Click on the links below to find out about the various plastic bag alternatives:

Biodegradable Bags

Paper Bags

Planet Ark endorses the use of Mater-Bi™ biodegradable corn starch products. Mater-Bi™ corn starch is a renewable resource (made from corn), compostable, biodegradable and non-toxic.

Mater-Bi™ is biodegradable in any environment where bacteria is present – compost heap, the soil, landfill, sea or river or sewage treatment plant. Mater-Bi™ biodegrades to leave CO2 and water.

Below is a list of distributors that retailers and individuals can contact to purchase Mater-Bi™ products. The products include singlet bags, shopping bags, garbage bags and dog poo bags. All distributors can supply in small or large quantities anywhere in the country.

FOR LARGE QUANTITY ORDERS:

PCC Packaging
Cardiff, NSW
Contact Brian Hunt
Ph: 02 4954 8844

Jonmar Plastics
Yatala Queensland
Contact Andrew Huntley
Ph: 07 3807 8300

Allviron
Campbellfield, Melbourne Victoria
Contact Jonathan MacMillan
Ph: 03 9357 9744

Convex Plastics
Hamilton, New Zealand
Contact Andrew Sheerin
Ph: 00 11 64 7958 1770

FOR SMALLER QUANTITY ORDERS:

Earth Basics
Canberra, ACT
Contact Maryke Booth
Ph: 02 6280 4128
www.earthbasics.com.au

Environmental Enterprises
Campbelltown, Sydney, NSW
Contact Tao Triebles
Ph: 02 4620 9248

EcoEarth Technologies
Gnarawarre, Victoria
Contact Michael Burton
Ph: 03 5265 6009
www.ecoearth.com.au

Marvic Packaging Australia
Perth, WA
Contact Leonie van-Hamburg
Ph: 08 9272 9499
www.marvic.com.au

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Paper bags take more energy to manufacture than plastic bags and can’t be reused as often. Paper bags can however, be recycled in household kerbside recycling facilities and they are more degradable than plastic if they end up in landfill.

Paper bags are mostly manufactured locally. Some Australian paper bags contain up to 50% recycled content.

Here are some suppliers of paper bags. The listing of any company on this website does not imply Planet Ark endorsement of the company:

Detpak
Ph: 08 8348 3805
www.detpak.com

Ecocern
Ph: 02 9337 2737
www.ecocern.com

Gispac
Ph: 1300 850 101
www.gispac.com

EnviroBest
Ph: 1300 559 128

Paper-Pak
Ph: 1800 088 258
www.paper-pak.net

Bee Dee Bags
Ph: 02 9693 2883
www.beedeebags.com.au

To find out more information about Planet Ark's Plastic Bag Reduction Campaign Click here.