As more and more people strive to live a healthy lifestyle, supplements have become an increasingly popular way to get the nutrients our bodies need.
Unfortunately, many supplements come packaged in non-biodegradable plastic bottles, which can end up in landfills and oceans, polluting the environment.
What choice do we have?
Biodegradable bottles made from materials like cornstarch or bamboo can break down naturally without harming the environment. And since they’re compostable, they can even be used as fertiliser for your garden!
Suppose you’re looking for a way to help the planet and stay healthy. In that case, biodegradable packaging is an excellent choice for those who want to care for their health and the environment simultaneously.
With a new mission to become environmentally friendly, we have located a supplier specialising in eco-packaging solutions for the pharma & nutraceuticals industries.
What is a biodegradable bottle?
There are 3 levels of sustainability for your supplement bottles:
- PLA & PHA (100% biodegradable)
- R-PET (a.k.a. PCR PET – Post Consumer Recycled PET)
- PET (100% Recyclable)
A BIO-Compostable packaging is defined as the one that in presence of living organisms within environmental conditions, will completely transform into natural elements (i.e. Water, Compost, CO2). Our bottles are now 100% BIO-Compostable material.
Are all Bioplastics Compostable too?
Not all bioplastics are Compostable . If you are targeting a Compostable solution, please insist on Compostable and not only bioplastics. Our BIO-Compostable material is a bioplastic that is BIO-Compostable .
BIOplastics are plastics made from renewable organic materials BIO-Compostable plastics are those that can be broken down by microorganisms. BIOplastics that take hundreds of years to decomposed are referred to as “durable”.
How long does it take to degrade?
For the packaging to decompose fast, 3 factors are needed:
- High temperature (T>55°C)
- Humidity
- Microorganisms
Absence of one of these factors slows decomposition but does not stop it (as long as T>0°C)
It will take years to decompose in a shelf or warehouse However, when into an industrial composting premise, over 90% of its mass will biodegrade in less than 6 months.
*Defined as per UNE-EN ISO 13432 (US ASTM D6400-04).
Where does it come from?
The raw material we use to produce the packaging comes from Bonsucro certified sugar cane productions in Thailand.:
What about Carbon Footprint?
Compared to PET, HEIS’ BIO-Compostable material Carbon Footprint is 4 times lower. Compared to glass, CO2 footprint is 20 times lower:
Where should you place it after use?
Thanks to its decomposition capabilities and its identification label, the consumer has several alternatives:
Compost containers (some regions in Europe and widespread in USA)
Packaging bins
Plastics bins
Is it compostable packaging as well recyclable?
The recycling process is pretty straightforward: washing, milling and reintroduction into the production line. No chemical additives are required.
While the optimum trash bin is the compostable one, if mixed with other plastics into the plastics or packaging bins, it can be separated from others in the same way as conventional plastics are currently classified.
