Image courtesy of Aquapak
Navico Group, a supplier of integrated systems and products to industries ranging from marine to recreational vehicles and more, is using Hydropol bags developed by United Kingdom-based Aquapak to protect its marine electronics during shipping.
Aquapak says it has developed its Hydropol polymer to be water soluble and nontoxic to marine life. The company claims its polymer is dissolvable and biodegradable and breaks down in all existing recycling streams and adds that if the material does reach the environment, it biodegrades completely without leaving behind microplastics.
Aquapak says Hydropol then can be processed on existing packaging machinery at scale to produce a barrier film layer that can be combined with paper and other bioplastics or turned into what it calls “strong, durable, puncture-resistant and antistatic bags.”
Because of Hydropol’s properties, Aquapak says Mettawa, Illinois-based Navico Group has chosen to use the bags as part of its commitment to protecting the natural environment and ensuring its supply chain and end of life is as sustainable as possible.
“Our commitment to sustainability and protecting the natural environment is a high priority for Navico Group,” says Jeremiah Clark, the company’s vice president of product management. “We’re continually exploring innovative solutions to reduce our environmental footprint. That’s why we’ve chosen to use Hydropol bags, a sustainable alternative that is nontoxic to marine life and does not generate harmful microplastics.”
Aquapak notes that Hydropol garment bags, which it considers a replacement for low-density polyethylene (LDPE) film bags, also have been used for many years by fashion industry brands.
“Hydropol is perfect for a business like Navico Group which operates in the highly sensitive marine environment,” Aquapak CEO Mark Lapping says. “It can be used as an alternative to conventional plastic as it provides the same functionality and performance but without harming the environment.”