Mohammad Nurul Alam
Plastics are non-biodegradable and human-made polymers that cannot be easily handled and cannot be decomposed or dissolved by natural agents like microbes (e.g., bacteria, fungi), abiotic elements like temperature, UV, oxygen, etc. It has been said that only 9% of annual plastic waste is recycled and around 85% of plastic packaging worldwide ends up in landfills. Environmentally, sustainable practices can help protect natural resources, mitigate, and adapt to climate change, and promote biodiversity. So, building a circular economy around packaging and increasing the life cycle and usefulness is the motto of Packman Bangladesh Ltd (PBL) founded in 1997 and soon established as the unmatchable flexible packaging company in Bangladesh and one of the leading companies in Southeast Asia.
Packman is committed to consistency of quality:
Packman Bangladesh Ltd (PBL) has changed the commercial landscape of various large manufacturing units by introducing top-grade Polybags and Packaging solutions specifically for the clothing and home textiles industry segment. They specialize in quality, commitment, and customer service. The quality of Packman’s poly bags with respect to strength & variety keeps the customers satisfied and makes it a strong player and an integral part of the RMG industry. It has been serving the Bangladesh RMG industry for more than 25 years.
Farhan Ahmed, Director, Packman Bangladesh Ltd. Said “We are focusing on quality and committed to our customer science 1997 so never diversified business to any other product that is very common to Bangladesh manufacturers. Plastic poly bag manufacturing is our core focus and so we invest in R&D to develop various innovative products with great sustainable sense”.
Product range
There are different types of material used to produce poly bags such as high-density polyethylene (HDPE), low-density polyethylene (LDPE), linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE), medium-density polyethylene (MDPE), and polypropylene (PP) etc. LLDP, LDPE is mostly chosen by the fashion retailer due to the materials being environmentally friendly and both are recyclable items. Based on demand Packman produce poly bags like Zip lock lamination, Hanger lamination, Plastic hanger and Hook for poly, Poly bags with flap, Poly bags with button, Adhesive poly or self-sealing bags, Lip and gazette bags, Slider zip-lock poly, Poly Tubing / Heat Sealed and Plain poly bags that keep exported garments intact and dust, dirt, or moisture-free.
The manufacturing unit of Packman:
The plastic bag manufacturing process generally requires less human touch and is mostly done by automated machines. At first small plastic pellets (called resin) are melted down under controlled conditions, until they become molten and pliable. Once resin pellets reach the desired level of pliability, they are then pressed (extruded) through a circular die gap to form a continuous tube of plastic. In this molten state, the tube of plastic is pinched off at one end, and then inflated and stretched to the size and thickness of the desired finished product. Packman uses modern manufacturing machines that have versatility, consistency, and cost-effectiveness, making it a reliable choice for producing high-quality plastic bags.
“We always focus on high-quality product manufacturing that is well-made, reliable and performs as expected. Our products are designed for durability, effectiveness, and customer satisfaction. We believe that quality is what differentiates us in the RMG market of Bangladesh because quality products make a significant impact on revenues in the long run”. Said Farhan Ahmed, Director, Packman Bangladesh Ltd.
Sustainability and concern for the environment:
Due to ocean pollution from plastic and plastic bags, it has been said approximately, 100 million marine animals are killed each year, it takes centuries for plastic bags to break down in nature, and burning them releases poisonous chemicals. Statistic data shows that 1 trillion Plastic Bags are made each year, which means 2.74 billion plastic bags are made every day, 114 million Every hour, 1.9 million every minute, and almost 32000 plastic bags are made every second. So, environmentalists urge to shift to eco-friendly raw materials, reuse and recycle plastic, and use non-toxic Eco bags, on the other hand, conserve the environment by harmlessly biodegrading after numerous uses. Sustainable packaging is now a big concern for fashion retailers, so they want packaging that reduces the environmental impact over time. Packman makes sustainable bags that are eco-friendly and crafted to have a minimal footprint on the environment. They are focusing on the below process for sustainability –
1) Ingredients – Using 100% recycled materials or material that can be industrially composted, biodegraded in the open environment, or biodegraded in the landfill.
2)Development cycle- By reducing method, supply chain, and carbon footprint.
3)Reusability – Building a circular economy around packaging and increasing the life cycle and usefulness
PM plastics range of Packman:
Packman narrowed its research down to 3 types of biodegradable plastic. All of which leaves behind no microplastics and no Ecotoxicity.
1) PMF- B Biodegrades in landfill
A film made with an organic additive that is designed to reduce the amount of time plastic stays in our environment, including landfills. This material can biodegrade anaerobically in landfills, in oceans, and even in muddy swamps. The key to this material breaking down is exposure to specific types of bacteria found in all of these places listed.
2) PMF-P Biodegrades in the open environment
This material is designed to stop the spread of fugitive plastics reaching our oceans. Designed with unmanaged waste systems in mind, the biggest contributor to ocean plastics. The material biodegrades completely leaving behind no microplastics whatsoever.
3)PMF-PLA -Bio-based & compostable plastic
Quickly biodegrades by microorganisms and enzymes under the conditions of an industrial composting plant. It biodegrades in a matter of weeks into water and CO2. Made of 70% Renewable raw materials.
World top-class apparel brands are using Packman’s poly bag:
Packman’s valuable customers include M&S, George, Walmart, C&A, Sainsbury’s, Primark, KMART (Australia & New Zealand), Hemtex, and many other global retailers. They have a worldwide nomination for retailers and so export quality poly bags in the foreign country as well.
Farhan Ahmed, Director, Packman Bangladesh Ltd. Informed Textile Focus – “As we are providing world-class quality poly bags, apparel retailers give priority to using Packman. At present, we are producing poly bags mostly for Bangladesh RMG sector and have become the number one poly bag supplier due to our commitment and concern for quality”.
Testing standard of Packman
Packman maintains regular testing against the relevant standards of each formula. They do tests upon producing samples of each material and independently seek out an external testing facility that can verify that each of the materials will be biodegraded as promised. Each of the tests shows there are no microplastics left behind or any eco-toxicity. To help and keep the environment sustained for the future Packman does PMF-B tested to the standard ASTM D5511, PMF-P tested to the standard ASTM D6954, and PMF-PLA tested to standards EN13432. D6954 is the standard guide developed for Exposing and Testing Plastics that Degrade in the Environment by a Combination of Oxidation and Biodegradation.
