Are Compostable Bags the Future of Sustainable Packaging?

The fashion industry uses packaging that accounts for 26% of the world's plastic production each year, so it's clear that more sustainable solutions are critical.

There is also growing consumer pressure for change, leading to new legislation targeting single-use plastics. Brand creativity and innovation, as well as public and private sector collaboration, are key to making a real impact.

Key efforts by fashion brands so far have included encouraging consumers to recycle, offering reusable bags, replacing plastic packaging with paper, and manufacturing packaging and bags from recycled plastic.

While it's positive that brands are trying to do something, many of these efforts aren't really having an impact.

Fashion blogs are filled with the seemingly endless ways consumers reuse branded plastic bags to ship their products. But even though plastic bags are used many times, it still never really goes away and, like all plastics, will stay with us for hundreds of years. It will eventually decompose and become microplastics, polluting our soil, oceans, and even human bodies, causing serious ecological damage and health threats.

Recycling is also not the solution many consumers and brands are hoping for.

Only about 8 percent of the flexible plastic typically used to transport goods actually makes it into recycling programs; the rest is not recycled due to pollution and poor economic incentives. It is often cheaper to produce new plastic than to recycle old items, and many items made from recycled plastic also require new plastic.

Additionally, while cloth and paper bags are often beautiful and feel "natural," they are not an ideal solution because they require the use of trees, and large amounts of water, and involve polluting manufacturing processes. From a practical standpoint, they also fail to adequately keep cargo clean and dry during transit.

A long-overlooked but growing solution to the plastic problem is the use of compostable bags and packaging.

The history of composting organic waste can be traced back to many ancient civilizations, starting as far back as the Neolithic, including the Egyptians and Greeks. Composting has long been a way to improve soil health and crop yields. Today, with soil erosion and climate change, composting is even more important -- both to produce enough food for a growing global population and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

They prevent the release of methane into the environment when items such as leftover food, yard waste, and packaging materials are composted rather than landfilled.

As more and more brands consider compostable packaging, many of our customers have turned to this solution.

This type of packaging breaks down into valuable agricultural compost when disposed of in a composting facility or home compost pile, which can be used to ship items to consumers, package items purchased in stores, and store and ship entire supplies by the brand's logistics team Chain materials and finishes. Generally speaking, compostable plastic bags are clear and flexible, and offer many of the same advantages as conventional plastics.

Brands using compostable plastic bags need to ensure they are tested and certified and provide consumers and other users with clear instructions on how and where to compost. Properly made compostable bags are just as strong as conventional items, albeit with a shorter shelf life.

The potential of compostable materials presents a major opportunity for brands.

As overall compost rates grow, compostable packaging will be the ultimate solution – not only reducing plastic pollution but also nourishing the planet.

By adopting sustainable packaging, the fashion industry has the potential to have a lasting impact on the environment.

We're already leading the way when it comes to sustainable packaging, helping our clients transform their brands into greener, cleaner businesses.

If you would like to learn more about how we can help you, please contact us today.

TORISE is a compostable and biodegradable products manufacturer. Since August 2010, we have been developing a full range of sustainable alternatives to traditional plastics. Our Torise products are made from natural resins derived from plant starches, vegetable oils, and compostable polymers that are easily consumed by microbes in the soil.

All of our products have international authoritative certifications such as EN13432 (Din Certco), OK Compost, OK Compost HOME (TUV Austria), ASTM D6400 (BPI), AS4736 and AS5810 (ABA).

From our raw materials to inks, to finished products, you can be confident that anything we make will break down in the process and won't harm the environment!