Eco-Flex
Eco-Flex is a range of films designed to reduce the impact of polythene use on the environment:
C-Flex – Compostable film
Made from a combination of potato and/or corn starch, C-Flex is fully compostable. The material requires the right conditions to decompose fully – temperatures above 50OC, moisture and bacteria.
| Pros: | Cons: |
|---|---|
| Can be composted at home. and will degrade away to ‘nothing’. | Cream/white colour and therefore not suitable if the packaged product needs to be visible. |
| Considered to be the most eco-friendly material available. |
Technology not yet available for larger sized products and a lack of composting sites in the UK. |
S-Flex – Sugar cane material film
Made from sugar cane rather than oil. Through the process of photosynthesis, it is, by its very nature, ‘green’.
It can be made ‘pure’ which will give you a carbon-negative polythene film or in combination with conventional LDPE (low-density polyethylene) to give you a carbon-neutral product.
| Pros: | Cons: |
|---|---|
| Cheaper than biodegradable material and fully recyclable. | More expensive than oxy-degradable. |
| Sugar cane is grown on reclaimed wasteland and doesn’t impact the rain forest. |
Still not biodegradable. |
Why choose a converter?
Some buyers think they’ll get better prices by going to the manufacturer which extrudes the original polythene. In reality, extruders often struggle – even if they also convert – to deliver the flexibility offered by a specialist converter.
When the converter is dedicated to the task and has invested, as we have, in advanced technology, you get great prices plus all the benefits of sourcing precisely what you need.