What's in Your Bag?

If you've recently ordered from ICEGRIPPER you might have noticed something slightly different from previous orders..?

Around 18 months ago we started looking at different packaging. Our main aim was to start moving away from cheaper plastics that couldn't be recycled. After looking at a number of options we settled with our new bag - which you might have received?

We decided to stay with plastic as other materials couldn't cope with the demands of modern postal and logistics distribution. For example: cardboard can get soggy if left out in the rain resulting in split packaging. Reinforced paper was also looked at, but suffered similar issues. Whilst coated paper is difficult to recycle.

So we settled on a specific type of plastic, which contains 30% recycled material and is 100% recyclable. The main picture above is not actually Frogspawn or Tapioca, but is LDPE4 pellets before mouding. LDPE4, is a low density polyethylene. So, what are the advantages of (LDPE's) low density polyethylene's?

Flexible & Low Tensile Strength - essentially, this means that LDPE can withstand a lot of stretching before it actually breaks, which makes it fantastically useful for applications like e-commerce bags.

Moisture Resistant - this characteristic is useful in e-commerce bags because theyre often left out in the rain (especially when delivered by Hermes!? 😮).

Impact Resistant - unfortunately during postal distribution and handling - packages do get knocked about a bit. Despite its low tensile strength, LDPE has a surprisingly high impact resistance, which makes it usefully durable.

Chemical Resistance - LDPE has high chemical resistance. Not so much a benefit to ICEGRIPPER but more beneficial to other retailers sending liquids and chemicals? Think cosmetics, for example.

High Temperature Resistance - its status as a thermoplastic means it retains its shape well between the temperatures of -40C to 90C. Not something our average customers should have to worry about!

Poor Conductor of Electricity - LDPE is more or less shock-proof! Not sure how that benefits an e-commerce bag - just a useful pub quiz fact!

Widely Recyclable - this make LDPE hugely attractive as an e-commerce bag.

Low Energy Production - the cost of energy these days - enough said! But it also means it has a relatively small carbon footprint against alternative packaging materials.

 

 

So, despite the cost to us (they cost double the price of our old bags), it was a no-brainer to start using them.

Do you notice the packaging used by different online retailers and e-commerce companies? Is it important to you? Is it clear that the packaging can be re-cycled? We'd love to hear your thoughts and comments. Let us know via our social channels - see the links below. Or drop us an email via out contact page

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