our Impact

Our position on plastics

We believe if single-use plastics must be used then they should be made to be recyclable and biodegrade where they will be disposed of – in a landfill, commercial or home compost facility.

Our landfill-biodegradable plastics are both biodegradable and recyclable; and our home compostable plastics are biodegradable and compostable. Our landfill-biodegradable and home compostable plastics are a logical substitute for everyday plastics due to the long-term impact of plastics on the environment, which can last for centuries.

Our philosophy and practice is in line with the National Plastic Ban and 2025 National Packaging Target, which aims ‘to have all packaging 100% reusable, recyclable or compostable’.

Our materials

Some of our products are made with 50% or even 100% recycled plastic, and others with plant-based materials.

Biogone landfill-biodegradable products are made by combining traditional plastic with an organic additive. The biodegradation only begins when the plastic is exposed to a microbe-rich environment, such as a landfill. The additive attracts microbes to the plastic, and they digest it away. The biodegradability of plastic can be confirmed by comparing biodegradation results from an independent laboratory using either ASTM D5511, ASTM D5526 or Bio-Methane Potential (BMP) tests.

Degradable or ‘oxo-degradable’ plastics are slowing being banned and phased out around the world as they breakdown into microplastics. Our landfill-biodegradable products do not feature any degradable additives and will not fragment to form microplastics. We do not use or support degradable/ fragmentable additives. 

How we fit into the circular economy

We use 50% recycled plastic material in some of our plastic products such as our post-consumer and post-industrial recycled plastic products.

Our landfill-biodegradable products can be reused and recycled with other mainstream soft plastics (where available) which complements a circular economy.

Additionally, as our plastics biodegrade naturally in modern landfills, the methane captured can be reclaimed through biogas capture for fuel and energy production (waste to energy).

How we manage our waste

We have implemented various recycling and waste reduction systems that go above standard business practices, demonstrating our commitment to reducing waste, this includes:

• Implementing a compost bin on site 
• Reusing cardboard, soft plastics and paper to pack and ship customer orders 
• Reusing paper in the office 
• Recycling soft plastics and steel  
• Repairing and purchasing second-hand wooden pallets and crates  
• Implementing a Terracycle recycling bin for post-consumer hard-to-recycle items 
• Recycling printer cartridges 
• Refilling dishwashing liquid and hand soap bottles to reduce plastic waste 

In 2023, we recycled approximately 35.94 tonnes of recyclable materials in our warehouse, including soft plastics, cardboard and paper, co-mingled recycling, steel, and post-consumer hard-to-recycle items.  

We recycle over 95% of soft plastics that enter our warehouse, sorting plastics by clear and coloured plastics to ensure they are recycled properly.

Shipping

Energy

As well as being innovators in landfill-biodegradable plastic waste, we are also determined to reduce our own business operations carbon footprint to help tackle climate change.

In 2018, we installed a solar PV system on our warehouse roof, which generates more than 125% of the electricity needed for their entire operations over a 12-month period. This equates to over 11 tonnes of CO2 emissions being saved per year. All of the lights in our office and warehouse have been replaced with LED globes to help reduce energy use.

Supply chain

Australian Made

These are our Australian Made Biogone products:

• Bubble wrap
• Plastic jars
• A selection of our ziplock products
• Cutomised bags and film

We are working towards adding more Australian made products to our range.

Certifications & Testing Methods

These are the certifications we have recieved for our products and testing we have undertaken on our plastic products:

• GECA claims authentication for our home compostable range
• Global Green Tag approval for our Biodegradable Packing Tape, Machine Tape, Fragile Packing Tape & Printed Packing Tape
• Biodegradability has been verified using ASTM D5511, third party ASTM D5526 or Bio-Methane Potential (BMP) tests
• Our nitrile gloves are Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) approved
• Our landfill-biodegradable additive is USFDA approved

Awards

Community initiatives

Beach Patrol

Founders of Biogone Dr Ross and Ramona Headifen were deeply impacted by the volume of plastic waste they saw during a two-year volunteering trip to Tanzania; and upon returning home, they fostered one of the biggest community litter collection volunteer groups in Melbourne, called BeachPatrol. Ross and Ramona are heavily involved in managing BeachPatrol and manage regular litter collection events. Biogone sponsors BeachPatrol events including Spring Clean the City. 

Charity donations

Biogone donates dog waste bags to dog groups and charities including Greyhound Rescue, Colliewobbles Rescue & Rehoming Australia, and Australian Animal Protection Society.  We are proud to support animal rescue groups who continue to care and nurture for animals whilst reducing their impact on the environment.  

Equality, Diversity & Inclusion

We are committed to cultivating a workplace culture that champions equality, diversity, and inclusion. We recognise the importance of employing a diverse range of talent across different ethnicities, sexual orientations, genders, and age groups, as this diversity enriches our perspectives and enhances our ability to innovate and problem-solve.

Our commitment to inclusion extends to creating an environment where all employees feel respected and valued, contributing to our collective success, and enabling us to meet the needs of our varied stakeholders.