Polyethylene garbage bag yes, but which one?
Garbage bags are mostly made from polyethylene, which can be virgin or recycled. The major trend in plastics is recycling and manufacturing regenerated materials.
Thus the life cycle of polyethylene used for the manufacture of 100 L or more garbage bags can be Virgin: material derived from petroleum, molecular structure = C2H4
Recycled: obtained after recycling (remelting) of clean production waste, allows us to obtain a top-quality material
Regenerated : made from polyethylene waste (agricultural film and shrink or stretch packaging) which, after washing, is remelted (recycled) to obtain a reusable material for the manufacture of 100L garbage bags, for example.
Polyethylene does not release toxic fumes during incineration.
Garbage bag density
There are two types of density of polyethylene used for manufacturing:
Low-density polyethylene (LDPE) : It has a shiny appearance and remains flexible to the touch. Their thickness varies between 30 and 80 microns in common use.
High-density polyethylene (HDPE) : It is recognizable by a sound like crumpled paper. Their thickness varies between 8 and 20 microns.
How to choose your garbage bag?
The choice of garbage bag is based on several parameters:
- What type of waste will we put in the bags? Is it heavy and sharp waste or is it only paper or light waste?
- What size do you need? This will be determined by the size of your bin or the capacity you need.
- What color should the bag be? In the context of selective sorting, there may be a need for colored garbage bags corresponding to the different waste sorting streams.
- Should it be printed? A garbage bag can be specially printed, whether to personalize it with a cleaning company, community, or other branding, or to indicate a specific recommendation.
Standards for 100 litre and larger rubbish bags
European Standard NF EN 13952
The European standard, NF EN 13592 (formerly H 34-004) guarantees the following parameters through tests carried out at the end of production:
Dimensional measurement: useful length, useful width, film thickness, film opacity, bond tensile strength
Leak resistance
Drop impact test
Determination of the strength of the drawstring bag closure system
Inscription of dimensions and thicknesses on the bags, as well as the information necessary to identify the manufacturer.
These tests and registrations generate an additional cost on the price of the bags
Non-standard bags: manufactured under the same technical conditions as standard bags (dimensions, thickness, resistance) but at no extra cost.
NF ENVIRONMENT standard (NF170)
The NF EN 13592 standard can be supplemented by the NF ENVIRONNEMENT standard (NF170) which guarantees:
The compostability of biodegradable plastic garbage bags
Limiting the environmental impacts of the production and disposal of garbage bags: limiting air and water pollution and optimizing the choice of materials and quantities used. Absence of substances hazardous to health or the environment (quality of inks and pigments). Limited quantity of ink.