Sustainability remains a hot topic and is increasingly important in practices and processes of companies worldwide. Not by chance, the Global Risks Report 2023, published by the World Economic Forum, indicates that 50% of the main risks in the coming years are related to environmental issues—such as climate change and scarcity of natural resources.

That’s why, continuing our tradition of staying ahead of the market and setting an example of sustainability practices in Brazilian industry, we present Ideal Work’s latest innovation: biodegradable packaging.

In addition to having a decomposition time up to 10 times shorter than conventional packaging, our biodegradable packaging went through a series of tests to meet rigorous technical criteria. Below, you’ll see this process in detail and why this is so important for Brazil’s uniform market.

Why recyclable and biodegradable packaging?

First, it’s important to note that the environmental impact of packaging has been a known problem for some time. According to information published by Onda Eco, 80% of household waste packaging is discarded after a single use. In Europe, packaging accounts for 40% of plastics and 50% of all paper used.

The impacts are devastating for nature. Improper disposal generates several negative consequences, mainly due to soil and water contamination by toxic substances. In addition, there are also direct impacts on human health, such as respiratory and chronic diseases caused by continuous exposure to toxic elements.

Another major challenge is the waste of raw materials and production costs, which are ultimately thrown away at the end of a product’s useful life.

Given this scenario, Brazilian legislation highlighted the importance of producing packaging that can be recycled or reused. This was established in the National Solid Waste Policy, known as Law No. 12,305/2010, which states in article 32:

Art. 32. Packaging must be manufactured with materials that enable reuse or recycling.

§ 1º It is the responsibility of those responsible to ensure that packaging is:

• I – restricted in volume and weight to the dimensions required to protect the contents and commercialize the product;
• II – designed to be reused in a technically viable way and compatible with applicable requirements for the product it contains;
• III – recycled, if reuse is not possible.

In view of these challenges, an increasingly attractive alternative is biodegradable packaging. In simple terms, this packaging is made of materials that can naturally decompose—i.e., undergo biodegradation.

That means biodegradable packaging is converted by algae, fungi, and bacteria into substances that can be easily reabsorbed by nature, such as water and biomass. This reduces the chance of environmental contamination or harm to native flora and fauna, since biodegradable packaging remains in nature far less time than conventional packaging.

If you’re interested, you can dive deeper into technical aspects and see practical examples of biodegradable packaging in use today by reading this article.

Ideal Work’s recyclable and biodegradable packaging

Although conventional packaging has significant socio-environmental impact and Brazilian law indicates companies’ responsibility to produce reusable and recyclable options, biodegradable packaging is still limited in global and Brazilian markets.

That’s why, reinforcing its leading role in Brazilian industry regarding sustainability, Ideal Work is proud to start 2023 with the launch of its recyclable and biodegradable packaging.

After months of development and improvement, Ideal’s new biodegradable packaging shows decomposition 10 times faster in nature: 4 years for biodegradation, compared to 40 years for traditional packaging.

In addition, like all Ideal Work products, recyclable and biodegradable packaging follows strict technical criteria and standards that prove superior quality. Development met ASTM D 6954-4 under SPCR 141, resulting in approval in tests of oxidative degradability, biodegradability, and ecotoxicological assessment.

But Ideal Work went further and also tested the new recyclable and biodegradable packaging in practice. We partnered with SENAI (National Service for Industrial Training) to conduct numerous recycling tests. Results showed no variation up to the tenth recycling—another seal of excellence demonstrating the material’s ability to be reused in the production chain.

In other words, Ideal Work’s recyclable and biodegradable packaging:

• does not contaminate the environment;
• degrades in up to 4 years in nature;
• was produced to be sustainable.

Finally, after months in development, the new recyclable and biodegradable packaging will be used in all our products starting in February 2023.

This measure once again reinforces Ideal Work’s commitment to sustainability-driven development—taking ESG beyond theory and generating real impact for Brazil. It also reflects our responsibility toward the UN Sustainable Development Goals, especially Responsible Consumption and Production.

It’s worth remembering that this is not Ideal Work’s first effort to develop sustainable solutions for Brazil’s uniform market. Among our innovations is Ecowork, the only fabric for professional uniforms sourced from a circular economy.

The new recyclable and biodegradable packaging is another contribution of our pioneering spirit and ongoing care for the environment, promoting sustainable values in partnership with suppliers and through the commitment of our employees.