A ‘fully biodegradable’ packaging system developed by BASF for its insecticide-treated mosquito nets is designed to solve Africa’s pressing litter problem according to the company.
BASF says it will deliver several thousand nets with the new packaging in the coming months, and if customer feedback is positive, all BASF Interceptor nets will make the switch to what it believes in an ‘environmentally friendly’ alternative.
“The new packaging system exploits BASF’s expertise in paper,” says Claus Kaiser, production manager for Interceptor. As well as being biodegradable, the new bags had to guarantee ‘extraordinary’ tensile strength to withstand extremely high pressure during baling. This process is necessary to reduce the volume of the nets during shipment.
BASF also implemented a suggestion by NGOs with experience in malaria endemic areas that the new bags should come with detachable use instructions and net identifier tags with a barcode. This allows users to keep the care and use instructions and make it possible to track and record the distribution of nets.
