When it comes to choosing water soluble bag manufacturers you want to choose ones that are certified by reputable bodies. This is important because they are likely to follow the same production standards. They will also be required to maintain a high level of customer service and ensure that their products meet all legal requirements. This will give you peace of mind that you are purchasing a product that is safe for use and won’t cause any harm to the environment.

Manufacturers of PVA based hot water-soluble polybags are often claiming that they are a greener alternative to traditional plastic bags. This is quite a bold claim and it certainly needs to be backed up by the facts. One of the key factors here is the carbon impact of the PVA used to make these polybags. Official life-cycle assessment figures for the PVA material that these bags are made from show that it has a much higher carbon footprint than Low-Density Polyethylene (LDPE) which is traditionally used to make traditional plastic polybags.

The main reason for this is that the PVA that is used to make these polybags has a different ‘degree of hydrolysis’. This is the process by which the polymer in a plastic film dissolves into polyvinyl alcohol. The degree of hydrolysis determines whether the finished product is able to be dissolved in hot water or not. PVA that is able to be dissolved in hot hot water has a lower degree of hydrolysis, whereas PVA with a high degree of hydrolysis can only be dissolved in cold water.

Another important factor here is the marine degradability of these PVA based polybags. Marine degradability is defined as a plastic’s ability to break down in the sea, river or lake ecosystems without harming marine life. The marine degradability of PVA can be tested using a common test called the ‘Fecton’ test, which is performed by a recognised laboratory. One of the major producers of PVA for water soluble polybags, Aquapak, has addressed this issue in a white paper that is available on their website. The authors of the report clearly state that their tests indicate that H2OK bags are not marine degradable.

One of the most popular uses for these water soluble polybags is as laundry bags. This is because they can be used in hospitals and nursing homes to reduce the spread of infection from soiled hospital bed linens and garments by containing the contaminated items inside the bag until they can be washed, disinfected and then flushed away to the sewer system. This can help to greatly improve the hygiene in these environments and reduce the risk of contamination by blood borne pathogens or MRSA. It can also help to significantly reduce staff contact with soiled laundry and linen, which is known to increase the risk of cross-infection. These bags are available in a variety of colours, including transparent, red, yellow and blue. They are also supplied in roll form for easy handling.