The technical specifications for fully biodegradable plastic bags primarily refer to the national standard GB/T 38082-2019, “Biodegradable Plastic Shopping Bags.” This standard specifies the terms and definitions, requirements, test methods, inspection rules, and packaging, transportation, and storage for biodegradable plastic shopping bags. This standard applies to plastic shopping bags made primarily from biodegradable plastic resin films, bags processed through bag-making processes such as heat sealing or gluing, and bags composited with biodegradable plastics and other materials.
According to GB/T 38082-2019, the technical requirements for biodegradable plastic shopping bags include:
✅Biodegradability: The biodegradation rate must be greater than or equal to 60%.
✅Physical and mechanical properties: These include lifting tests, drop tests, and seal strength to ensure the bag’s strength and durability during use.
✅Heavy metal and specific element content: Must comply with the requirements of the “Guidelines for the Classification and Labeling of Degradable Plastic Products.”
✅Disintegration rate: Must be greater than or equal to 90%.
✅Ecotoxicology testing: Requires passing relevant ecotoxicology tests.
Furthermore, if plastic bags are intended for food contact, they must also comply with the requirements of GB 4806.7-2016, “National Food Safety Standard – Plastic Materials and Products for Food Contact.”
When purchasing fully biodegradable plastic bags, you can identify them by checking the product label. True biodegradable plastics are typically made of PLA, PBAT, or PLA+PBAT+starch (St). The product’s biodegradability must be greater than or equal to 90%, and the degradation conditions must be clearly stated, such as “soil degradable, compostable, marine degradable, freshwater degradable, sludge digestible, high-solids digestible,” etc.
