The using of compostable and biodegradable food wrapping sheets which are environmental friendly is the only solution to over 1.5 million people who depend on non degradable polythene bags in every day life, Plastic Pakaging Pte Ltd (PPP), Chairman Mervyn Dias said.
According to Dias compostable and biodegradable food wrapping sheets do not have any polythene.
They are manufactured using a globally certified compostable and biodegradable resin that confirms to international standards for composting such as European standard EN13432 OK Compost , OK Compost Home Composting standard, American standard D6400, Australian Standard AS 4736
He said these sheets have already been tested at the Industrial Technology Institute in Sri Lanka (ITI) and they have certified that there is no polythene in the compostable sheets.
He further said the advantage is that polythene or any other material cannot be mixed with this special bio resin and if mixed cannot obtain a film.
Therefore these food friendly compostable and biodegradable food wrapping sheets are 100% environmentally friendly and cannot be mixed with any others to reduce the cost.
Dias said that over the decades Sri Lankans have been in the habit of depending on polythene bags in everyday life. However,compostable and biodegradable food wrapping sheets are cheaper than paper or cloth bags and they are tougher and also resistant.
“We have realized the environmental hazards caused by polythene bags and the pollution caused by polythene with scientists and researchers desperately trying to find alternatives over the last many years .
Plastic Packaging Ltd is a pioneer polythene bag manufacturer that exported bags to UK during the last 28 years and from 2006 the company started exporting 100% compostable and biodegradable bags.
PPP will introduce a compostable bag for the kitchen waste for biodegradable waste.Households can throw the bag with biodegradable waste to the compostable bin at home which will provide compost and reduce household waste.
“Now we have decided to expand our exports to many other countries from next year and it will even help to swell the country’s economy, he said.
Plastic Pakaging at Ratmalana has ventured into manufacturing compostable and biodegradable bags food wrapping sheets even to the Sri Lankan market and they are now available in most supermarkets.
He also said before manufacturing these high quality compostable and biodegradable food wrapping sheets they have done research for a long time with various resins that would get composted.
But the general trend is that it is not possible to reduce the thickness of the compostable film to less than 18 microns.
Plastic Pakaging Ltd has recently found the technology to reduce the thickness to around 10 microns and with more research, the company is confident to reduce this to around 7 microns in future .
When asked whether there are any alternatives to the traditional food wrapping sheets Chairman Mervyn Dias said only the banana leaf or sometimes oil paper can be used to wrap food.
But a large number of these cannot be found daily as the daily consumption of food wrapping sheets are over 1.5 million. He said if a ban on polythene food wrapping sheets is implemented, the only option will be to use compostable and biodegradable food wrapping sheets.
Chairman Dias is also prepared to provide technology to those interested in helping the country’s environment. He could be contacted on 0777 396679 or e-mail ppp@eureka.lk