important facts

680 : The number of bags used annually per household… That is 2 bags in one day!
20 minutes ! : The average lifespan of a grocery bag 
400 years ! : The number of years a plastic bag takes up to biodegrade
360 The number of kilos of waste that a person generates annually (source Ademe France), of which:

• 29 % biodegradable matter
• 25 % newspaper, paper, cardboard
• 13 % glass
• 11 % plastic
• 4 % metal
• 18 % fireproof textiles, fuels, various complex materials and dangerous waste

850'000 tons of plastic were used in Switzerland in 2004 (OZD) 
500'000 tons end up in our landfills (KVS)
+ 50% is plastic packaging (DREE, 2004)

The production of plastic requires petroleum-derived products (i.e. raw, non-renewable materials), and water; it also generates hazardous gas emissions. 

High-density Polyethylene (HDPE) bags end up in :

• Landfills where they will take up to 400 years to decompose.
• Incinerators where they generate greenhouse gases which in turn contribute to atmospheric acidification and photochemical oxidant formation.
• In natural environments. Seeing that HDPEs are both resistant and lightweight, they are a source of visual pollution. Additionally, HDPEs are harmful to the flora and fauna.

The biodegradable bag has the following significant advantages :

• it is of vegetal origin and is made with renewable raw materials.
• 100% biodegradable so is least harmful to the environment when abandoned (*).
• 100% compostable hence it does not require being incinerated (pollutive process) and can be discarded in compost once used.
• 100% GMO-free (BioApply commitment), it constitutes a potential market for European agriculture.

The biodegradable bag is less harmful to the environment than the plastic bag. It consumes less non-renewable energy in the course of its lifecycle.

On the lifecycle of a biodegradable bag :

SHOPPERS :

Comparing the BioApply shopper bag to a Plastic Polyethylene (PE) bag :

• Consumes approximately 10% less water than does a disposable PE bag.
• Consumes approximately 40% less energy than does a disposable PE bag.
• Emits approximately 10% less greenhouse gases than does a disposable PE bag.

Comparing the BioApply shopper bag to a paper bag :

• Consumes about 3.5x less water than does a paper bag.
• Consumes about 1.7x less energy than does a paper bag.
• Emits about 2x less greenhouse gases than does a paper bag.

LOOP HANDLE BAGS :

Comparing the BioApply loop handle bag to a soft loop handle bag made from plastic (HDPE) :
On the basis of being used 15 times:

• Consumes 3x less water than does a plastic loop handle HDPE bag.
• Consumes 3x less energy than does a plastic loop handle HDPE bag.
• Emits 50% less greenhouse gases than does a plastic loop handle HDPE bag.

Comparing the BioApply loop handle bag to a Woven Polypropylene (PP) bag :
On the basis of being used 15 times:

• Consumes 10x less water than does a loop handle Woven PP bag.
• Consumes 10x less energy than does a loop handle Woven PP bag.
• Emits 5x less greenhouse gases than does a loop handle Woven PP bag.

 Biodegradation

It is very important to bear in mind the authenticity of biodegradable bags that is verified by the label.

 Biodegradable bags

All BioApply products adhere to the European Norm EN 13432. According to this norm :

• Biodegradability : at least 90% of total mass must be biodegraded in less than 6 months.
• Disintegration : the final compost (remaining 10%) is screened with a 2 mm sieve, the mass of test material residues with dimensions bigger than 2 mm.
• Quality of compost : must not be reduced by other packaging material added to the compost. Good quality is verified through obligatory eco-toxicological tests.
• 
  They come with a OK Compost certificate 

 Oxo-Dégradables

Oxo products are thermoplastics made with with fossil fuel additives.

An oxidizing agent is added to PP/PE bags to stimulate degradation.

As a result, oxo products do not imply biodegradation as these polyolefins will not disappear. Even if they do become invisible, they will remain in the natural environment as toxic oxidizing agents of heavy metals. Oxo products do not comply with the European Norm EN 13432.

 Bio-Fragmentables

Bio-Fragmentables do not contain oxidizing agents. Nonetheless, they are synthetic polymers (just like oxo products) that are known to remain in the environment. Bio-Fragmentables do not comply with the European Norm EN 13432.

 What can we do?

Reduce our consumption of plastic bags !

Introducing biodegradable bags is a definite ecological advancement of our time. BioApply's number one objective is to significantly reduce the daily consumption of plastic bags and this directly corresponds with an additional aim of preserving  the natural environment.

Choose the biodegradable-reusable bag: it will reduce the overall consumption of bags and, at the same time, will provide an ecological superiority over other alternatives such as reusable plastic bags. 

Throw your bag in the compost once it goes out of use 

Just because the bag is biodegradable does not imply that it should be abandoned in public places. For the best result one should put the bag in the compost once it becomes unusable. 

Learn to recognize a biodegradable bag

There are many alternative bags that claim to be "ecological", "bio", "eco-friendly"...: Bio-Fragmentable or Oxo-Biodegradable bags are made with polyethylene matter and contain other chemical additives; biodegradation of these products occurs through a physicochemical process rather than a biological one.

The European Norm as well as the described labels guarantee the authentic biodegradability of a BioApply bag. These labels are usually printed on either side of the bag. 

Use biodegradable bags 

• Because they are successful in Switzerland!*
  According to a survey by l'Institut Link 83% of people being questioned are in favor of replacing plastic grocery bags with biodegradable bags; 90% of people from the French-speaking part of Switzerland are very supportive of this transition.
• The Canton of Jura has prohibited the use of plastic bags on its territory****
• The General Council proposes to limit the use of plastic bags and insists that, ecologically, paper bags are not a better alternative **
• The European Union has adopted a directive on the replacement of polyethylene containing bags by those made with biodegradable raw materials; the following directive is to be fully adopted by 2010***

Similar measures have already taken place in Italy, France, UK, USA, Melbourne, Hong Kong and China

And this is only the beginning…  

Dismissing plastic bags in favour of biodegradable bags is a step in the right direction. Currently our bags are being produced from corn starch but we have already begun the research and development of bags made from other vegetable matter. Eventually, we intend to introduce other methods of production to further improve our line of products. 


Sources :

• Study carried out by COMPOSTO, Olten, CH * 9/98
• Life Cycle Assessments of MATER-Bi Bags for the Collection of Compostable Waste "Study carried out by Bio Intelligence Service ((A)), France, 5/05
• Evaluation of the environmental impacts of the bags in the case of Crossroads, France 2/04
• Contribution to the evaluation of the environmental impacts of the bags  Case Study carried out by (A)/Crossroads Supermarkets, France, 6/05
• Etude N-packts_Biokunststoff Studie, Nieder Oesterreich 08
• Study by COMPOSTO, Olten, CH *9/98 
• ³Evaluation of the environmental impacts from plastic bags ¹² 
• Evaluation of the environmental impacts from plastic bags, Ademe 2005
• Synthesis I : Biodegradation and biodegradable polymer matter, ADEME 3/05
• Synthesis II : Biodegradable matter and its applications, ADEME 6/06