Why would someone want a packaging material that disintegrates in the presence of water? Although it sounds counterintuitive to normal packaging purposes, water-soluble film has become a powerful and increasingly popular option for packaging items that will be added to a watery environment. At Cortec® Corporation, this intriguing technology is manufactured under the brand name EcoSol® and offers many creative packaging options.

Why Use Water-Soluble Film?
EcoSol® is a heat sealable PVOH (polyvinyl alcohol) film that can be made into pouches or bags for a variety of purposes. The main benefit of EcoSol® packaging is that it provides an easy, convenient dosing method for adding a wide range of possible contents to water. Dosing of chemicals or other materials is precise, with no measuring or direct handling required. This is a particular boon when working with toxic chemicals, soiled laundry, or contaminated tools. It only takes a few minutes or less for EcoSol® to dissolve in water, releasing the packaged materials either to be mixed with or cleaned in a water-based solution. Once dissolved, EcoSol® leaves behind a non-hazardous aqueous solution of polyvinyl alcohol. These characteristics open up exciting opportunities to use EcoSol® as a non-polluting packaging material for water-soluble applications. 

Where to Use Water-Soluble Film
There are countless industries and applications that can benefit from EcoSol® film technology. Concrete additive manufacturers can use EcoSol® to make easy-to dose products (e.g., concrete admixtures) for the construction and concrete repair industry. Cleaning product formulators can fill EcoSol® with detergents, degreasers, and other cleaning products. Hospitals and other institutions can collect contaminated linens in EcoSol® laundry bags and toss them directly into the washing machine without having to touch them. EcoSol® can even be made into disposable cases for cosmetics or bathing products.

EcoSol® is excellent for packaging and dosing agriculture products such as fertilizers and manure treatments. Pouches made of EcoSol® can also be filled with pesticides, biocides, and other chemicals that are not safe to touch directly or would be difficult to measure. EcoSol® is great for probiotic treatments used for septic tank and grease trap maintenance, as well. Water treatments for boilers and cooling water systems are another ideal EcoSol® application. Since EcoSol® is resistant to organic solvents, potential fill options extend to some liquid products (e.g., dishwashing detergents) that do not contain water.