What is the most sustainable packaging material? Air pillows beat out options like packaging peanuts, wrapping paper and bubble wrap when it comes to sustainability. With recyclable and compostable air pillow film options, you can further reduce your environmental footprint. Here’s why air pillows are the best choice for your packages, your bottom line and the environment.
Are Air Pillows Eco-Friendly?
If you’re worried about environmental sustainability, air pillows are the best choice for void fill, cushioning and product protection. Why? Air pillows are 99% air and just 1% material. That means your products are cushioned by air for optimal product protection and shock absorption. Air pillows are substantially more eco-friendly than other packaging material options.
- Compared to packaging peanuts and wrapping paper, air pillows use 99% less material. That means less material and energy used for production and less packaging waste.
- Air pillows are available in recyclable plastic and fully compostable biofilm and paper options to keep used packaging material out of the landfill.
- Plant-based and paper film options reduce petroleum use and greenhouse gas emissions in production.
- Air pillow films can be made with recycled materials to minimize material use and keep other waste products out of landfills.
- Air pillows are extremely light since they are mostly air. Keeping packaging weights down reduces transportation costs and energy use, further reducing the environmental footprint.
- The thin film is shipped on a space-saving roll, and the pillows are created on-demand. This reduces both transportation costs and storage requirements. Less space on the truck and less space in the warehouse also reduces greenhouse gas emissions.
Recyclable or Compostable Air Pillow Films: What’s the Difference?
Air pillow films come in both recyclable and compostable film options.
- Many petroleum-based plastics are recyclable, which means they can be processed in a recycling facility into raw materials that can be used to make new plastic products. Most poly air pillow films can be recycled using the same process used for plastic grocery bags. (Check with your local waste authority to see if you should recycle air pillow film with your curbside recycling or in special collection bins along with poly bags.) Our PolyPack air pillow is a 100% recyclable High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE) film.
- Compostable materials safely break down in the environment along with other organic materials like food waste and yard waste. Compostable options are highly sustainable because they don’t require energy to break down as recyclable materials do. Better yet, if these products end up in the environment accidentally, they will break down fairly quickly instead of accumulating in our oceans, lakes, rivers and terrestrial environments.
Petroleum-based products are not compostable because when they break down (after a very long time), they leave behind undesirable microplastics in the environment. But both paper and plant-based plastics (bioplastics) can often be composted. Look for materials that say they are safe for home composting; this means they can simply be added to a compost bin to break down with no need for additive materials to start the process. Both our PlantPack and PaperPack products are home compostable.
For the truly eco-conscious, we recommend our PaperPack. PaperPack is:
- Forest Steward Council (FSC)-certified
- 80% recycled materials
- 100% recyclable by pulping
- Home-compostable
Picking the Best Air Pillow Film
Whichever air pillow film you choose, you can be assured that you are making an environmentally responsible choice for your packaged goods. Have specific needs requiring a poly material (e.g., moisture resistance)? Our recyclable PolyPack will do the job while still reducing your overall material use and waste. But to truly minimize your footprint, look for our compostable PlantPack or PaperPack products.
Not sure which air pillow film is right for you? We can help you choose between paper, plant-based and poly film options and make the right choice for your packaging line.
Talk to someone in our Pack.
