PLA Ideal For Salad Bags

The successful Australian launch 12 months ago of a range of organic salads in compostable Poly Lactic Acid (PLA) bags is just the beginning of what Convex Plastics expects to be a growing demand for more eco-friendly salad packaging.

Victorian company Ladybird Organics launched their pre-packaged salad range throughout Australia last August in compostable PLA packaging and very quickly found a ready demand. The salads were launched Australia-wide through Coles Supermarkets and Macro Wholefoods Stores and more regionally through independent supermarkets such as Foodworks and IGA.

Ladybird Organics Director, Steve Skopilianos, stated at the time that the PLA packaging had resolved a big issue in the organics industry.

“In the past, organics has struggled to break beyond the smaller producer ceiling, partly because of inappropriate packaging,” he said. “It didn’t make sense to protect clean, green, chemical-free produce in packaging made from environmentally harmful plastic products. Producers weren’t happy. Consumers weren’t happy. PLA lets us offer the market a complete solution inspired by the principles of clean and green that have inspired the organics revolution.”

PLA film, which is marketed by Convex Plastics as NatureWorks, is derived from fermented corn and behaves exactly like organic waste when disposed, taking only four to six weeks to degrade after composting.*
“Apart from the environmental benefits, this new-generation packaging improves shelf life dramatically,“ Steve says. “In fact, PLA packaging increases the product life by around 30%. It’s nature.”

Convex Plastics views PLA as a great replacement for polyester. It is stiff and clear and ideal for salad bags and lidding stocks.

Convex Managing Director, Owen Embling says, “When you think about it, using a compostable film made from renewable resources for package salads really does make a lot of sense, particularly for organic produce which is generally grown using methods that benefit the environment. PLA currently does have some strength limitations but is perfect for some applications. The only way to know if PLA is suitable for a specific application is to talk to us and trial it.”

Convex Plastics hold PLA film in stock and are happy to provide samples to companies wanting to trial it.

* NB. The breakdown of PLA within this timeframe is only achievable in high heat composting situations. Please refer to the article in this newsletter: Home Composting Trial Confirms Breakdown of Biodegradable Films