Compostable and Sustainable product news

August 2009

Since the sad and unexpected death of Stuart McLellan in February 2008 Octopus packaging has regrouped.

We now offer consultancy services, supply of traditional, compostable and niche market materialsand packaging products, Octopus Packaging has also entered into a Joint Venture with Aphelion Packaging and Plaspro & Co Ltd.

Thus Octopus Packaging can now offer an extended range of services and materials.

We are currently updating this website and further details will be available soon.

 

Octopus Packaging still has the following items in our range of compostable and sustainable PLA products:-

Metallised PLA and transparent barrier PLA Film, twist wrap and shrink films all of which meet the EN 13432 compostable standards. These developments compliment the range of compostable and sustainable thermoformings, trays and tubs already available from Octopus Packaging.

Compostable PLA extrusion coated paper and board products - compostable and sustainable confectionary bags and cereal box liners.

Compostable and sustainable Confectionery bag
The confectionery bag will replace a Polypropylene/paper bag  (PP/paper). The advantage over the traditional PP/paper is that the PLA coated paper is both compostable and degradable, while the traditional PP/paper combination is neither compostable nor degradable.

Compostable and sustainable Cereal Box Liner
The cereal box liner allows the whole material to be recycled or composted unlike the traditional product where currently only the carton can be recycled (if at all) and the plastic sent to landfill.

The PLA/paper combination offers an easy tear opening plus a dead fold which allows the pack to be folded closed after use preventing contamination or spillage in the consumers cupboard.

The bottom line, balance sheet benefit of the compostable and sustainable PLA/paper combination includes a lower recycling/recovery tax as PLA/paper is classed as paper (other), where as the traditional PP/paper is classed as a mixed material and attracts the higher tax. Coupled with the kudos for 'going green' the argument for compostable and sustainable materials is quite compelling.