Plant-Based FAQ

Plant-Based bags are made of bio-plastic that are made from sugarcane, a resource that can be renewed within a year. Conventional plastic bags are made from fossil fuels, a resource that takes millions of years to renew. Plant-Based bags reduces our reliance on fossil fuels, an nonrenewable resource that pollutes the air with greenhouse gases. Thus, Plant-Based bags are sustainable as they rely on renewable resources instead. 

This sustainable alternative trash bag does not lack in strength. Plant-Based bags and conventional plastic bags are both made of polyethylene, and as a result, they have similar properties. For this reason, the Plant-Based bags have the same strength and quality of  regular plastic bags. This results in an eco friendly bag that holds more trash without ripping. When using Plant-Based bags, the legendary strength and durability of our  bags are upheld, and your carbon footprint is reduced!

Since Plant-Based plastic bags are made of polyethylene from sugarcane ethanol, they rely more on renewable resources, making it a more sustainable solution. Crown Poly Plant-Based bags have a smaller carbon footprint than conventional plastic bags, they reduce our reliance on fossil fuels, and less waste is generated. While conventional plastic bags release carbon dioxide into the air, Plant-Based bags have a net negative carbon dioxide emissions because  the sugarcane absorbs carbon dioxide throughout its growth period. In addition, a by product of sugarcane ethanol called bagasse is used to fuel boilers instead of fossil fuels, resulting in the plant’s self sufficiency. Resources are not wasted, for example, any excess bagasse is sold off to nearby cities for their powergrid.

Sugarcane ethanol is received from our source’s facilities where it is dehydrated into ethylene and then polymerized into polyethylene using sustainable methods, such as scheduled shutdowns, reusing stormwater runoff, and reusing treated wastewater. The plastic resin pellets are then used to make Plant-Based bags.

No. Crown Poly Plant-Based bags are made of bio-plastic, not biodegradable bio-plastic. The bio-plastic we use is not biodegradable, but it is made from sugarcane and is 100% recyclable. Since it is not biodegradable, the bio-plastic stores carbon dioxide that was absorbed throughout the sugarcane’s lifetime, keeping that carbon dioxide out of the air. Contrarily, biodegradable bio-plastic is made from corn biomass and decomposes at appropriate facilities. Since Plant-Based bags are recyclable, the energy and materials used to make the bags can be reused over and over again. However, the energy and resources that are used to make biodegradable bags are not recovered. We highly encourage our customers to recycle our products so that we can continue to be less wasteful and more sustainable.

Yes. Our bioplastic source’s ethanol supplier requires many practices in Brazil that facilitate sustainability. The main target for the ethanol suppliers are small independent farms. In addition, the farms are required to follow local Brazilian law, respect biodiversity, and are regulated in terms of the environment, weather risks, soil conditions, etc. Water usage is minimal since the sugarcane used is grown in Brazil where rainfall is most often used instead of artificial irrigation. In order to minimize the impact of expansion, the sugarcane farms are placed on degraded pastures. The sugarcane that is grown does not involve burning practices during harvest. Overall, in the process of growing the sugarcane, water is conserved and reused, soil conservation techniques are used, measures to protect native animals are enforced, forest fires are preserved and combatted, etc.

To reduce dependency on chemical fertilizers, vinasse, a co-product of sugarcane ethanol, is used as an organic fertilizer as it is rich in nutrients and water. Biological controls and genetic improvement are the methods most often used when dealing with diseases. Therefore pesticide use is minimal and fungicide use is almost non-existent.

Plant-Based bags are USDA certified Bio-based Product. Plant-Based bags exceed minimum USDA certified bio-based content for the “product category.” Although the plastic is 100% made from sugarcane, the source material used for the Plant-Based bags have been certified to contain 99% (HD) and 88% (LLP) new organic carbon. New organic carbon  is derived from plants and other renewable resources. There is no virgin plastic added to Plant-Based bags.

The sugar that is sourced is not genetically modified.