Why We Started Biowrap: Reducing Plastic Waste in New Zealand

Landfill biodegradable plastic in NZ is becoming an important solution for reducing long-term plastic waste. For over two decades working in the building industry, we saw first-hand the volume of plastic waste generated across construction, logistics, and packaging.

Much of that plastic ends up in landfill, where it can persist for a very long time. That reality led to a simple but important question:

What happens to plastic that isn’t recycled?

Biowrap was created to help answer that question, with a focus on practical solutions for New Zealand businesses and industries.

The Problem with Plastic Waste in NZ

Plastic plays an important role across many industries. It is strong, lightweight, and cost-effective. However, not all plastic is recovered through recycling systems.

Even with improving recycling infrastructure, a significant portion of plastic still enters landfill.

This creates a gap:

  • Recycling alone is not enough
  • Alternative solutions are needed for end-of-life plastic

Our Approach: Landfill Biodegradable Plastic

Biowrap partners with Biogone to provide plastic products designed to biodegrade in modern bioactive landfill environments.

These products are engineered to:

  • Remain stable during normal use
  • Begin biodegrading only under anaerobic (low oxygen) landfill conditions
  • Be evaluated using recognised standards such as ASTM D5511 and BMP testing

This approach focuses on improving outcomes for plastic that is not recycled.

How Landfill Biodegradation Works

In active landfill environments, microorganisms can break down certain materials over time.

Biowrap products are designed so that, under these conditions, microorganisms can consume the material and convert it into byproducts associated with anaerobic decomposition, including biogas.

The rate and extent of biodegradation can vary depending on landfill conditions.

Where Biowrap Products Are Used

Biowrap products are used across a range of industries in New Zealand, including:

This allows businesses to integrate landfill biodegradable options into existing operations without changing performance expectations.

A Practical Step Forward

At Biowrap, the focus is on practical solutions.

Recycling remains important. However, for plastic that does enter landfill, products designed for anaerobic biodegradation offer an additional pathway to improve long-term outcomes.

Explore Biowrap Products

Explore our range of landfill biodegradable plastic products designed for commercial, industrial, and everyday use:

👉 Our Products

Learn More About Landfill Biodegradable Plastic

For a deeper explanation of how landfill biodegradable technology works and where it is used, explore the Biowrap eBook