Biodegradable packaging

Reduce – Re-use and Recycle must be the guideline
Selecting the most appropriate material must be a priority!

Greenpeace Pyramid of Plastics

Greenpeace has developed a pyramid of plastics to assist those making material selection, and gives alternatives to PVC use. Asiapack is following this guideline.

1. PVC is widely used for blister packaging, but in Asiapack, we are working on safer alternatives such as paper, wood … or less environmentally damaging plastics.
   
   
2. Asiapack has developed some PS vacuum formed trays and PS plastic injection plates. This decision has been motivated by the fact that PS recycling rates are higher than for PVC.
   
   
3. Asiapack is also using Polyethylene-Terephthalate (PET) for its blisters. Indeed, recycling rates are high compared to other plastics.
   
   
4. Asiapack has also moved some of its packaging from PVC to PP. Except Bio-based polymers, this is the most environmental friendly plastic material. PP materials do not need plasticizers & have the highest potential for recycling. PP can be designed to replace almost all PVC applications.
   
   
5. Bio-based Polymers Biodegradable plastics from renewable sources are seen as a promising alternative for plastic products. The advantage of bio-polymers is that they readily degrade and can be composted.

Starch is a natural polymer. Cereal plants normally contain starch in large proportions. Starch can be processed directly into a bioplastic but, because it is soluble in water, articles made from starch will swell and deform when exposed to moisture, limiting its use.
This problem can be overcome by modifying the starch into a different polymer. First, starch is harvested from corn, wheat or potatoes, then microorganisms transform it into lactic acid, a monomer. Finally, the lactic acid is treated to become a plastic called polyactide (PLA).

PLA, & biodegradable plastic products currently on the market are from 2 to 10 times more expensive than traditional plastics. But the cheaper price of traditional plastics does not reflect their true cost when their full impact is considered. For example, when we buy a plastic bag we don’t pay for its collection and waste disposal after we use it. If we added up these sorts of associated costs, traditional plastics would cost more and biodegradable plastics might be more competitive.

Therefore, Asiapack is working on PLA packaging solutions.