“Biodegrade” means that when the film is placed in contact with bacteria e.g. in soil, then eventually it will break down. Be careful! If you mix 5% of a biodegradable material and 95% of a non-biodegradable material to make a film, then the end product can be called biodegradable although 95% of it will remain intact for 100 years or more. Many companies have used the “biodegradable” tag with products that are far from being 100% biodegradable.

“Composts” means that when you process the bio-film through industrial composting (with defined levels of bacteria and heat) then it will decompose at the same rate as organic matter to water and carbon dioxide. Compost films are well known but only to a certain thickness. When the film is too thick, e.g. when it becomes a stiff food tray, then it will biodegrade (eventually completely) but it will not compost.

Don’t forget “degradable film” which often means that a chemical catalyst is added to a petroleum based PE film which reacts/degrades the plastic after use to make millions of small pieces of chemically doped plastic that become mixed into the soil. The degradation step of these films is often activated by UV light and so when buried they remain intact in the ground.

“Renewable (bio-based) resources” means raw materials are made from crops and plants generally.

So a compost film is good because after using the film (bag, stretch film, packaging) it is fed into a composting process to make water and carbon dioxide. We all need water, and plants also need carbon dioxide to grow.

If the compost film is made of 100% renewable (bio-based) resources then it means we are growing plants, making plastic films, and after use the composting process creates water and carbon dioxide which feed into the plant growing process. Not perfect or a complete analysis but better than using up non-renewable resources and putting non-biodegradable plastics in landfill to sit for a hundred years.

There are two major commercial types of compost films in use. One uses renewable starch and the other renewable PLA.

PLA or PolyLactic Acid is a polymer made from starch (Corn, Wheat, Sugar Beet and Potatoes) and is a component of plastic films that compost. On its’ own starch is a miserable material to make into a film. The starch-only plastic has poor elasticity, it has poor strength and it starts to decompose (with an odour) even before use when it is exposed to ambient conditions. So people gave up making 100% starch films.

Today starch-based films are made from starch combined with polyester made from petroleum. They compost. They have some strength and elasticity from the polyester. They often contain only as much as 15% starch as renewable resource. They still suffer from water contact problems which can rot the bag before you are finished using it. So if you are considering an application with water contact (flower wrapping, garden waste collection) think twice before using a starch containing film.

ecoLake and Cortec® sell only PLA based films which biodegrade, compost and are compatible with water. Our films use up to 70% PLA used from a renewable industrial bio-based resource. The reason for “up to 70%” is because of the film technical properties. The more bio-based PLA used, the stiffer and more transparent the film. All our films have been certified to compost by independent testing according to the European Norm DIN Certco and our products carry the DIN Certco logo.

	Commercial Compost Films All our biodegradable and compost films have been designed by us from formulation through the manufacturing process to the end use. We are a manufacturer of unique patent protected technologies. Our films: are waterproof, heat stable (sealable) and have unlimited shelf-life can be printed with simple or the most intricate patterns and eight-colour combinations are available as bulk film stock on rolls or as customised sheets and bags in smaller quantities to your design and with your logo.
	EcoFilm™ Soft, clear, highly elastic, synthetic polyester chemistry Appearance similar to LDPE, but up to 3 times stronger Free of starch and fillers, ensuring strength and durability
	EcoFilm™ Cryogenic   Same properties as EcoFilm™ Designed specifically for extremely high or low temperatures Excellent for flash frozen goods or extreme environments
	EcoWorks® Derived in part from annually renewable resources (5 – 70%) Formulations from elastic to highly rigid Shrink film forms available
	EcoWrap™   Stretch film replacement, designed specifically for agricultural shipments Available in hand and machine grades, standard 100 gauge Works in existing stretch wrapping equipment

Applications: flower wrapping, bio-waste collection bags, carrier bags, food packaging, retail packaging, agricultural films, shrink wrap, stretch film, labels, credit cards.

Biodegradable Ancillary Products

Eco-Tie™

• Replacement for twine, rope, string and metal tie