Eco wrap cling film

[Newbee]

I am a new soap maker. My soaps are clear with a little toy inside so to keep them clear and unscuffed and to stop from sweating I have wrapped them in Cling film and also heat shrunk them in a plastic film (depending on the shape). A buyer for a store asked me if I could ditch the plastic as they prefer not to sell plastic wrapped items. I have found eco cling film and sugar cane based plastic-like wraps - however my label maker (also. chemist!) said I could not state these were compostable or biodegradable as the chemicals in the soap negates this claim. He also said that the soaps need to be wrapped in plastic due to the nature of the product and that with these plant based cling wraps the soap would degrade on the shop floor. Does anyone have any views or understanding on this? Ideally I would also like to avoid plastic, however the plastic films are recyclable at least and this would be better than the product degrading. Thank you!

 

[ResolvableOwl]

Welcome to SMF, @Newbee!
That whole bioplastics/biodegradable plastics field is still too young to be settled. Conventional fossil-based recycling companies are (rightfully!) complaining about “bioplastics” making recycling more difficult. Many theoretically compostable bioplastics are, well, only theoretically compostable. Customers, research and legislation can't keep pace with an evolving market, full of brilliant ideas and not so brilliant PR/greenwashing campaigns. Raised environmental consciousness is urgently needed, but exploited by profiteers too. My “favourite” nonsense is calling things “recyclable” to pass the buck for the actual cycle of materials to customers/municipal waste treatment.

And in between all this, melt&pour soap really depends on clear but water-proof packaging. If you use something (too) easily biodegradable (starch foil, e. g.), chances are that it won't keep moisture back well enough – on the contrary, things like sugarcane-based PE is waterproof, but chemically identical to fossil PE, so except for the carbon balance it isn't a “cleaner” plastic. It's really tricky. I can't contribute much for your particular problem, especially since you probably have a better overview over the market already.

When in doubt, a non-sustainable wrap is perfectly justifiable when it protects a good that is otherwise prone to decay. Should someone ask you if there weren't better alternatives, you can still ask back and encourage them to support you with improving your ecobalance! You clearly aren't careless or naïve, and at latest when they are confronted with all the questions you (and your label maker/chemist) have already come across.

 

[earlene]

Some MP soap is going to sweat when exposed to ambient moisture in the air, so impermeable wrapping is necessary. Some folks here have used a MP base that stops sweating after a certain amount of time and therefore does not require shrink wrap. (They will probably pop in to indicate the brands that works this way for them.) But if yours does sweat for as long as it is open to the air, you really have no choice if you want the soap to remain dry prior to going to their new owner's home.

Some biofilm is supposedly biodegradable eventually (slow, but eventually) so I believe that a label that says the packaging is biodegradable is not dishonest. But apparently that is debatable, so I am not saying it is an absolute. If your vendor can back up the claim of biodegradable with verifiable studies, and your label states 'biodegradable packaging' that should be fine; in that case you are not claiming the soap is biodegradable.

But can you not check with your vendor to determine if the ingredients in your MP base are biodegradable or not and rely on their answer when you decide how to label the soap?

New Directions states their Stephenson MP base is biodegradable: Melt and Pour Soap Bases – Melt, Modify, Pour, Cool, and Use!


ETA:
Another thought is to enclose a sample of each soap to be put on display, where the enclosure is a clear wax (like some restaurants do for a demonstration desert tray). Then the demo soaps can be on display, while the for sale soaps live inside some other kind of packaging that keeps them safe. It would surely increase your costs and you'd have to pass that along to the consumer of course, but it is another alternative. Finding a packaging to keep sweat-prone MP from sweating may be easier if the packaging is not see through. For example: wax coated paper or boxes with wax coating. Personally, I prefer shrink wrap because it is less packaging.

 

[Newbee]

Thank you so much for your reply! This has definitely given me food for thought and something to talk to this retailer about before I go ahead and praise anything!

 

[Bubble Agent]

You are in the UK, right? I am a bit late to the party here, but I have saved this link on my computer as I found it quite interesting. They are based in England. (scroll down a bit after clicking the link, to get to the text I quoted)

These manufacturers are quite open about the fact that this topic of biodegradable wrap is multifaceted.
Here is a quote from their site:

<<Biodegradable shrink wrap was once just an aspiration for the packaging industry. However, thanks to a number of developments in shrink wrap technology, there are now shrinkwrap films that are considered “functionally biodegradable”. In simple terms, in order to be classified “biodegradable” a shrink wrap film must be capable of decomposition in the presence of bacteria, or other micro-organisms, under natural conditions. The bi-products of decomposition are water, CO2 and biomass, as described by the European Standard EN 13432.

In reality, there is no film on the market that fully meets this requirement, and In this context the danger is that any promised breakdown is merely a disguise for transforming the base product into something that is not visible, but nonetheless present in the environment.

The example of micro plastic particles in the oceans and water table is a case in point.
Furthermore, current thinking with regard to sustainability is more focused upon the circular economy argument. That is to say that the idea of throwing products away is itself flawed, even if products were fully “biodegradable”.>>

Don`t know if this was even useful, but I found it quite interesting myself, because I was doing research in regards to what kind of packaging I was going for myself. I landed on the thinnest available, foodgrade Polyolefin (smell through) in the end, and my CPRS said that this was an ideal packaging for protecting soaps, and were approved without issues. In fact, my papers states this packaging was recommended.

I could go for boxes, or paper, but I have soaps with top decoration on them, (my lable is underneath) so I want my product(s) wrapping to be as transparent as possible, both visually and metaphorically speaking (heh..).

During my research I realized that even cardboard or paper takes a huge ammount of water and energy to produce, even though it is easy enough to recycle. But they unfortunately also cover up the decoration, and is expensive to get a hold of, for me anyway, I have to get them from England or America, so reordering and restocking aaaaall the time. But, 1 roll of poly and I am set for life. Literally. (The roll is 500 feet x 12", so it is folded) and I only use 4.72 in. pr bar.)

After going over everything, and testing things for several years now, I am quite comfortable with my choice.
Btw, I have M&P embeds on some of my soaps, and they are kept stable and dry without any issues using this poly.

I am happy with my choice, and even more so now, in these pandemic times, where I can protect my soaps from dust, fingerprints etc, but I can also disinfect my packaging as often as I need with alcohol without anything getting ruined. I haven`t started to sell yet, but i want to be as ready as I possibly I can be.

(I hope no one think I mean to diss anyones choice of using paper or cardboard, totally get why. But for me poly was the best solution.

But it isn`t biodegradable, only recyclable. But Norway has a great system in place, and recycling here is second nature to us (paper, plastic, cardboard, glass, metal, styrofoam...you name it, we do it)

 

[Atlanta Lily]

Thanks @Bubble Agent. I’ve thought about (and heading down) the paper route but this Polyolefin has given me another option to look into

 

[Bubble Agent]

Thanks @Bubble Agent. I’ve thought about (and heading down) the paper route but this Polyolefin has given me another option to look into ☺

Happy to hear you found it useful!

There is sooooo much beautiful paper out there, and so many ways to go about it. And paper is easily accessible, so totally get why that is a popular route. But it is always nice to have an alternative just in case also

 

[MelissaG]

In the US, your soaps do not need to be wrapped in plastic. I wrap mine in boxes with a window, or in a half box if they have a fancy top that won't fit my standard boxes. I put my shampoos and conditioners in glassine bags which ARE natural since they are made of plants, are biodegradeable, and labels stick well. I do wrap my bath bombs in plastic because of the high humidity in my area. If I didn't wrap my bath bombs, they'd set off on the table or in the car. I also use plastic for my lip balms because the paper containers cost an arm and a leg and the tins aren't sanitary. My lotions are also in plastic for health and safety reasons (glass is not a good idea).

What I really want is to get the National Shrink Wrap System. They have a biofilm that would be perfect. Too bad the system is rather expensive.