FAQ
- What is the difference between degradable bags and biodegradable bags?
See our Learning Center for a report on this.
- How do I know your bags are really biodegradable?
Our bags are approved by international standards (ISO), US Standards (ASTM), and European Standards (EN). These standards were received by companies that actually went to the laboratories named in the Chinese certificates, investigated their testing reports, and in some cases, actually spoke to the people who did the tests. The bags were tested individually for biodegradation for periods of up to 6 months, and were verified to comply with these standards. You can find copies of these reports here.
- Is there any plastic in your Friendly Bags?
Yes, but once the plastic resin and the plant fiber additive are mixed together, melted together, and fused together, it then becomes its own composition.
- How is it that the bags dissolve in landfills, in water, or even in a dolphin's stomach?
Once the additive and the plastic resin are fused together the plastic and bio additive are no longer separate items, but rather become a new product altogether. Thus, it is NOT a matter of making the plastic resin dissolve, as there is no "plastic resin" left in the bags, but a new composition consisting of the plastic AND the plant fiber additive, all fused together.
- How long does it take the bags to break down?
After being exposed to the elements, the breakdown begins after about six weeks, and depending on the thickness of the bag, will biodegrade after about 6-8 months.
- Do you have any certifications for your bags?
Yes, you can find all our certificates here.
- What are the differences between the certifications?
The certificates relate to ISO, ASTM, and European Standards. Each of them has different criteria for certifying the bags. Most biodegradable bag manufacturers will not disclose their certifications, since most do not have them. The European Standard (EN13432) is the most stringent one and requires the bags do biodegrade 90% within 6 months.
- Can you make the bags in any size?
Yes, we can make any type of bag in any size provided they are less than 900mm in width.
- Are your bags made in the USA?
No. Our bags are made in China, and shipped to the US. This is why we have a longer delivery time than US manufacturers, but in turn our prices are lower.
- How long will it take to get my order in?
Our regular website orders take between 1-2 weeks to arrive. Our custom orders take between 8-10 weeks to arrive.
- How will my customers know that the bags are biodegradable if they look and feel like plastic bags?
Usually our customers print on the bags that "This bag is biodegradable". Also, some customers place a sticker or a little sign stating that their bags are biodegradable.
- Are there any waste of crops used to make the bags and/or waste of land space which could be used for trees, and the like?
NO. The plants used for the biodegradable additive is actually left over from crops, NOT especially grown for this purpose.
- Do you use recycled plastic in the process of making the bags?
We don't use recycled plastic for the purpose of making our biodegradable bags since one never knows what recycled plastic was in its former life or what had been mixed along with it that COULD affect the biodegradable breakdown. However, any residual "waste" bags or misprinted bags are ground-up and used as recycled plastic for other purposes.
- Is the manufacturing of the biodegradable bags harmful to the environment?
NO. Bag factories have no emissions into the atmosphere and no chimneys. The bag machines are purely heaters which melt the plastic resin at a very high temperature. The tube of the newly formed biodegradable plastic comes out the other end of the machine, which is then flattened and rolled onto large rolls. These rolls are then taken to the print shop, where they are printed and re-rolled, then to the cutting and sealing machine to cut and seal the finished bags. Once finished, they are packed, loaded into a container and sent by a truck to the port. Very simple: no chimneys, no pollution.
- Why is there a minimum order of 50,000 bags?
The manufacture of biodegradable bags (AND also plastic bags) is a process that wastes a lot of bags in the beginning, as the machines are calibrated and warmed up. This is the reason that when producing these bags we require a minimum of 50,000 to compensate for it. Making less bags than that is simply not worth our while. However, we do have non-custom bags for you to buy, with a printing on it that says "Thank you for using this 100% biodegradable bag".
- Is the ink used for printing on the bags biodegradable as well?
Yes. All our inks are biodegradable and environmentally friendly as well.
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