Splash, a fashion retailer owned by the Landmark Group, has formed a partnership with Natur-Tec to pioneer a new sustainable biopolymer-based packaging solution in the Middle East and South Asian region.
Image: Splash has partnered with Natur-Tec to pioneer a new sustainable biopolymer-based packaging solution. Photo: courtesy of rawpixel on Unsplash.
Natur-Tec is a business unit of Northern Technologies International Corporation (NTIC), a developer and marketer of environmentally beneficial products and technical services either directly or through a network of subsidiaries, joint ventures, and independent distributors in more than 50 countries.
Splash has replaced 80 million polybags per year with bioplastics, a biobased and compostable plastic alternative to conventional plastics. The biobased carbon is helping decrease 298 tons of carbon dioxide emissions annually.
The eco-friendly bags after the useful life are biodegraded by macro- and micro-organisms in natural composting and soil disposal.
NTIC said this approach reduces the carbon footprint of its packaging and provides for an environmentally responsible end-of-life through composting.
The company’s new approach is in line with the Circular Economy model and eradicates leakage into the ocean environment and landfills.
Use of conventional plastics like polyethylene and polypropylene are facing harsh societal and political criticism because of environmental and waste-disposal concerns.
NTIC said demand for certified biodegradable and compostable packaging is expected to become the norm as non-degradable plastics find their way into the oceans and negatively affect marine eco system and habitats.
NTIC vice president Vineet Dalal said the partnership promises to bring significant benefits to both parties.
Dalal said: “Natur-Tec has internationally recognized expertise and patented technologies in the bioplastics space, while Landmark Group is a global leader in the Retail and Hospitality segments with a dominant position globally. The combination of these unique and complementary capabilities, has allowed us to develop an innovative biopolymer-based packaging solution.”
Founded in 1993 as a single brand store in Sharjah, Splash currently operates more than 230 stores across 13 countries.
NTIC’s Natur-Tec branded products are engineered using blends of biodegradable polymers and natural materials to create biobased (renewable resource based) and certified compostable plastics.
The bioplastics portfolio of Natur-Tec includes flexible film, foam, rigid injection molded materials, and engineered plastics.