Flexible packaging manufacturer, Brayford Plastics, is urging its customers to switch to environmentally friendly packaging.

Brayford has now become equipped to produce degradable film and bags and says the conversion from traditional plastics to its environmentally friendly packaging is ideal for fresh produce companies packing goods with a short shelf.

Its packaging uses a special additive combined with plastic resins which gradually degrades into water, carbon dioxide and harmless residues when it is subjected to heat, light or stress. The company says it means the plastic breaking down in a pre-determined period, rather than centuries taken by conventional plastic bags.

Senior sales co-ordinator Richard Allam thinks using it could also boost business: “There’s a real competitive advantage for companies featuring a product in a bag that is engineered ultimately to disappear totally and safely,” he said.