Processor trims its bioplastic bags from 18 to 14 micron

A processor of household disposables, CeDo (Telford, England), was able to reduce the thickness of its compostable trash can liner bags from 18 microns to just 14, helping to get costs into a range close to that of conventional petro-based thermoplastics. Typically, HDPE trashcan liners are available in gauges of about 6-24 microns and generally are used if trash will not contain sharp edges. More puncture resistant are LLDPE ones, usually produced in gauges of 7.5-50 microns.

The downgauging move was made as the processor redesigned and relaunched its Kitchen Compost Caddy products, a trashcan kit that includes compostable liners and odor / moisture absorbing pads. The company's CEO, David Pearce, says the new liners' cost has been effectively reduced by half. CeDo's compostable range, marketed under its Landsaver brand and also retailer's own brand, was launched in November 2007 and has since sold over 450,000 caddies, 1.8 million packs of liners and over 38,000 odor-absorbing pads, all in the United Kingdom. The company hopes to achieve a 50% increase in those numbers in the next 12 months.

For more on the company, read our recent interview with CeDo technical manager David Brookes. He spoke with MPW about the company's progress, technical goals and forward-looking strategy, as well as the reason most of its film is extruded from recyclate and talc-filled polyethylene, rather than compostable plastics. CeDo changed ownership this year, passing from one equity investor to another.

CeDo also recently was one of five companies which commissioned an independently run life cycle assessment (LCA) that concluded that thin-gauge polyethylene trash bags containing post-consumer recyclate, followed by standard PE bags, beat bags converted from bioplastics with regard to environmental friendliness and sustainability.

For even more on extrusion of bioplastics, check out the archive of our recent webinar on exactly that topic.