A pioneer Sri Lankan compostable and biodegradable film manufacturing company, the Plastic Packaging Ltd has supplied over six million compostable bags to the local market including three major supermarkets in the country, Keells, Cargills and Laugfs, during the past three-month period.
Speaking to Daily News Business, Plastic Packaging Chairman Dr Mervyn Dias said from the time of the government’s decision of banning the use of high density polythene bags and food wrapping sheets, the supermarkets started providing the option of compostable and biodegradable bags to their customers.
The 30-year old Plastic Packaging has not only been catering to local consumers especially from last year but also exporting biodegradable food wrapping sheets and bags to the UK and few other European markets during the past ten years.
Dias further said although the company manufactured 10 micron bin liners to the UK market during the early stage, now the thickness has been reduced from 10 microns to 3 microns.
“Although the thickness was reduced, the strength of the bag is maintained to the maximum,” he said.
He further highlighted that they manufacture these polythene free compostable and biodegradable bags according to the UK approved EN 13432 standard.
He said all compostable wrapping papers and bags currently used by Sri Lankan consumers are manufactured according to the standard and unlike polythene, these compostable bags gets composted within 180 days in an industrial composting unit or the bags can be disposed to the home composting unit.
He said polythene bags take over 500 years to degrade and such a situation badly pollutes the environment and causes heavy damage not only to human beings and other living beings but also to fauna and flora.
Dias further said that no exports could be done to any EU country without this certification which is carried out accurately in independent laboratories in Belgium.
His factory is now manufacturing products to cater to the domestic market in addition to their overseas customers. “We currently supply compostable and biodegradable bags and sheets to supermarkets, shops and also to customers who request compostable food sheets and bags.”
He can be contacted on email [email protected].