Case Studies
Our case studies cover some of the products our Asia Import Platform customers have developed in recent years.
Many brands are shifting from plastic packaging to using biodegradable materials. In this guide, we cover various types of biodegradable materials made of foam, bioplastics, cardboard, mushrooms, seaweed, and textiles.
We also list some of China’s leading biodegradable packaging manufacturers for a wide range of products and industries. This includes food packaging, product packaging, and much more.
Supplier List
We are not affiliated with any of the companies listed in this guide. We have selected these companies based on their claimed product scope, history, certification, and capabilities.
Biodegradable materials are usually referred to as materials that can be easily decomposed by bacteria, fungi, or exposure to temperature, UV and oxygen, within a short period of time (usually within 6 months), and without polluting.
Compostable materials
Compostable materials, which are a subclass of biodegradable materials, can be decomposed by means of composting, which means that they turn into humus when placed in organic household wastes, straws of crops, or leaves, under suitable temperature and humidity degree.
Biodegradable and compostable materials are mainly used, in the packaging industry, as an eco-friendly solution to replace undegradable petroleum-based plastic products, due to the increasing solid waste in many counties.
EN 13432
According to the definition given by the EN 13432: Requirements for Packaging Recoverable through Composting and Biodegradation, biodegradable materials shall fulfill at least the following requirements:
a. Have a minimum volatile rate of 50%, where “volatility” describes how easily a given substance changes from the liquid to the gas phase
b. Heavy metals contained in the material shall not exceed a given value, e.g. Lead < 0 mg/kg, Mercury < 0.5 mg/kg, Cadmium < 0.5 mg/kg
c. Be able to fragment at least 10% of its initial weight above a 2mm sieve after 12 weeks after being first discharged or composted
d. Get at least 90% biodegraded when compared to the maximum disintegration of a reference substance, within 6 months
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In this section, we cover several types of biodegradable materials used for packaging in the industry.
Biodegradable foam peanut is a type of packing material used in parcels, cargos, and other types of packing boxes as a buffer and cushioning material to keep the integrity of the products during the shipping or moving process.
The name, foam peanut, comes from its similarity to the size and shape of unshelled peanuts. Traditionally, foam peanut is made of polystyrene, which is not biodegradable.
Biodegradable foam peanuts made of crops like corn starch and grain sorghum were gradually developed in the 1990s. These starch-based foam peanuts are soluble in water and therefore as a popular alternative to their non-biodegradable counterparts.
Cardboard is a common biodegradable packaging, which can be made from a broad range of fibrous and biodegradable materials, such as grass straw, wood, bamboo, cotton, and recycled waste paper.
The shape, sizes, thickness, dimensions, tensility, layers, the water absorption rate of the cardboard are flexible, depending on the expectation of the users.
Biodegradable plastic packaging is packaging that can degrade into the water, CO₂, methane, or simple organic molecules. These products are usually made of starch-based crops, such as potatoes, wheat, sorghums, and corn.
Examples of biodegradable plastic packaging include t-shirt bags, grocery shopping bags, dog poop bags, and more.
Mushroom packaging is a new risen type of eco-friendly packaging. Mushroom packaging has an appearance and texture of styrofoam-based packaging material, the difference is that the former is made of fungus roots, mycelia, and residues from farming.
Mushroom packaging is suitable to be used for egg cartons, inner packaging for cosmetic and personal care products, food and beverage packaging. Mushroom packaging could be a competent competitor of non-biodegradable traditional plastic or styrofoam packaging, since its high economic value and low-cost production.
According to the EU Ecodesign Guide, mushroom packaging does not need either light, water, or chemical additives to produce, since the mycelium can easily grow by and around the residues to the desired packaging form in a short period of time (usually around 1 week).
Seaweed packaging is another option for green packaging. Some companies have developed seaweed bags, sachets for dry and wet food products such as cereal, coffee, and seasonings.
The application of seaweed packaging has also extended to the foodservice industry and is used as wraps for foods like burgers, sandwiches, and rice.
Organic fabric packaging referrers to packaging that are made of organic fabric such as GOTS-certified organic cotton, linen, or hemp Packaging made of organic fabrics is biodegradable, in a time period between a few months to a few years. For example, it takes about five months for 100% organic cotton fabric to degrade.
A typical example of organic fabric packaging is muslin bags, which are often used as packaging for personal care products, innerwear, or perfume.
In this section, we introduce the industrial application of biodegradable packaging.
Dongguan Oemy Environmental Friendly Packaging is an OEM and ODM manufacturer providing biodegradable packaging bags for food in the forms of granules, pieces, powders, and other non-liquid forms.
The product lines of Oemy include zipper bags, stand-up packaging bags, and flat packaging bags made of bioplastics and materials like PLA, PBAT, and wood pulp. These biodegradable packaging bags are applicable to a broad range of foodstuff industries, such as coffee bean/powder, tea leaves, rice, dried fruit/meat, chips, and other dried food.
In addition to the main packaging bag, Oemy has also developed 100% biodegradable bag accessories such as air valves, and zippers.
Location: 1102, Unit 2, B23, Fenglinmeiliwan, Wanjiang District, Dongguan, Guangdong
Jiangsu Yopack Packaging Technology is a factory located in Wuxi, Jiangsu Province. The company was founded in 2018 and specialized in designing, producing, and exporting biodegradable single-use food packaging for restaurants, hotels, schools, cafeterias, and other food-catering facilities.
Jiangsu Yopack uses sugarcane pulps that are imported from Thailand as the raw material for its products. According to the product introduction page of Yopack, their products meet the ASTM standards for biodegradable and compostable materials and can be decomposed within 90 days.
Currently, the factory area of Yopack is over 8,600 square meters, equipped with 6 production lines, and enables an annual output of 10, 000 tons of pulp.
Location: No.18 Guomin Road, Beiguo Gushan Town, Jiangyin, Wuxi, Jiangsu
MST Packaging is a stand-up pouch bag manufacturer located in Jiangmen, Guangdong Province. The company is professional in designing, printing, and exporting biodegradable pouch bags for the foodstuff companies such as coffee, dried fruits, potato chips, candies, tea leaves, and more.
Customers can choose various types of seals for the pouch bags, including ribbon, PP rope, cotton, and die-cut. The annual production capacity of MST Packaging is over 5,000 tons.
Location: 401, No. 31 Cuiyuan Country Garden, Heshan, Jiangmen, Guangdong
Shanghai Yifu Packaging Products was established in 2007, and it focuses on offering biodegradable packaging solutions for global customers, starting from development, production to sales.
Yifu Packaging’s product lines include PLA biodegradable material and packaging, PVA water-soluble packaging, and kraft paper packaging. These packages can be made customizable and cater to the industries of foodstuff, beverage, clothing, electronic products, cosmetics, and other consumer products.
Location: 1393, Building 1, No. 2011, Xinfeng Road, Fengcheng Town, Fengxian District, Shanghai
Founded in 2005, Foshan DXC Packaging is a packaging manufacturer for the food and non-food industries, including beverage, organic green food, dietary supplements, and pet treats.
Foshan DXC especially designed extra-large biodegradable foil packaging for the pet food industry. Customers can choose packaging with a net weight capacity of 10lb, 20lb, 40lb, 50lb, or have the factory customize their ideal packaging.
In addition, DXC also launched biodegradable packaging for pet wet food, which is specially designed to protect wet food from moisture and to extend the shelf life of the products.
The factory area of DXC is over 12,000 square meters, equipped with more than 300 independent workshops, undertaking various product procedures, including slitting, printing, and laminating.
Location: No.8th Fumian East Road, Lubao Technology Park, Sanshui, Foshan, Guangdong
Be Green Packaging was founded in 2007, and it mainly provides biodegradable and compostable inner and outer packaging solutions for manufacturers, wholesalers, and retailers. The company has set up primary manufacture, distribution, and customer service centers in Ridgeland, South Carolina, a secondary manufacturing center in Xuzhou, Jiangsu, as well as representative offices in Los Angeles and Dublin.
Be Green Packaging is committed to the production of green packaging materials and they use mainly bagasse, wheat straw, tree fibers, and kenaf as the raw and main material of their products.
The company is especially devoted to the creation of green packaging for the cafes and prompt to decrease the use of single-use plastic products in the foodservice industry.
The clientele of Be Green Packaging is from all professions and trades, including food service, health and beauty products, consumer electronics, and eCommerce applications, including Gillette, Schick, P&G, Samsung, and Nokia.
Location: No. 158, Guangming Road, Suining Economic Development Zone, Xuzhou, Jiangsu
Hangzhou Mig Packaging focuses on producing cosmetic packaging with traditional and new materials such as glass, plastic bamboo, and kraft paper. The biodegradable packaging is now available for a broad range of cosmetic and skincare products, such as body lotion jars, essential oil rollers, and lipstick tubes.
Mig Packaging offers size, shape, and printing customization services for biodegradable packaging.
Location: Chun-an, Qiandaohu Town, Zhejiang
Tiantai Dingtian Packaging is a professional pulp tray and food packaging factory located in Tiantai, Zhejiang Province. The company was founded in 2014 providing wet press-molded pulp packaging materials and solutions to customers from the electronic, foodservice, and cosmetic industry.
Tiantai Dingtian offers pulp packaging customization services for cell phones, computer accessories like Bluetooth speakers, cords, earbuds, and wireless chargers.
Currently, the factory area of Dingtian is over 6,500 square meters, with around 100 employees working in it.
Location: No. 699-10 Jigong Avenue, Tiantai, Zhejiang
Zhejiang Chaofan Commodity was established in 1994 in Taizhou City as a professional bioplastic and craft material and product manufacturer.
The company specializes in designing and manufacturing kraft paper cups and biodegradable plastic bags. These products apply to ice cream shops, cafes, fast food restaurants, hotels, and other food catering industries.
Location: No. 2287 Jingzhong Road, Qianhong Industrial Area, Hongjia, Jiaojiang, Zhejiang
Mo Chuiyan has an MA in Islamic Studies from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. She has previously worked as a marketing developer for Middle Eastern countries in an E-commerce company. She has also worked as a merchandiser in the garment industry, where she gained expertise in material sourcing and production management. She currently works as a content editor for Chinaimportal.com
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Hi Chuiyan!
I am currently researching ways to switch or incorporate more sustainable packaging in a home appliance company (vacuums, air fryers, kettles, etc) and was wondering if you had any more information about more sustainable packaging suppliers based in China, since this is where our manufacturing operations are based. Please let me know if we can talk more about this!
Hi Tina,
You could try to contact one of the suppliers listed in this article.