We make bags from banana fiber. They're fully biodegradable return them to soil and they break down naturally. Here's what we realized recently: we have no idea what actually happens to our bags at end of life.
We tell customers the bags biodegrade. But:
Do customers know how to compost a bag?
Do they put it in landfill anyway because that's the default?
Do they keep using it long past when it should be retired?
Do they pass it on to someone else? We've never systematically asked. We sent a survey to 200 long term customers last month. 47 responded (23% response rate lower than we hoped).
Results:
61% said they're still using the bag (good durability working)
22% said they passed it on to a family member or friend
11% said they put it in regular waste when done
4% said they composted it
2% said they cut it up and used pieces for other things
The 11% in regular waste bothers us. Even biodegradable materials don't biodegrade well in sealed landfills.
We're thinking about a take back program send us your old Maleema bag, we compost it properly and give you a discount on a new one.
Submitted July 8, 2026 at 01:22AM by maleemaindia https://ift.tt/3C8pXNQ
