Sustainable packaging

Sustainable packaging plays an important role at a time when the food chain is threatened by the so-called plastic soup, and we are becoming increasingly aware of the finiteness of fossil fuels. Companies are encouraged to produce in an environmentally friendly way. Sustainable, biodegradable packaging materials fit perfectly into this picture. As a company you can distinguish yourself by showing with your packaging that you do not close your eyes to what threatens our climate.

Our three spearheads

At DaklaPack we would like to be your partner in your mission to contribute to a CO2-neutral business. We are therefore continuously looking for new solutions for sustainable shipping, packaging, and filling. Our Green Mission - as we have called our innovative journey to a circular economy - is characterized by three spearheads:

• Making packaging recyclable
• Using biobased and biodegradable raw materials
• Use packaging materials and components in a smarter way and limit them where possible

Making packaging recyclable

Our aim is to no longer regard packaging as residual waste after opening, but as basic material for a new (packaging) product. We want to make all our sustainable packaging recyclable. Whether it can be absorbed by nature or can be recycled mechanically or chemically: packaging materials must no longer be lost. But recycling alone is not enough. We must move towards a circular packaging industry, which means that packaging can be reused again even after being recycled for the first time. This means that our sustainable packaging preferably consists of one material, with a transparent colour. For example, several parts do not have to be separated from each other during recycling, but a packaging can be processed in its entirety into a new product.

Using biobased and biodegradable raw materials

To achieve sustainable, environmentally friendly packaging, we use both biobased and biodegradable raw materials. These terms are often confused, but there is a difference. Briefly the definitions:
Biobased: material made from natural raw materials. Think of plastic based on corn or sugars.
Biodegradable: refers to the final phase. It means that the material can be broken down by nature (read: bacteria and fungi), without leaving any residues. This applies to wood, paper, and cotton, among other things.
When a packaging is biodegradable, this does not say anything about the period within which this happens. That is why the term compostable is often used. Compostable packaging materials earn this title when they can degrade at least 95 percent within twelve weeks.
In short: biobased packaging does not necessarily have to be biodegradable, but vice versa. A biodegradable product is always made from biobased materials. This combination is what we strive for at DaklaPack.

Smarter use and limitation of packaging materials and components

In addition to manufacturing ecologically responsible packaging materials, our goal is to limit the amount of packaging. A packaging often consists of several parts, which are often also made of various materials. In many cases this is completely unnecessary. Our aim is therefore to produce our sustainable packaging from a single material and to omit unnecessary parts where possible.

What are the most environmentally friendly packaging materials?

A question we regularly get is which packaging material is the most sustainable and therefore environmentally friendly. This question is not so easy to answer. For example, many shops today use paper bags instead of plastic. But is that necessarily better? For example, paper is less strong than plastic, so you need more paper to make a sturdy bag. And all the trees that need to be planted to make paper are not necessarily desirable either. On the other hand, if we use plastic that eventually ends up in the sea, we may be even further from home.
This example already shows that it is a complicated matter. In addition, some packaging materials are simply not suitable for packaging a specific product. Try packaging milk in just paper. That does not work. To determine which material is the most environmentally friendly, it is therefore necessary to look primarily at the way in which it is produced. One plastic is not the other and the same goes for paper.

Are you looking for sustainable packaging?

DaklaPack is the specialist in the field of compostable bags and other biodegradable packaging. Do you also want to contribute to a more sustainable world with your company? As a wholesaler of sustainable packaging, we have a very extensive range of bags, pouches, envelopes, blister packs and countless other types of environmentally friendly packaging materials. Feel free to ask for advice and we will discuss what the best options are for you. You can reach us via telephone number +31 (0)320-277 900 or the email address info@daklapack.com  We are also happy to help you with the most economical environmentally friendly packaging.