FlexPac Compostable Guidelines
Our compostable Eagle packaging films are available with a variety of barrier properties to ensure that your products stay fresh but have the added benefit of having a lower environmental impact – this starts right from the source by using renewable resources to create the materials that ends in your compost pile.
Eagle’s compostable films have some characteristics that add a complexity to the process of film manufacturing, but they also add some complexities to a user’s operations. There are a few distinct features that you a user should consider before jumping into the world of compostable packaging:
Optimal Storage Conditions
- This packaging will perform at its best when used within 6 months of delivery.
- It is best stored between 60-75 degrees Fahrenheit at 30-50% relative humidity.
- Avoid direct sunlight, high humidity, freezing cold, dry ice, and other extreme conditions.
Clarity
- This versatile clear film allows for “windows” to be created in your artwork to showcase your product. However, due to the natural components of these Eagle films, the windows will have slightly diminished clarity.
Handling
- As with any item, proper handling is required to ensure best performance. Your pouches will be well-packed when they leave our facility, however, we cannot be responsible for any defects resulting from improper handling processes. We recommend taking steps to ensure that others who are handling your products take good care of them.
Recommended Use
- We always recommend that our customers request test film samples because Eagle compostable film materials can sometimes react differently with ingredients found in certain products. As a result, compostable packaging may begin to degrade prematurely with certain products.
The following products have not shown any premature degradation in our in-house testing:
- standard herbal teas (green, white, black)
- protein powder
- sugar
- table salt and sea salt
- spices (except tumeric)
- flour
- candies
- coffee
- superfoods
- grains
- nuts and seeds
Compostable Identification Logo
- The universe of compostable products is a complicated one, and we want to make sure that the end consumer is informed about what they’re buying. To this end, we have created an identification logo that we require be placed in a visible location on your packaging.
Life Cycle
- If one of our pouches is empty and put into the garbage, hopefully it will end up in a land fill to compost into soil. This is where the compostable pouch’s pre-life cycle truly shines, as it is produced using renewable bio-based materials, which means Eagle Films are designed to break down faster than other materials without leaving harmful residues behind.
- It is very important to incorporate the compostable logo and verbiage into pouches or film designs. Here is why – as much as we wish composting pouches was as simple as popping the pouch into the trash or into the municipal green bin, it’s not. Because compostable pouches look and feel like a traditional flexible pouch, most waste management centers can’t tell the difference between compostable and non-compostable pouches. Often, our compostable pouches will often be sorted out of the composting stream and be placed into the landfill stream. In end-life, this is not much different from conventional flexible packaging, which is not recyclable in most municipalities. As compostable films become more available, hopefully some of these problems will be alleviated.