Strong and versatile – bags made of certified compostable ecovio^® help to close the food loop towards a circular economy

ecovio^® is a high-quality and versatile biopolymer from BASF. Its main advantage: it is certified compostable in industrial/commercial or home composting according to infrastructure and legislation in the respective country. ecovio^® consists of the certified compostable BASF polymer ecoflex^® (PBAT: polybutylene adipate-terephthalat) and polylactic acid (PLA). Bags made of ecovio^® are just as high-performing and strong as the ones made of conventional plastics. BASF offers grades with different bio-based content. Thus, ecovio® can be employed to produce a variety of bags that can be processed on conventional machines, used by consumers to transport articles and bring a unique sustainability value when collecting organic waste.

Bags made of ecovio^® increase the collection of organic waste

Studies show that bags made of certified compostable ecovio^® increase the collection of organic waste and thus help to return valuable food nutrients to the soil by organics recycling. Using compostable plastic materials for products as bags can extend the end-of-life options for these products, especially when they are mixed with kitchen and food waste. The use of ecovio^® makes the mixed waste suitable for organic recycling.

This closes the loop towards a circular economy for food production: Food waste is diverted from landfill and incineration, resulting in the creation of valuable compost.

BASF has tested the use and composting of bags made of the bioplastic ecovio^® in various conditions in commercial composting projects all over the world. The results show that the bag material biodegrades without any problems in different industrial composting sites, without adversely affecting the quality of the compost. When asked, residents of the respective regions also report positively on the clean and hygienic collection of organic waste. With ecovio^®, bags can be manufactured that comply to the latest bio-waste directives, such as the German Bioabfallverordnung (BioAbfV), valid in its latest version as of May 1^st, 2023, ASTM D6400, AS 4736 and GBT 41010-2021.
 

Get the facts and read about pilot project, tests and studies

SHOPPING BAGS MADE OF ecovio^®: LIGHTWEIGHT, YET STRONG IN USAGE, GOOD FOR COMPOST

Certified compostable shopping bags offer consumers an additional advantage. They are not only strong enough to be used as carrier bags and many times as shopping bags: In their second use, they can be used for the collection of organic household waste where they can biodegrade together with the food waste within weeks either in industrial compost or in home compost, according to the label.

During use, the bags made of ecovio^® are just as strong and can bear the same load as the ones made of polyethylene. They can be manufactured with conventional handles or as t-shirt bags.

The product properties are designed in such a way that the bags biodegrade only after usage. BASF offers grades that compost in commercial facilities or in home compost acc. to EN 13432.

Watch the video on certified compostable dual-use shopping bags made of ecovio^®!

FRUIT AND VEGETABLE BAGS: LONGER SHELF LIFE AND EASIER FOOD WASTE COLLECTION

Certified compostable fruit and vegetable bags made of the biopolymer ecovio^® are more than simple carrier bags: They can be used to buy fruit and vegetables in a hygienic way, to carry them home safely and to store them. Due to the good breathability of ecovio^®, the bags reduce food losses during transport and storage. Re-used as organic waste bags they can improve the collection and recovery rate of organic food waste. Fruit and vegetable bags made of ecovio^® can be composted in commercial composting facilities or in home compost according to local organics composting programs.

Thus fruit and vegetable bags made of ecovio^® support a cleaner and easier food waste collection and help to close the loop of the food value chain towards a circular economy. BASF validated in several field projects that consumers collect more food waste with compostable watertight plastic bags compared to no-bag availability. They also collect food waste which they do not usually collect, such as fatty, liquid food residues.

Fruit and vegetable bags made of ecovio^® also contribute to an extended shelf life of food. As the BASF bioplastic offers high water vapor and oxygen transmission, an optimal humidity and oxygen concentration for different fruit and vegetables in bags can be achieved. A BOKU research report from 2015 shows: Tomatoes stored in bags made of ecovio^® have an approximately four times longer shelf life compared to polyethylene bags.

Fruit and vegetable bags made of ecovio^® are

• Lighter than paper bags
• Tear and wear resistant
• Approved for food contact

• Available as opaque or transparent films
  
• Bio-based with 41, 51 or 61% bio-content
• Available without carrier handles as perforated rolls or as t-shirt bags

ORGANIC WASTE BAGS MADE OF ecovio^®: EASY, CLEAN AND SUSTAINABLE COLLECTION OF FOOD SCRAPS

Kitchen food waste can be collected hygienically in organic waste bags made of ecovio^®, then turned, together with the bag, into compost – either in commercial composting facilities or in home compost, depending on local legislation.

What requirements should compostable organic waste bags meet?

The market offers a wide range of different types of bags for collecting organic waste. Some of them are suitable but the majority do not meet the functionality needs of certified compostable bio-waste bags. In order to be suitable for organic recycling, products and materials need to fulfil the strict criteria of EN 13432 on industrial compostability. Following successful certification, they are permitted to be advertised and labelled as compostable.

Thanks to ecovio^®, compostable organic waste bags can fulfill technical as well as compostability requirements:

Watch this video on a community and composting project with certified organic waste bags made of ecovio^® in Bad Dürkheim, Germany!

Sustainability benefits of bags made of ecovio^®: more organic waste for increased high-quality compost

Compost is a valuable material for soil. It contains organic phosphate which has limited availability and is used for fertilizers. Compost also prevents soil erosion. Several pilot projects show that by using organic waste bags, the amount of organic waste collected separately can be increased – and thus also valuable compost.

The multiple use of certified compostable bags made of ecovio^® for shopping and then collection of food waste offers many environmental benefits:

Pilot projects, studies and tests: Discover more sustainability benefits of ecovio^®!

Watch here how the COOL project in Australia tested certified compostable bags made of ecovio^®!

Key advantages of ecovio^® for film manufacturers

The ecovio^® portfolio for bag applications consists of several grades with the nomenclature F, FG and FTS with different thermal and mechanical properties. They consist of BASF’s certified compostable co-polyester polybutylene adipate terephthalate (PBAT) ecoflex^®, other biodegradable polymers made from renewable raw materials and inorganic fillers. All grades are finished products that can be used as a drop-in solution on standard plastic production machinery.

What are the key manufacturing benefits of ecovio^® for certified compostable bags?

Discover more on the extrusion of certified compostable fruit and vegetable bags made of ecovio^®!

Key data of ecovio^® grades for bags with download links to data sheets 

* Bio content is measured according to 14C method as defined by ASTM_D6866-12.
** Typical values, not to be construed as specification, depend on thickness
OWB: Organic waste bag   CB: Carrier bag
TB: T-Shirt bag   F&V: Fruit and vegetable bag 

* Bio content is measured according to 14C method as defined by ASTM_D6866-12.
** Typical values, not to be construed as specification
OWB: Organic waste bag   CB: Carrier bag
TB: T-Shirt bag   F&V: Fruit and vegetable bag