Biodegradable Food Packaging Film
It is commonly understood that most plastic products take many years (indeed many decades) before they begin to biodegrade.
So why does plastic remain popular? It is functional, it is durable, it is strong and stable, it is hygienic, it is lightweight and it requires a lot less energy and resources to produce than many alternate solutions.
Plastics deliver a multitude of benefits to a modern society, such as automotive, construction, medical and, of course, the food industry. But at the end of its life, plastic is perceived as a problem and recycling of most soft plastics or light gauge films is either not viable or the systems simply do not exist today. At Breathe Fresh we acknowledge our responsibility as a plastics manufacturer and are actively engaged with like minded Industry participants to help drive innovation and find new, environmentally responsible solutions for improved end of life outcomes for all polymers.
An important aspect of our products are that they provide very light gauge solutions, and are typically much lighter than the alternate solutions, which commonly utilise multi layer film structure or simply use heavier gauges of films. This means our films are part of the solution of “lightweighting” the package to use the lowest possible amount of raw material.
In the absence of existing recycling technologies or systems to effectively collect, sort and process films, we are pleased to provide a responsible solution via our new BioFreshTM catering films which is landfill biodegradable.
Breathe Fresh has incorporated new technology to create a film that will break down at a much faster rate than untreated film. Independently tested and verified by Intertek Laboratories, BioFreshTM film was verified to biodegrade in a land fill environment per ASTM D5511-18, being the globally recognised test measure to simulate a landfill environment. The rate of biodegradation will always vary given each land fill varies in its level of microbial activity, moisture level and temperature, however the technology was independently verified and found to be effective.
BioFreshTM does not create microplastics, instead it attracts the microbes in the landfill to the material, and these microbes consume the plastic alongside all other organic materials found in a landfill, returning it to humus and while creating water and methane. For those savvy food professionals who seek conventional functionality and performance combined with a preferred end of life outcome, our new BioFreshTM film is the film of choice.
BioFreshTM is available in both 33cm x 600m and 45cm x 600m formats, and will perform to the same high standards that our entire film range already offers, especially in the areas of:
- Stretch – with great film memory for a tight wrap every time
- Clarity – the film offers exceptional optical properties and is crystal clear
- Cling – sticks to many different surfaces and (of course) itself
- Toughness – great puncture resistance to sharp edges
- Breathing – to keep the food fresh longer
- Microwave safe – cook and reheat food and retain the moisture in the food