Navico Group, a global leader in supplying integrated systems and products across marine, recreational vehicle and related industries, has adopted Aquapak’s innovative Hydropol bags to protect its marine electronics during shipping.
In a move to cut plastic packaging waste and reduce environmental pollution, Aquapak – a specialist in high-performance, environmentally safe materials designed to replace conventional flexible plastics – has developed Hydropol, a new polymer that is both water soluble and non-toxic to marine life. Hydropol is biodegradable and fully dissolves in existing recycling streams. If it enters the natural environment, it breaks down completely, leaving behind no harmful microplastics.
The material can be processed using existing packaging machinery at scale to create a versatile barrier film that can be combined with paper and other bioplastics, or used to produce durable, puncture-resistant, anti-static bags.
Recognising these benefits, Navico Group has incorporated Hydropol bags into its packaging strategy as part of its commitment to environmental protection and to ensuring sustainability across its supply chain and product life cycle.
The ‘leave no trace’ Hydropol bags offer an effective alternative to conventional polybags made from plastics such as LDPE. While many traditional bags are recyclable or use recycled content, they often end up incinerated or sent to landfill, and will not easily break down if accidentally released into the environment.
Hydropol bags have already been adopted by several brands in the fashion sector, including BCorp and sustainability pioneers Finisterre, and more recently by NBrown Group, one of the UK’s largest online fashion retailers.
Mark Lapping, Chief Executive Officer at Aquapak, said: “Hydropol is perfect for a business like Navico Group which operates in the highly sensitive marine environment. It can be used as an alternative to conventional plastic as it provides the same functionality and performance but without harming the environment.”
Jeremiah Clark, VP Product Management at Navico Group, said: “Our commitment to sustainability and protecting the natural environment is a high priority for Navico Group. We’re continually exploring innovative solutions to reduce our environmental footprint. That’s why we’ve chosen to use Hydropol bags, a sustainable alternative that is non-toxic to marine life and does not generate harmful microplastics.”
