Conventional plastic is made from a mixture of oil and toxic chemicals. It can take up to 500 years to "degrade" and releasing poisonous toxins into the ground, polluting rivers, harming wildlife and scaring our beautiful landscape.

Biodegradable packaging is sustainable, contains no harmful chemicals and can compost in just 12 weeks given optimum composting conditions.

By switching your packaging to biodegradable, your business can substantially reduce its environmental impact. As a direct result of your action, tonnes of toxic oil-based plastic packaging currently produced as a result of your business activity, would be saved from landfill sites across the Northern Ireland countryside.

What does "biodegradable" mean?

The term "Biodegradable" refers to a material that breaks down naturally into organic components as a result of exposure to moisture, heat and naturally occurring micro-organisms. The time it takes a material to degrade depends on it's size, genetic make-up and the level of exposure it has to these three factors.

What does "compostable" mean?

The American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) defines materials as "compostable" if they can degrade in a compost site. They must break down into carbon dioxide, water and organic matter at a similar rate to other naturally occurring materials (e.g. cellulose in plants). Disintegration is important - the resulting particles must be very small. They must also leave no toxic residue. The compost must not contain heavy metals or other toxins, and be useful as organic fertilizer.

Regulations and Standards

All our biodegradable products conform to European standard EN13432. This is the most stringent of all the standards requiring 90% biodegradation within 90 days and requires the product to be within the allowable levels of toxins.

Business Benefits

Not only can switching to biodegradable packaging help to distinguish your product, it can also increase brand recognition and build loyalty with the increasing number of environmentally aware consumers.

Many consumers feel increasingly guilty when buying items wrapped in excessive oil-based plastic packaging, as they know it will end up in landfill. In today's competitive environment, your business success may depend on your products' ability to stand out from the competition and the loyalty of your customers.

Green Man customers often use this opportunity to re-design their packaging or label designs to include the statement "100% Biodegradable Packaging". The introduction of biodegradable packaging across your product range is also a great PR opportunity and demonstrates to customers that your brand is committed to a more sustainable environment.
An increasing number of forward-thinking business owners are turning to biodegradable packaging as an environmentally responsible alternative to conventional plastic. Leading technology giant Apple recently made the decision to supply all it's new 2008 iPhones in 100% biodegradable packaging.

Why choose Green Man Packaging?

Green Man Packaging is independent and distributes world-class products on behalf of the UK's leading "green packaging" suppliers. Because we are independent we can source the most suitable products for your needs at the best price without bias.

For every order placed with Green Man Packaging, The Green Man Environmental Trust will commit to planting new trees in the Northern Ireland countryside or nature reserves through our woodland partners. So every order placed starts a new cycle of growth.

Switching to biodegradable is easy - your packaging can remain identical to the oil-based original and independent tests conclude that packaging made from biodegradable materials is often more flexible and stronger than conventional plastic.
To request your FREE SAMPLES and find out more about switching to sustainable packaging call us today on 028 9145 5605