Compostable, biodegradable lunch sheets, bags solution to polythene issue

This is the high time that authorities encourage local polythene product manufacturers to produce compostable and biodegradable bags rather than producing non degradable polythene products which is harmful to the environment, a leading compostable and biodegradable bags manufacturer, Chairman, Plastic Pakaging (Pte) Ltd Mervyn Dias said.

He made these remarks as a response to the recent proposal made by the Central Environmental Authority (CEA) to increase the thickness of the currently used 20 microns polythene lunch papers and bags to 40 microns.He said although the CEA has brought such a proposal, polythene products badly affects to the environment and therefore suggested to authorities to educate polythene product manufacturers in the country on the importance of producing environmentally friendly compostable and biodegradable lunch sheets and bags. He said compostable and biodegradable papers are manufactured with a globally certified compostable and biodegradable bio- resin.

Chairman Dias also said that they are tested and certified at the Industrial Technology Institute (ITI) in Sri Lanka and certified that there is no polythene in compostable bags & sheets.

“These sheets are 100% environmentally friendly and degrade within a period of 180 days in an industrial composting plant which has high temperature and high moisture and also the correct oxygen content.

Asked how to identify the compostable bags from other normal bags, Dias said compostable bag has a balloon effect but polythene bags do not have this effect. He said according to a research polythene papers take over 500 years to degrade.He said compostable papers do not have any polythene as they are manufactured using a globally certified compostable and biodegradable resin.

“It confirms to international standards for composting European standard EN13432 and American standard D6400 . This can be disposed in a home compost bin as well, but would take longer duration to get it composted. These sheets would also biodegrade to water and Co2. ”He further said that the daily consumption of lunch sheet in our country is over one million and these polythene sheets are very difficult to recycle as they are soiled with oily food and even if they are recycled It is difficult to collect one million sheets a day.

“if using polythene lunch sheets are banned one day then people will have to use compostable products or go to another option of using banana leaves (Kehelkola). But,everybody is personally against the use of banana leaves as it can retard the growth of the tree." he said.

Chairman Dias said that his compostable and biodegradable products are exported to few countries, mainly to UK during the last 28 years. He also said that during this year he is planning to find new markets in the European region markets such as in France .