Sweet answers to the most asked questions about GreenPE

In 2015 Duo became the first UK manufacturer to produce mailing bags using GreenPE, a thermoplastic sustainable resin, made from sugarcane. Unlike other ‘green products’ GreenPE is sustainable, from source to production.  

GreenPE is a hot topic as companies formalise their Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) reporting and actively search for products with independently verified environmental benefits. 

Here are the answers to the most frequently asked questions asked the wonder material that is GreenPE:  

Q: GreenPE is made from sugarcane. Does this mean it will decompose or compost?  

A: No, GreenPE is derived from sugarcane. Once in polyethylene form its properties are the exact same as virgin derived polythene. GreenPE is recyclable in a closed loop recycling system.  

Q: When importing sugarcane from Brazil, what carbon impact does it have on the environment?  

A: The material is transported from Brazil via sea containers to the UK. Once the vessel arrives at a port the raw material is distributed via truck to the manufacturer who produces the product, in our case Manchester. On average container ships produce the equivalent of 16.14 grams of CO2 per metric ton of goods shipped per kilometer (g CO2e per mt per km)* 

Q: Does the growing consumption of sugarcane ethanol for sugarcane plastic production have any impact on food production?  

A: No, today, Brazil has 330 million hectares of arable land, and only 1.4% of all arable land in Brazil is dedicated to ethanol production. The consumption of ethanol to produce sugarcane plastic represents about 1.7% of the total production of ethanol, or 0.02% of Brazil’s arable land. The existence of available land combined with an intensification of livestock production makes Brazil a country with room for expansion of agriculture.  

Q: Is GreenPE material compatible with automated packaging machines?  

A: Yes. GreenPE has the same properties as polyethylene derived from virgin sources. The only difference is that GreenPE is derived from sustainable sugarcane. 

Further information about the environmental benefits of GreenPE can be found here or to discuss more about this sweet way of saving the planet with one of our team email enquiries@duo-uk.co.uk or call 0044 0161 203 5767. 

*Source: Statista