Sustainable Packaging Using FIBC Jumbo Bags – The Next Step in Goods Transport

Share

Goods such as chemicals, pharmaceuticals, agricultural products and other items are stored in bulk jumbo bags. Further, most agricultural and food products need to be contained in breathable bags when they are stored and transported. These jumbo bags are essential for retailers and warehouse companies to smoothly manage their logistics. They are among the best, most long-lasting and trustworthy methods for storing and packing goods. They are frequently chosen because they offer adaptable and useful assistance.

Types of FIBC jumbo bags

Jumbo bags are technically termed as Flexible Intermediate Bulk Containers (FIBC), which are the most preferred and cost-efficient packaging materials used for transporting bulk materials like grains, granules, chemicals, etc. They are typically made from Polypropylene fabric that have a weight-bearing capacity of around 250-2000kg.

FIBC jumbo bags come in different fabric materials, sizes, and designs, so there are various criteria for choosing the right bulk bag for the specified industry task. Here are the main types of FIBC jumbo bags or super sacks available in the market today:

Circular/tubular jumbo bags

This is the traditional bulk bag that was extensively used before containerization became the norm. Circular jumbo bags are made with a single tubular piece of fabric that forms all sides of the bag with stitching only at the top and bottom. Since these traditional circular bags don’t hold their shape when filled, they were not preferred. Although the fabric is tubular, when filled the circular baffle bag will still resemble a square bag. So circular bags aren’t literally circular; they are simply constructed with a single piece of fabric that forms all four sides of the bag. While they still resemble square/rectangular FIBCs, they will hold that shape the least of the construction types when filled.

U panel jumbo bags

U-panel bags are constructed with three square-shaped body panels – one that runs the full length of the bag forming the bottom plus two sides and two additional pieces of fabric sewn into the larger piece that form the other two sides. Like other construction types, the U-panel bags will maintain a square shape when filled, especially a U-panel bag with baffles. U-panel bags are an industry standard and the most popular type of construction offering high safe working loads (SWLs) and solid durability.

4-Panel baffle bulk bags

A typical jumbo bag can bulge into irregular shapes at the sides when filled. baffled bulk bags are utilised due to their stability and stackability, in cases where a proper square shape is required to improve the overall storage capacity. Baffles are internal fabric panels or strings that are sewn inside each bag’s four corners to create a ‘baffled’ bag, allowing a bag to maintain a square shape when filled. This simple formstable FIBC construction helps to prevent bag deformation and ensures that the bag retains its square or rectangular shape during transportation and storage. The most common type of baffled bag is a 4-panel baffled bag.

UN certified jumbo bags

The transportation of hazardous products is regulated within a framework established by the United Nations Subcommittee of Experts on the Transport of Dangerous Goods. A UN-certified jumbo bag, also known as a UN FIBC bag, is required when transporting or storing hazardous materials or substances that pose a risk to health, safety, or the environment. The UN certification ensures that such jumbo bags have undergone proper testing and meet the necessary safety criteria for containing and handling hazardous substances during transportation.

Antistatic FIBC Type B,C,D bags

Certain bulk bag applications take place in potentially explosive environments that pose a major fire hazard. When fine powder materials with low ignition temperatures are filled and unloaded, it produces static electricity, and the bulk bag may get covered in clouds of flammable dust. So choosing the appropriate FIBC B,C,D type bag based on the fire risk level is essential. These FIBC types A, B, C, and D differ in their electrostatic properties and grounding requirements as per the needs of each specific industry. Jumbo bags of FIBC B,C,D types produced by certified FIBC companies are made to ensure they work well in such explosive environments and complete adherence to global guidelines for FIBC electrostatic classification packing.

Food-grade FIBC jumbo bags

Food-grade FIBC jumbo bags are needed when transporting or storing contamination-sensitive products such as pharmaceuticals and food products for animal and human consumption.  Such industries are subject to intense scrutiny and testing to ensure their products are safe for public use.  So obviously, food-grade bulk bags need to be produced from 100% virgin polypropylene in a stringent manufacturing process that ensures the bags are hygienically suitable for food and pharmaceutical industries.

Sustainable FIBC jumbo bag production

Some manufacturers today producie sustainable FIBC jumbo bags from reusable, biodegradable, and natural fiber raw materials. These eco-conscious producers not only prioritize environmental sustainability, but also cater to the needs of businesses looking for super sacks for sale that align with their sustainability goals.

Natural fibers are a good solution to make jumbo bags sustainable. Cotton, jute, and other plant-based fibers are the best examples of natural fabrics that are made by processing natural fibers from harvested plants. Such fibers are processed into thread and then woven into fabric, which is then used to construct bags.

Bulk bags made from natural fibers often have this textured look of traditional fabrics. These sustainable natural fiber jumbo bags are breathable by design. So they are the right solution if your products need bulk bags that are more breathable while being stored and shipped.

Recycling is another way of making plastic Polypropylene jumbo bags more sustainable. Pioneering manufacturers today use 30% post-consumer recycled (PCR) material to produce FIBC jumbo bags that are compliant with ISO 21898 standards. They offer the same benefits of reusability and recyclability as FIBCs made from virgin resin and have comparable technical performance, without increasing the material content. Carbon emissions can be reduced by 15% on average when an FIBC jumbo bag is produced with a minimum of 30% PCR recycled material. Further, these recycled FIBC jumbo bags are exempt from plastic packaging taxes introduced on single-use items in Europe.

 

Levine Lawrence
Levine Lawrence
Rooftop organic farmer, eager eco enthusiast, sustainable economist wandering on a middle path to find world peace amidst global chaos!

Read more

Local News