Biodegradable Ireland - for bags that don't cost the earth

Welcome to Biodegradable.ie - the website from Polybags UK dedicated to Irish customers who want to do their bit for the environment.

As the UK's number one manufacturer of polythene packaging and eco-friendly alternatives, Polybags has a marketing-leading range of green packaging, including compostable and biodegradable ranges, plus products made from 100% recycled material and carbon-neutral, renewable bioplastic.

Whether you're looking for compostable carrier bags, 100% recycled mailing bags or carbon-neutral packing bags, you'll find all the eco-products you need at Polybags.

We offer fast delivery to Ireland plus no VAT and great savings on bulk orders for Irish customers.

Buy in pounds, save in Euros - with a big buy-in-bulk bonus

With Sterling's weakness in the currency market, your Euros go further, so you can buy in pounds and save in Euros!

New customs regulations and increased courier costs mean that small orders do cost a little more post-Brexit, but Polybags' Irish customers who buy in bulk can still take advantage of free delivery to Ireland.

All orders over £180 come with fast and free delivery - add to that the favourable exchange rate and you've got yourself a bulk-buy packaging bargain!

Our green credentials

Polybags take environmental matters very seriously. As a responsible packaging manufacturer, we understand the responsibility we have as a company, both to our environment and to the generations who will inhabit our planet in the future.

We manufacture a huge range of eco-friendly packaging that minimises environmental impact, whilst still enabling you to get the job done with the minimum of fuss, including a wide range of fully compostable products made from natural, starch-based bio-polymers.

We operate a 100%-recycling principle, with manufacturing processes designed to minimise waste wherever possible. We collect all waste in-house and use it to make new products, unless doing so is less energy-efficient than disposing of it.

Our eco-packaging range is expanding all the time, with our compostable, biodegradable and 100%-recycled ranges now accompanied by many products made from renewable material and our innovative I'm Green carbon-neutral range.

Latest news and views on biodegradable packaging

Compostable Packaging

Compostable packaging works optimal when it is treated as part of the food waste stream rather than as a separate packaging problem. Small amounts of residue that would spoil normal recycling do not cause the same headaches here, which makes assortment simpler at point of use and at the sorting stage. That said, the material still has to be selected and printed properly, because a package that sees compostable nevertheless will not smash down as expected creates confusion in bins and on the warehouse floor. Good specification and transparent stop-of-life labelling retain the all chain moving.

Degradable packaging only works properly when the material selection matches the job it has to transport out. A card and envelope manufactured from 100% recycled FSC certified board and paper can still give superb stiffness, print quality, and handling performance without relying on virgin fibre. That matters in the dispatch area, where crushed corners, split seams, and poor stack strength fast turn into waste. Recycled content also assists reduce demand for new raw material, while FSC certification gives better reassurance on sourcing. The practical result is packaging that assists both stock control and recycling without asking the converter to compromise on basic strength.

Global Biodegradable Packaging Materials Market Insight Report 2019 – Overview by Key Players: BASF, International Paper, Mondi

Biodegradable packaging only works properly when the material selection matches the job on the line and in the warehouse. A film or board that smashs down also fast may see superb on paper, nevertheless it can lose seal strength, resist moisture badly, or fail amid stacking and dispatch. That matters in proper production because a poor spec leads to split packs, handling damage, and higher waste at repack. Buyers also need to check how the material behaves in storage, since heat, damp, and long dwell times can change performance before it ever reaches the client. A sensible specification balances compostable claims with practical pack strength, so the packaging survives the full journey.

Starch bags can be a useful option where a compostable pack is needed, nevertheless the material claim has to be checked properly. Some bags sold below loose biodegradable language are not manufactured from starch at all, and the rest smash down far also slowly to suit normal food waste or biological recycling systems. The safest guide is the normal printed on the pack, because EN13432 shows that the bag has been assessed for compostability in a recognised method. Without that label, the wording on the label may promise above the material can transport. That sort of mismatch causes sorting problems later and can lead to rejected sacks or pollution in the waste stream.

Global Biodegradable Plastic Packaging Market is Trending in Worldwide with Demand, Supply, Net Profit, Expansion Plans & Business Analysis

Biodegradable plastic packaging is being judged more on how it behaves in proper packing lines than on the promise written on the spec sheet. Some grades handle well on form-occupy-seal equipment, while the rest soften also early, stretch unevenly, or struggle with seal consistency when line speed rises. That matters because a superb-looking pack is no assist if the film blocks in the reel, tears at the jaw, or gives weak corners after palletising. Warehouses also need to know how the material sits in store, since heat and damp can change performance above time. A biodegradable option only earns its place when it runs cleanly, protects product, and still fits normal production control.

Global Green Packaging Market 2018 by Manufacturers, Countries, Type and Application, Forecast to 2023

Green packaging revenues in South America rose above the 2013 to 2018 period because buyers began asking more questions about material selection, waste and stop-of-life handling. That shift was not only about image; it pushed converters and packers to think harder about board grade, recycled content, lighter gauge film and whether a pack could survive distribution without excessive secondary packing. In practice, a greener specification only works if the material still runs well on the line and protects the product through storage and dispatch. The strongest results came where environmental claims matched proper performance on the shop floor.

Environmental bags need to be manufactured from the proper material for the job, not only labelled as greener. A cotton, jute or canvas bag behaves very differently on the shop floor and in use: cotton folds neatly nevertheless can soften below load, jute gives a tougher feel nevertheless may shed fibres, and canvas normally offers better body for repeated handling. Matching the material, stitch quality and seam strength to the intended transport weight reduces split handles and returns. It also assists when the bags are packed, stacked and moved in bulk, because a better-manufactured bag retains its shape and stores more cleanly. Good material selection saves waste long before the bag reaches the client.

Eco-friendly bags only work in practice when the film specification is controlled properly, because a bag that tears, sticks together or throws the line off balance soon cancels out any environmental claim. On a packing line, the blend of polythene suppliers has to give enough toughness for handling damage, while the gauge must stay consistent so seal quality and automatic opening do not drift from one dash to the next. Too much material adds waste and haulage weight; also small brings split seams and complaints. When the film is install well, the bags dash cleanly, stack neatly and retain pallet stability intact, which is where the proper saving beginnings.

The big Mini Muncher giveaway is on grasp while we wait for new stock to arrive in August/September.  In the meantime, residents can still collect complimentary compostable bags from the Civic Centre.

Compostable bags need to be matched to the waste stream they are meant for, or they can cause trouble at the sorting stage. A bag that sees proper on the shelf may still behave badly in a food waste assortment if the gauge is also thin, the seal line is weak, or the film softens also early in hot conditions. Once the bag is filled with peelings, tea bags and other kitchen waste, it has to survive lifting, tying and carted movement without splitting. That makes material selection, film quality and bag size above a matter of convenience. A sound specification reduces mess and retains biological waste moving cleanly into the next stage.

Why degradable or biodegradable packaging?

Biodegradation is the process by which organic substances are broken down by the enzymes produced by living organisms.

The website Packagingknowledge.com states: "Conventional plastics do not break down. Litter and landfill waste may take years to degrade. Another problem with ordinary plastics is that anything contained within them may not reach their full degradation potential. This results in a needless waste of valuable landfill space."

Based on the material used, bioplastics can take varying lengths of time to totally compost, but usually biodegrade up to 60% within 90 to 180 days. It is also important to know the differences between degradable, biodegradable and compostable.

Compostable

"Capable of undergoing biological decomposition in a compost site as part of an available program, such that the plastic is not visually distinguishable and breaks down to carbon dioxide, water, inorganic compounds, and biomass, at a rate consistent with known compostable materials (e.g. cellulose) and leaves no toxic residue." - American Society for Testing & Materials (ASTM).

So in order for a plastic to be called compostable it needs to meet three rules:

1. It needs to be able to biodegrade, i.e. it needs to break down into carbon dioxide, water and biomass at the same rate as cellulose (paper)
2. The material has to fully disintegrate, i.e. be indistinguishable in the compost
3. Eco-toxicity - the biodegradation must not produce any toxic material so that the compost can support plant growth

Biodegradable plastic

Biodegradable plastic is one which can be chemically degraded via natural effectors such as soil bacteria, weather, plants or animals.

Note that there is no requirement for leaving no toxic residue, as well as no requirement for the time it takes to biodegrade.

Degradable plastic

By definition, this term refers to a plastic film containing a controlled percentage of an appropriate non-toxic, non-tinting additive, which will enable the plastic film to totally degrade when exposed to aerobic or anaerobic conditions, including when disposed in a landfill or other regulated dumping area, and within such period of time as specified.

A plastic therefore may be degradable but not biodegradable or it may be biodegradable but not compostable, i.e. it breaks down too slowly to be called compostable or leaves toxic residue.