FAQ's & Green Facts
What makes Econic Compostable?
The majority of every Econic bag or wrapper is made from a combination of compostable films derived from sustainably-managed renewable resources.
With the exception of the paper-outer on the EconicKraft bags, the films used to make Econic have been individually certified to the European and American compostability standards EN 13432 and ASTM6400, as well as the European and Australian home compostable standards: OK Compost Home (Europe) and AS5810 (Australia).
Because Convex specialises in customising Econic, the completed packaging structure has not been officially certified. This allows us to tailor the material mix in each finished bag or film to suit the functionality and aesthetics required for specific products, brands, production lines and packing processes.
We follow robust international testing regimes to ensure that all completed Econic variants meet recognised compostable packaging guidelines and tests carried out by our technical laboratory team have verified that the completed Econic packaging structure and EconicKraft paper outer layer break down in a typical composting environment.
The degassing valves we use for fresh roasted coffee are currently not compostable, but they can be easily peeled off the bags before composting.
There is no PLA in any Econic product.
How can Econic be disposed of?
You can put your used Econic bags in your own home compost or worm farm, containing heat, water, oxygen, soil and micro-organisms. They can also be disposed of in a commercial composting facility if you have one in your area. (It is best to check if your commercial facility accepts compostable packaging first)
If you don’t have access to either a home or industrial compost, you are welcome to return your used Econic bags to us and we will compost them for you.
Compost trials have shown that Econic bags can break down into small fragments in as little as 16 weeks. However, the rate of breakdown will vary depending on the compost environment, temperature and humidity.
You can even bury Econic in your garden. But note that it will break down at a slower rate than it would in a compost environment containing heat, water, oxygen, soil and micro-organisms.
Shelf Life - Roasted Coffee
The superior shelf-life provided by Econic Kraft film was confirmed in 2013 during a 16-week shelf life trial led by a certified Q Coffee grader with the US Coffee Quality Institute. The trial validated the functionality of the degassing valves and demonstrated that Econic with these valves performs the same as the typical non-compostable plastic coffee packs sold into the supermarket trade.
Food Safety
The manufacturers of Econic packaging are careful to ensure Econic meets all applicable food contact safety requirements:- Each of the cellulose and cornstarch components has food contact status approval from the US FDA; and
- Econic bags are manufactured in a factory that has a HACCP approved food safety programme
Sealing
Econic provides equivalent sealing properties to standard petroleum-based films and should seal on your existing sealing equipment without any modification.
Ideal sealing temperature is lower than normal plastic, and it may take a little longer, because the polymers are softer. You may need to increase the dwell time and lower the temperature by up to 40 degrees less than standard. Give the bags a test to see what works best.
Coffee Degassing
Econic packaging is being successfully used by numerous roasters for fresh ground coffee and whole beans. Venting valves have been added to the our Coffee Bags to allow gases to be released from the packs. We recommend that you let your coffee rest before packing if possible.
What is Econic not good for?
- No Econic bag is suitable for high temperature liquids such as sous vide cooking, or adding boiling water to.
- Do not bring your Econic packaging into contact with Dry Ice.
- Econic is not designed for storing liquids.
Always test your products in Econic by using a Sample Pack prior to full ordering.
Want to know even more?
For further technical information about shelf-life, food safety, sealing and individual films visit:https://www.econicpack.com/greenfacts/