According to the United Nations Environment Programme, households, food-service businesses and retailers generated approximately 1.05 billion tonnes of food waste worldwide in 2022. Preventing edible food from becoming waste must always come first. But peelings, coffee grounds and other unavoidable food waste still need to be collected and treated. When sorted correctly, this organic waste can be used to produce biogas or transformed into compost that returns organic matter and nutrients to the soil. Certified compostable bags can make that collection cleaner, simpler and more hygienic. Here are nine reasons to choose Biobags where they are accepted by the local organic-waste system.
1. Avoid persistent microplastics
Certified compostable Biobags are designed to biodegrade under the conditions specified by their certification. When treated in the correct composting environment, microorganisms convert the material into water, carbon dioxide and biomass without leaving persistent microplastics behind.
Conventional plastic does not biodegrade in the same way. It can instead fragment into increasingly smaller pieces that persist in the environment.
Always check the certification marking on the product to see whether it is intended for industrial or home composting.
2. Reduce moisture in the food-waste bin
Biobags are breathable. When used with a ventilated kitchen caddy such as MaxAir, they allow some moisture to evaporate from the collected food waste. This can help keep the contents drier, reduce liquid build-up and lower the weight of the food waste during storage. The precise result depends on the type of waste, ventilation, temperature and length of storage. Using a Biobag in a MaxAir, ventilated kitchen caddy, the evaporation can reduce its weight by 13% over three days.
3. Make everyday sorting simpler
Food-waste collection works best when it is easy to understand and convenient to use. A compostable liner helps keep the caddy clean, contains the food scraps and makes it easier to carry the waste to the collection bin. It is a simple tool that fits into an existing kitchen routine and can help people sort their food waste consistently.
4. Support a cleaner organic-waste stream
The quality of compost and digestate depends on the quality of the organic waste collected. A clearly identified compostable bag can help people understand which bin is intended for food waste. Collection trials indicate that providing suitable bags and clear instructions can support participation and reduce contamination. The results depend on the complete collection system, including communication, bin design and local sorting rules. In a Danish municipality the purity levels rose from 75% to 97% after switching to compostable food waste bag.
5. Keep valuable organic resources in use
When food waste is placed in the residual-waste bin, its potential value may be lost. When it is collected separately, it can be treated through anaerobic digestion or composting. Anaerobic digestion can produce biogas and a nutrient-containing digestate. Composting produces a stable soil improver that returns organic matter and nutrients to the soil. Compostable bags can support this collection where they are accepted by the local system.
6. Produced in Europe
Our European production keeps manufacturing close to many of the markets we serve, helping us remain responsive to our customers and limit unnecessary transport distances. Our factory on the island of Hiiumaa in Estonia operates using 100% renewable energy. We also work continuously to reduce production waste, recycle suitable material and minimise material loss.
7. Choose independently certified products
“Compostable” should not be an unsupported promise. Biobag waste bags. liners and sacks are independently certified for their intended composting environment. The applicable certification may cover industrial composting or home composting, depending on the individual product. Certification assesses requirements such as biodegradation, disintegration and the quality of the resulting compost under specified conditions. Check the certification logo on the product to understand which environment it has been assessed for.
8. Made partly from renewable resources
Biobags are made from Mater-Bi®, a family of biodegradable and compostable bioplastics developed using proprietary technologies based on starches, vegetable oils and their combinations. Mater-Bi® can be made entirely or partly from renewable resources. Some components needed to provide the required performance are not currently available from renewable sources. Regardless of their origin, all components of a certified product must meet the requirements applicable to its compostability certification.
9. Help keep conventional plastic out of biological waste streams
When conventional plastic bags are used for food-waste collection, plastic fragments may enter the treatment process. Facilities work to remove this contamination, but small pieces can potentially remain in compost or digestate. Using certified compostable bags within a compatible system can help reduce the risk of persistent conventional plastic fragments entering the final biological material.
Certified compostable bags are not the right answer for every plastic application, and they are not designed to be discarded in nature. Their role is clearest when they are used to collect organic waste and enter a compatible treatment system. That is where a small change can support a much bigger process: keeping food waste separate, reducing conventional plastic contamination and helping valuable organic resources remain in use.
