S.a.c. degradable bags for discreet disposal of used or soiled personal care products

Abstract

A packaging system for the disposal of any manner of used or soiled personal care products includes a package member configured for the receipt of the used personal care products therein. The unique packaging disposal system member is comprised of a biodegradable, degradable, opaque, sealable, generally a soft-side bag like structure which is part of common element consisting of multiple packaging systems which are connected together or to a common element. The package member includes an opaque external surface having a desired nondescript aesthetic configuration or appearance for the purpose of discreet disposal of used or soiled personal care products. The aesthetic configuration of the said invention may include any manner of print, color, etc., for the purpose of disposal instructions, warnings or purchasing indicia. In other words, one viewing the package from the outside is not given obvious, noticeable indication that the package contains used or soiled personal care products nor are the items contained therein visible through the packaging system member.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]Provisional Application No. 61 / 160,597 SANI SAC—Apparatus in which the receptacle is a sack or pouch, 5″×7″ in dimension, opaque, 1-3 mil in thickness and made of biodegradable, plastic material.STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT[0002]Not applicableREFERENCE TO SEQUENCE LISTING, A TABLE, OR A COMPUTER PROGRAM LISTING COMPACT DISK APPENDIX[0003]Not applicableBACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0004]The present invention relates to a unique flexible bag packaging system for the discreet, convenient, sanitary disposal of used or soiled personal care products. The said packaging system may be used for the disposal of any type of used or soiled personal care products, including but not limited to feminine hygiene products, incontinence articles, pads, wipes, condoms, cotton swabs, liners, diapers etc. All such uses are within the scope and spirit of the invention.[0005]The said flexible bag packaging system for disposal o...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0043]The bag package member is dispensed by a common element capable of containing large quantities of bags for convenient easy dispensing which allows for the product to be readily and consistently available. The bags are separable and independently usable. In the past, wax paper bags have been offered but there has been a problem with dispensing multiple bags. The invented packaging system resolves the problem of dispensing as the packages are available in large quantities ensuring more consistent availability; in addition, the package is more sanitary because the user will only touch the package to be used by them. The package is opaque for discreet disposal. People tend to be embarrassed of others viewing their used or soiled personal hygiene products and will often attempt to flush them in an attempt to hide them from view which can result in disastrous plumbing issues. Because the surface of the package has a desired nondescript aesthetic configuration or appearance, the invention solves the issue of embarrassment because once the package is used, items are sealed within and can be discarded without drawing attention to the package and because it is opaque, others will not be able to view contains contained therein.

[0053]Due to the difficulty in disposing of blood-soaked items without staining clothing, toilets, hands, etc., women tend to wrap them in toilet paper. This may not sound like much of a problem, but it adds up over time. It is estimated that each woman uses a roll of toilet paper each month in order to dispose of used personal hygiene products. The said invention eliminates the need to use toilet paper at all to wrap the items, since the items can be dropped into the bag and sealed. Also, the strong, opaque bags are not see-through, so they are not embarrassing to use in a public restroom, allowing for discreet disposal. In addition, the water wasted to flush the items and the flooding caused when they do not flush properly is avoided. Even more importantly, the items and their contents are in a tidy bag, and not on the floor nor flushed in the toilet.

[0055]In addition to cutting back on the waste of toilet paper and water, the said invention prevents the disposal of used personal care products into sewer and septic systems, and prevents them from entering the environment, polluting waterways and affecting wildlife. Also, there is less of a burden on wastewater treatment systems, less damage to sewage treatment systems and a decrease of solids in septic tanks—reducing those costs to both businesses and municipalities in the long term.

[0057]Conventional plastics do not break down. Litter and landfill waste can take decades to degrade. In landfills, not only do ordinary plastics degrade very slowly but also anything contained within them may not reach their full degradation potential. This results in a needless waste of valuable landfill space. The said invention is created using degradable plastic which does not require a biological process to degrade. Microorganisms will speed up the degradation process, but they're not required. The degradation time varies depending on the amount of exposure to degradation promoters (sunlight, heat, and microorganisms). This is an optimal situation for consumers. The plastic degrades quickest in the exact situation we want it to: when it becomes litter. If the plastic is used properly it will last many years, but once it becomes litter it could degrade in under 12 months.

[0059]Paper bags require 40-70 percent more energy to manufacture than plastic. Utilizing degradable plastic bags reduces greenhouse emissions. Paper bags double emissions, double the energy use and create 80 percent more waste than degradable plastic bags. Degradable plastic bags have a much lower environmental footprint in manufacturing. One of the factors that accounts for this is the difference in weight between a typical paper and plastic bag, with paper bags weighing 10 times as much as their plastic counterparts on average. Therefore, shipping and storage of degradable plastic bags is more cost effective and uses less energy.

[0063]The invented packaging system is dispensed from a container wherein content items are joined together and easily separated at the time of use, making the subsequent package readily available for the next user. The invented bag packaging system resolves the problem of dispensing because the packages are available in large quantities directly to the user at the time of need. In addition, the package is sanitary as the user will only touch the package to be used.

Problems solved by technology

Unnecessary plumbing emergencies and associated costs: Today, individuals tend to flush used or soiled personal care products causing plumbing emergencies and related costs because there has been no solution available.

Unsanitary conditions: exist in restrooms due to improper disposal of used or soiled personal care Products.

Landfill space is limited.

This wastes valuable landfill space.

Environmental impact of current methods of disposal.

In addition, wax bags do not capture all of the products being disposed of in the waste bin due to the fact that there is usually a gap between the side wall of the container and the bag.

This results in exposed items outside of the bag causing unsanitary conditions for janitorial staff.

The bin itself becomes soiled and subsequent users will refuse to touch or use the bin to discard their items.

In other instances, some facilities choose not to utilize a liner at all resulting in a bin that becomes soiled then releases all used sanitary products on the floor to be swept up by janitorial staff.

The result is unsanitary conditions on the floor, on the bin, to the janitorial staff and users of the bins and restroom.

Some facilities utilize individual wax paper bags however they are not easily dispensed, are not dispensed from a common element, they tear easily during use, waste more paper in addition to the toilet paper already used, are not sealable, are not always impermeable to liquids, are not packaged efficiently, weigh more and take up more storage space.

People tend to be embarrassed of others viewing their used personal hygiene products and will often attempt to flush them in an attempt to hide them from view which can cause disastrous plumbing issues.

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