Learn the top benefits of bagasse bags: a leading option for sustainable, renewable, durable, and attractive single-use bags.
What Is Bagasse?
Bagasse, pronounced bə-găs′, is the fibrous matter from the sugarcane that remains after juice is extracted to produce sugar. The remaining sugarcane stalk pulp can then be used to make a paper-like substance instead of throwing it away or burning it.
More than 54 million tons are produced each year which are then manufactured into single-use bagasse bags and containers for many applications including shopping bags, food trays, food containers, gloves, straws, disposable cups, and other sustainable packaging.
Restaurants, supermarkets, and retail stores that use bagasse tend to be environmentally conscious but also considerate of the quality and durability bagasse offers to their customers.
Bagasse is growing in popularity due to its environmentally friendly biodegradability, sustainability, and renewability. But other factors make bagasse a home run for businesses, consumers, and the environment.
The Top 10 Environmental Benefits of Bagasse Bags
#1 Bagasse is Renewable
Quicker to renew than even bamboo, sugarcane is an easy and fast-to-grow plant in tropical and subtropical regions. Widely available, sugarcane is one of the plants with the highest bioconversion efficiency. Bioconversion is the use of organic materials, such as plant or animal waste, into usable products, such as paper and containers, or energy sources. The bioconversion of bagasse into shopping bags and containers uses manufacturing waste very efficiently and results in an end-product that is 100% biodegradable.
#2 Bagasse is Sustainable
Sugarcane is fast growing, taking less than one year from planting to harvest. Compared to the several years or even decades it takes to grow trees for wood pulp to make paper and containers, bagasse is much more sustainable. In 2020, 1.9 Billion tons of sugarcane were grown worldwide, resulting in 54 Million tons of bagasse being manufactured from the sugarcane processing waste. Using bagasse for packaging maximizes the value of sugarcane crop yields for farmers, giving them an additional revenue stream.
#3 Bagasse is Biodegradable and Compostable
Compared to 400 years for plastics and never for styrofoam, bagasse takes no more than 45 – 90 days to degrade in an at-home compost. The ease of biodegradability gives consumers the comfort that they can dispose of it safely, and in an environmentally-friendly manner.
#4 Bagasse Helps to Reduce Pollution
Only 30% of the sugarcane harvest results in processed sugars. The remainder is waste with limited economic value. In the past, this waste was left to burn in the fields creating pollution. By converting the waste into bagasse products instead that contain zero toxins or chemicals, the eventual disposal of the sugarcane by-product is delivered back into the ground, not as a pollutant, but as a fertilizer. Maximizing the crop yield, by using the waste fibers left over after harvest, prevents the customary burning which would release CO2, polluting the air.
#5 Bagasse Reduces the Carbon Footprint
The process of manufacturing bagasse from sugarcane waste emits less CO2 emissions than plastic, styrofoam, or paper manufacturing. Additionally, as sugarcane grows, atmospheric carbon is captured by the plant and converted to biomass which is then used to produce both sugar and items from the byproduct of sugarcane processing. Atmospheric carbon is used to grow the plant and less CO2 emissions are created when manufacturing bagasse. Win-win!
#6 Bagasse Replaces Plastic and Styrofoam Products
While super useful, non-biodegradable plastics and styrofoams are some of the least eco-friendly man-made products on the planet. It is estimated that plastics can take up to 400 years to break down and styrofoam does not biodegrade at all. Bagasse containers and bags, on the other hand, are 100% biodegradable and even recyclable. Bagasse also meets the needs of discerning businesses and consumers who prefer eco-friendly alternatives that, in many cases, are superior to plastics and styrofoam.
#7 Bagasse is Energy Efficient to Produce
Bagasse requires less energy to manufacture than plastics or traditional paper products, making it more energy efficient to produce.
#8 Bagasse is Toxin and Chemical Free
Unlike plastic manufacturing which uses toxins and chemicals, bagasse is entirely natural. The lack of toxins and chemicals helps it biodegrade quickly and is safe for consumers and the environment.
#9 Bagasse is Preferable to Corn/PLA
PLA is a Polylectic acid made from corn starch and is only suitable for cold food. PLA products also require more energy to produce and require a longer degrading time.
#10 Bagasse Can be Recycled
For consumers without home compost, bagasse products can be recycled along with cardboard items as long as they are clean with no food residue remaining.
The Top 7 Feature Benefits of Bagasse Bags
#11 Bagasse Offers Flexibility
There are many options with bagasse which can be molded into many different shapes making it perfect for shopping bags as well as food containers such as trays, standard and compartmentalized plates, bowls, cups, straws, and to-go-boxes.
#12 Bagasse is Durable
Superior in every way to traditional paper plates that are flimsy and can get soggy fast, bagasse products are sturdy. Built for one-time use, bagasse products have the feel of multi-use durability products and are perfect for events, picnics, cafeterias, and to-go orders. Bagasse containers will also keep their form without leaks when transporting those takeaway and deli orders.
#13 Bagasse is Customizable
For businesses that want to include branding on their bagasse bags and containers, specialty colors and even logos can be added. This branding makes the customer experience more memorable and allows the business to share its eco-friendly stance with its customers through their packaging choices. Bagasse bags are sturdier than traditional paper making them longer lasting and reusable. Custom bags help keep a brand front and center after the first use.
#14 Bagasse is Insulated
The insulation properties inherent with bagasse mean that both cold and heat can be retained for longer periods than with another paper packaging. While the bagasse container holds its form, so does your takeout order until you get it home.
#15 Bagasse is Thermal Resistant
Put away the baking dish. With the ability to hold hot food up to 200 degrees, bagasse is oven-safe for reheating leftover foods.
#16 Bagasse is Refrigerator Safe
Bagasse containers hold up well in the refrigerator for longer periods than traditional paper-based containers.
#17 Bagasse is Microwave Safe
Saving consumers from breaking out a dish from their cabinet, reheating food is no problem in your bagasse plate, bowl, or container. This can be a real advantage for leftovers as well as bringing lunch to the office. No more messy dishes to clean!
The Bagasse Opportunity for Foodservice
Eco-Friendly Bagasse
The foodservice industry has a huge opportunity to move away from plastics and styrofoams and participate in a circular economy that reduces agricultural waste and turns it into valuable and useful products that are desired by consumers and are better for our environment.
In addition, the biodegradability of bagasse products means that they can be composted and returned to Earth as nutrients, fortifying the next wave of plant growth. Composting bagasse can help improve soil quality and water retention, increasing drought resiliency.
Bagasse for Branding
Bagasse offers businesses a unique opportunity to cater to their discerning and eco-conscious customers while providing a better customer experience.
Businesses who share in the values of their customers share in goodwill, increase return visits and improve customer LTV. The additional capability to physically brand bagasse bags enables customers to promote the brand through repeat usage.
Ask Servous About Bagasse Bags and Containers for Your Business
The positive attributes of bagasse make them a top choice for eco-friendly businesses and their customers. The durability, sustainability, and biodegradability of bagasse align with today’s environmentally conscious values.
Let the specialists at Servous help you determine which of our many bagasse bags and container options are right for you. We can help select the right solutions for your store to match your budget.
Contact us today to speak with one of our bagasse experts and be sure to ask us about our customization.
