Are All Paper Pouches Eco-friendly?

As an eco-friendly packaging provider, we’re often asked by our clients which of our products are recycled, recyclable, biodegradable, or compostable. And the simple answer is that, we have a variety of products made from kraft paper that fall into those various categories.

 

Paper pouch is increasingly seen as an environmentally friendly means of packaging – they are made from trees, they can be readily recycled and they can even be composted. Kraft paper pouch is a perfect way to get that natural look and feel for your products.

 

Many people are turning away from plastic bags in search for an environmentally-friendly alternative. But are all paper pouches environmentally friendly?

 

Some paper pouches are extremely eco-friendly. Paper can be easily recycled, so long as it is free from things such as plastic coatings, ink and other contaminants. However, most paper pouches that you can find in the market are not compostable nor recyclable. Paper pouches that you commonly see on the market are available in many pouch styles: flat pouch, stand up pouch, side gusset pouch and flat bottom pouch. Stand up pouch and flat bottom pouch are most popular, because they can stand well on the shelf, saving much space.

 

These paper pouches are usually made out of several layers of different types of materials. Besides paper, the materials usually include plastic and foil. The worst material from an environmental perspective is the foil. Although it's a great way to keep the products fresh, the manufacturing process of foil requires 6-7 times more energy and has a far worse overall impact on emissions and overall human health. Although foil laminated kraft paper pouches contain paper, they are NOT eco-friendly.

 

Many packaging companies are making claims such as their laminated paper pouches are compostable / biodegradable or 60% compostable, actually they are NOT. Generally, pouches are formed by various plastic films that are laminated together. After being laminated together, the films can hardly be separated to enable them to be recycled.

 

At BPS, we don’t cheat customers by offering “60-percent compostable and 40-percent non-biodegradable pouches.” We make 100% compostable packaging and 100% recyclable packaging! We wanted to provide the best option to our customers. We are very proud that our compostable pouches are backyard friendly and can break down in just over 60 days.