Bags for Infection Control

Minimise contamination exposure with strong, easy to use hot water soluble bags

Reducing cross-contamination

Hydropol by Aquapak is a ground-breaking technology which allows any standard manufacturer of infection control bags to make a high-performance, water-soluble bag to assist with the fight against COVID19

  • Industrial grade dissolves completely in commercial washing machines, reducing handling and the risk of cross-contamination
  • Domestic grade bags dissolve completely at lower temperature without clogging household washing machines
  • They do not cause environmental problems in the waste-water stream

Industrial applications

These larger bags are formulated for industrial applications, such as hospital or commercial laundries where a higher performance bag is required for transportation of infected linen, and a higher temperature / more rigorous wash cycle is used. Strong with excellent barrier properties.

Domestic applications

Domestic-grade infection control bags are designed to take smaller amounts of contaminated or soiled clothing safely from a hospital or care home into a domestic environment. Formulated to dissolve completely in a lower temperature wash cycle.

Supply Chain

Aquapak supplies an industry standard industry polymer resin pellet from which infection control bag manufacturers can use on existing machinery to produce a range of speciality water soluble bags which are superior to the conventional ones currently on the market.

Performance

Water soluble infection control bags made from Hydropol are strong and puncture-resistant with less blocking and odours. No need to double-bag! than hospital standard water soluble laundry bags, with less blocking, odours etc. Can be made in sizes to suit requirements. Infected laundry is processed safely, quickly and efficiently with less handling.

Solubility

Industrial ‘Hot water soluble’ and domestic ‘warm water soluble' grades available. Bags made from Hydropol are free-from sodium alginate and starch (often found in conventional bags)- which have been reported widely to cause residues which block filters and contaminate clean linen. Complete solubility has been proven and safe in effluent streams.

Reduces cross-contamination risk

Risk of cross-contamination is reduced from less handling (no need to split or debag). Also strong evidence that hydrophilic (water loving) materials such as cellulose and Hydropol are less prone to harbouring infectious droplets than traditional hydrophobic materials, including most of the traditional plastics. See attached report

Why use Hydropol for infection control and cytotoxic laundry?

Reduces risk of infection transmission and minimise exposure to contamination

Minimises contamination exposure risk as closed bags are put directly into washing machines. No need to split open or de-bag. Excellent oxygen, solvent, petrochemical, grease and oil barrier.

Domestic infection control bag key facts

Hot water soluble bags are strong so no need to double-bag

Industrial bags are strong so there's no double-bagging required, Designed to be hot water soluble at ≥70C/158F bags, the whole bag dissolves leaving no residue on linen or machine. Non-toxic and marine safe.

Aquapak Industrial Infection Control Bags Key Facts

Transparent, single bagging to easily view contents

Easy to open straight from the box. Excellent transparency with over 90% transmission rate when tested to ASTMD1003 verified to ISO 14782.

Aquapak Industrial Infection Control Bags Key Facts

Interested in leaving no trace?

Manufacturers: we supply you with Hydropol™ pellets and provide all the technical transfer you need to quickly start production of hot water soluble infection control bags.

Distributors: we can help your manufacturing suppliers to be able to start making infection control bags from Hydropol™ as quickly as possible and/or connect you with our partners who are already making bags to increase your supply.

Hospital/Healthcare/Hotel Users: we can provide samples to trial and can connect you with our partners who have supply and/or work with your suppliers to start making infection control bags from Hydropol™.

Get in touch with us today.

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Case study: Minimising contamination risk for laundry staff

The majority of cytotoxic laundry bags used in hospitals, hotels and hospitality are made from single-use, non-biodegradable plastic which requires comprehensive waste management.

All single-use plastic laundry bags can be replaced with ‘leave no trace’ versions made from Hydropol™ which is an environmentally safe plastic that is biodegradable, water-soluble and marine-safe and made using Aquapak’s patent-protected technology.

Aquapak was approached by DB Packaging who is an eco packaging supplier, delivering innovative and environmentally sustainable packaging solutions across Australia and New Zealand. Supplying laundry bags to hotels, hospitals and care homes, they wanted an eco version for NSW Healthcare that would:

  • retain the strength, puncture resistance, barrier properties and durability of traditional laundry bags
  • reduce the requirement for incineration and therefore increase the reuse of bed linen
  • remove the process of removing laundry from bags before washing
  • negate the occupational health and safety risks when there is heavily soiled, infectious or cytotoxic contents.

The hot water soluble cytotoxic laundry bags made from Hydropol™ minimise the risk of New South Wales healthcare team being exposed to contaminated linen whilst saving over 20,000 bags of linen from incineration.

Watch the DB Packaging video to see how NSW Healthshare Linen Services use their infection control (cytotoxic) laundry bags made from Hydropol™.

What our partners have to say:

“I have been privileged to partner with Aquapak on this journey to bring Hydropol™ to the Australian and New Zealand market. Hydropol™ is already changing the medical arena and will continue change how we handle our waste. The consumer can use Hydropol™ to eliminate their waste. There are many applications for this material but the real winner is the Environment, as the material is water soluble, non-toxic and marine safe.” David Beaver, Director DB Packaging

Want to find out more?

Download our one-page summary:

Industrial Infection Control Bag Key FactsDomestic Infection Control Key Facts

Further information

Full technical information about Hydropol™:

Go to Hydropol technical information

Industrial infection control laundry bag specification: Industrial infection control bags are made using hot water soluble Hydropol and are designed for use in commercial/industrial washing machines:

Aquapak Industrial Infection Control Bag Specification

Domestic infection control laundry bag specification: Domestic infection control bags are made using warm water soluble Hydropol and are designed for use in domestic washing machines:

Aquapak Domestic Infection Control Bag Specification

Safety of Hydropol: Here is a study demonstrating the safety of Hydropol laundry bags in effluent streams via their biodegradation and ecotoxicity:

Study of Hydropol Laundry Bags in Effluent Streams

 

Want to know more?

Speak to our team