Biodegradable
PLA (polylactic acid) is typically made from the sugars in corn starch, cassava or sugarcane. We use corn starch to manufacture Bonnie Bio’s products. The end result is biodegradable, carbon-neutral and edible. The starch is comprised of long chains of carbon molecules, similar to the carbon chains in plastic from fossil fuels. Biodegradable plastics take three to six months to decompose fully. That’s much quicker than synthetic counterparts that take several hundred years. Exactly how long a biodegradable product takes to break down depends on various factors, such as temperature, the amount of moisture and oxygen present.
Our products are durable and hardy, with the same exceptional qualities of plastic. In fact, you’d be hard-pressed to tell the difference. In store, our products won’t start decomposing for 12 – 18 months, and even longer if kept cool and dry.
How quickly our product degrades is totally reliant on the environmental conditions. High temperatures and exposure to the sun’s UV will accelerate the degradation process. With all biodegradable materials, an oxygen-rich environment plays a part. Without oxygen the degradation is dormant. To keep our products (12 – 18 months) for as long as possible, we recommend storing them in a cool, dark place.
Expectancy
Whilst our corn starch material will decompose in an open or turned landfill, or within your home composting bin, please be mindful of what you place inside our bags as this may not be biodegradable. All of our exterior packaging (the box our products come in) have been printed using eco-solve ink. Please recycle where possible or dispose of in the correct recycling bin.
Are your products home compostable?
Yes, our products can be thrown in your home compost bin along with your kitchen and garden waste. It takes between 40 – 90 days for our corn starch packaging to decompose in the right conditions.
Home composting, if done properly, can have benefits compared to landfilling and incineration of organic waste: due to lower volumes of waste collected from households it may lead to reduced waste management fees, and it produces compost for private gardening use.
Please do be mindful that whilst our Multipurpose Bags are compostable, what you put in them may not be.
he manufacturing of paper bags/straws/packaging is not as environmentally friendly, causing 70% more atmospheric pollution than the manufacture of plastic, which we can agree is pretty horrendous all on it’s own. Paper packaging uses 300% more energy to produce, using huge amounts of water and generating very unpleasant organic waste. When paper bags/straws/packaging degrades, it emits methane and carbon dioxide. When considering bags alone, even the transport of a paper alternative causes seven times more pollution and road congestion than transporting our Multipurpose Bags, as they are bulkier, thicker and take up more space in delivery vehicles. Less space = more trips. Paper is not durable and will disintegrate if wet. Generally, people may use two or three bags inside each other when carrying heavier items.
Certified
Absolutely. Our bags have been manufactured to comply with the following composting & biodegradable standards: EN 13432 | AS 5810 | ASTM D6400 ASTM D6868. To confirm BPI Compostable accreditation, please click here. Our straws have been manufactured to comply with the following composting & biodegradable standards: EN 13432 | AS 5810 | ASTM D6400 ASTM D6868.
