SECOS Group’s MyEcoBag produces compostable alternatives to plastic bags, aiming to replace conventional plastics.
MyEcoBag, a Melbourne-based manufacturer, produces certified compostable alternatives to traditional plastic bags using biopolymer technology.
As one of the first companies in Australia to secure certification for compostable products, it supplies retailers and local councils.
MyEcoBag’s environmental credentials include certifications for composability in Australia, Europe, and North America.
Its products meet standards, such as biodegradability, absence of heavy metals, and ecotoxicity tests, ensuring they are safe for the environment.
The products are also certified by the Australian Bioplastics Association and the Biodegradable Products Institute, among others.
Additionally, the company holds a Silver Medal EcoVadis Sustainability Rating for its efforts in reducing waste, carbon emissions, and improving energy efficiency.
MyEcoBag products include bin liners, as well as shopping, pet waste and produce bags – all aimed at reducing plastic waste, diverting organic waste and promoting sustainability.
As Richard Tegoni, CEO of MyEcoBag, explained, the company’s values are driven by environmental targets and outcomes.
“Our values focus on integrity and putting the environment first,” he said.
The company was recently approached by a local government council to produce paper bags, and although they had the capability to source them, they refused.
“The reason is that most compostable paper bags contain some element of heavy metals or require lining with materials to prevent leakage, especially with wet food,” he said.
“Without this, they become essentially useless. We refused to quote for that business because maintaining our integrity is crucial to us.”
The company was formed through a merger between Cardia Bioplastics and Stellar Films in 2015.
Cardia Bioplastics, a publicly traded entity, specialised in developing biopolymer technologies designed to replace traditional plastics.
Stellar Films, a privately held company based in Victoria, focused on producing hygiene films for applications such as nappies and other sanitary products.
The merger brought together Cardia’s innovative biopolymer technology with Stellar’s established manufacturing expertise, creating a synergy that allowed for the development of sustainable, high-quality products.
“The idea was that Stellar would bring its expertise and know-how to commercialise Cardia’s biopolymer technology – a strategy that proved to be quite successful,” said Tegoni.
MyEcoBag was officially launched in 2019, following years of product development and certification.
Tegoni explained that achieving the required quality for their compostable bags took time.
“It went through a long period to get the quality right, so that we could manufacture a compostable bag at the level of quality that was required to hold food waste and make sure it didn’t break or leak.”
Since the merger, SECOS Group has committed to sustainability, divesting its traditional plastic manufacturing assets.
“Since the merger, SECOS Group has sold off or divested all of its traditional plastic manufacturing assets and businesses, and we’re now at 100 per cent sustainable business throughout the world,” said Tegoni.
With more than 40 per cent market share and products sold in 25 countries, the company has since continued to expand its footprint in both the local and global markets.
Its mission remains the same, which is to combat conventional plastic waste, which is a growing concern in industries domestically and internationally.
The problem
Specific to Australia, the country is grappling with a plastic waste challenge, with one million tonnes of plastic consumed annually, 84 per cent of which ends up in landfills.
This issue is exacerbated by an additional 130,000 tonnes of plastic leaking into marine environments each year.
Some landfills in several regions in Australia are predicted to reach capacity within two to three years.
These plastics will eventually break down into microplastics which can harm marine life, enter the food chain, pollute environments, and pose potential health risks to humans and ecosystems.
“It’s interesting because plastic can extend the shelf life of food. Plastic companies argue that this helps the environment by reducing food waste, which is true to an extent,” explained Tegoni.
“However, if we could use a compostable version, we’d not only extend the food’s life but also reduce plastic waste and avoid microplastics.
“It’s concerning how much microplastic ends up in our bodies, as almost everything we touch or eat is wrapped in plastic.”
The solution?
To combat these growing waste challenges, councils around Australia implemented the Food Organics and Garden Organics (FOGO) initiative.
The FOGO initiative is part of Australia’s national target to divert 80 per cent of waste from landfills by 2030.
The expected benefits include the production of 3.6 million tonnes of compost and a reduction of seven million tonnes of CO2 emissions annually.
Additionally, the program is set to generate over 8,000 new jobs and increase carbon content in soil.
Soil carbon enhances fertility, water retention, microbial activity, nutrient cycling, and structure, supporting plant growth and climate resilience.
Penrith City’s adoption of FOGO in 2009 highlights the potential benefits of such initiatives.
The council saw an increase in waste diversion, with landfill waste diversion went from 20 per cent up to 61.5 per cent.
MyEcoBag has been working closely with councils across Australia to help their targets.
In the past six years, MyEcoBag has sold 500 million compostable bags globally, replacing approximately 3.3 million kilograms of conventional plastic.
According to Tegoni, incorporating compostable bags into these Council programs can reduce the amount of organic waste sent to landfill by 30 per cent. He is urging more councils and residents to adopt the use of these bags to help achieve these sustainable outcomes.
“The cost to our planet, our councils and our ratepayers when FOGO material isn’t properly disposed of is extremely significant,” he said.
MyEcoBag’s ability to play a part in reducing these costs, particularly to the planet and the future generations yet to enjoy it, is a huge driver for the company.
“Compostable bags not only greatly improve organic waste programs, but they also replace all conventional plastic bags rendering programs like the old RedCycle scheme mostly unnecessary.” He said. “If used properly, they have the potential to remove millions of tonnes of plastics and microplastics from our environment.”
Output capability
MyEcoBag operates from three manufacturing plants – two in Malaysia and one in China – with plans to expand its footprint locally in Australia.
While the company doesn’t directly manufacture in Australia, the company is in discussions with the Victorian government and other potential partners to explore local manufacturing options.
“We’ve been in discussions with the Victorian Government about the possibility of manufacturing locally in Australia, given our significant presence here,” said Tegoni.
The biopolymer materials used in its products, primarily made from corn starch, are compostable and meet global certification standards.
Tegoni highlighted that MyEcoBag is vertically integrated, handling everything from the production of biopolymer resin to the manufacturing of finished compostable products.
With a workforce of about 160 employees, most of whom are based overseas, the company also operates a Research and Development (R&D) Centre in Melbourne.
“Our head office is in Melbourne, but most of our operations are overseas,” said Tegoni.
“We have about 15 people in Australia, primarily in research and development, with our R&D centre based in Melbourne.
“Our sales offices are located in Malaysia, China, the US, and Mexico, while the majority of our staff work at our manufacturing plants in China and Malaysia, where the production of our bags takes place.”
The R&D team is focused on creating new biopolymer products and works in collaboration with universities and research organisations, such as RMIT, as part of the Federal Government’s Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) for Solving Plastic Waste program.
“Currently, we are working on several new products, such as stretch wrap and pallet wrap, which we plan to launch over the next year,” said Tegoni.
A distinction of polymers
What makes MyEcoBag’s products unique relative to conventional disposable bag manufacturers, is the materials that are used to produce the bags.
MyEcoBag’s compostable products match the durability of traditional plastic, but unlike petrochemical plastics, they biodegrade safely without producing harmful microplastics.
“The materials we use are all compostable,” said Tegoni.
“Our MyEcoBag includes corn starch and other compostable ingredients that can safely decompose into the soil.
“They’re regulated by local compostable certification bodies. You can actually create a polymer from many organic materials – corn, sugar, even waste through a fermentation process.”
As Tegoni explained, the core of the technology involves stabilising the polymer and enhancing its performance qualities to suit the requirements of a finished product.
“That’s where the focus is, rather than the material itself,” he said.
“There’s often confusion because, technically, conventional plastic comes from organic materials like petroleum, which is organic since it comes from the ground.”
Most conventional plastics are made from petrochemical polymers, which are widely linked to environmental issues.
When petroleum-based plastics break down, they don’t turn back into soil but rather leave microplastics,” said Tegoni.
“They degrade over an extremely long time and eventually form microplastics, which are hazardous.
“On the other hand, a polymer made from corn starch will biodegrade without leaving behind harmful microplastics. That’s the key difference.”
As Tegoni explained, these compostable bags don’t have to compromise in structure or durability.
“Both are very durable,” he said.
“We can make bags thicker for added strength, but overall, the performance of our MyEcoBag’s is comparable to a conventional plastic bag.
“In fact, we’re now developing reusable compostable shopping bags, like the thicker reusable bags you see in supermarkets which are currently made of paper, or conventional plastic.”
MyEcoBag has also launched a compostable, reusable checkout bag through Ritchies supermarkets, which is being rolled out now.
“We believe they’re just as strong and reusable as traditional options,” said Tegoni.
“The key difference is, when these compostable bags wear out after repeated use, they can be composted rather than becoming waste like conventional plastic bags.”
MyEcoBag is now focused on expanding into North and Latin American markets with its new range of compostable products.
The company aims to offer globally compostable solutions and reduce environmental impact by partnering with waste management and composting services.
This strategy positions MyEcoBag to meet growing demand for sustainable alternatives and drive progress towards a circular economy.