Is the cost of compostable bags high?

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The cost of compostable bags is relatively high, mainly reflected in the following aspects:

Raw material cost:

Degradable resin is expensive: The core raw material for making compostable bags is biodegradable resin, such as poly (adipic acid/butylene terephthalate) (PBAT), poly (lactic acid) (PLA), etc. The prices of these materials are much higher than the raw materials of traditional plastic bags, such as polyethylene and polypropylene. For example, under normal circumstances, the cost of PBAT is 12000 to 15000 yuan/ton, with a price of around 20000 yuan/ton, while the market price of polyethylene is about 8000 yuan/ton.

Natural ingredient acquisition and processing costs: Some compostable bags may add some natural ingredients, such as plant starch, cellulose, etc., and the acquisition, processing, and processing of these natural ingredients also require certain costs. And in order to ensure the quality and performance of compostable bags, higher quality requirements are placed on these natural ingredients, further increasing costs.

Production process cost:

High processing requirements: Processing compostable materials requires consideration of more factors and parameters, with strict requirements for temperature, humidity, pressure, and other conditions in the production environment to ensure smooth degradation of the materials. This requires companies to invest more funds in building and maintaining production equipment and environment, which increases production costs.

Relatively low production efficiency: Compared with the production process of traditional plastic bags, the production process of compostable bags is relatively complex, with a slower production speed, resulting in lower output per unit time. The depreciation and labor costs of the equipment are fixed, and the cost allocated to each compostable bag will be relatively high.

Certification and testing costs: In order to ensure that the quality and degradability of compostable bags meet relevant standards and requirements, companies need to conduct a series of certifications and testing. These certifications and tests require a significant amount of time and money, increasing the cost of the product. For example, to obtain ASTM D6400 certification in the United States and EN 13432 certification in Europe, strict testing and auditing are required.

However, with the continuous improvement of production technology, expansion of production scale, and gradual availability of raw materials, the cost of compostable bags is expected to gradually decrease.

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