Let's get the most out of our rubbish
The world has been manufacturing plastics since the 1930's. But less than 5% of these materials have been incinerated, and that means the rest are still somewhere on the planet. No matter how many times we attempt to reuse conventional plastic it does not go away. Nearly all (over 96%) of the 2.5 million tonnes of household plastics that the UK uses each year ends up in landfill, and it will be many decades before it begins to break down.
In 2001, 579,000 tonnes of plastics were used in the UK grocery industry, of which two thirds could be identified as going direct to landfill. Less than 2% of this total was recycled.
Most packaging can be recycled, some more easily than others. However, taking all energy and material uses into account, recycling alone is not always the best solution. For example, the process of collecting, cleaning and reusing/ recycling can use more resources than starting from scratch with new materials.
Hygiene requirements often restrict the use of recycled paper and plastic materials that come into direct contact with food (recycled glass and metal can be used because the recycling process heats them to a high enough temperature to ensure that no contamination is present in the recycled material).
Also, recycled packaging materials must be able to meet performance standards, and protect the product, in the same way as virgin materials.
What we do
The Co-operative is in favour of recycling, and encourages and helps to facilitate the recycling of packaging used for our own brand products - providing that it saves resources, cuts pollution and is economic. Where space on pack permits, The Co-operative brand packaging is labelled to indicate what materials the packaging is made from, this helps consumers to recycle through normal segregated recycling channels.
To supplement this policy, The Co-operative also encourages alternative technologies, including degradable and biodegradable plastic packaging.
We started using degradable carrier bags in selected stores from 2nd September, 2002. These giveaway carrier bags are made from oil-based polymers, but contain a special additive which programmes the plastic to degrade within a specified timescale. A number of factors can accelerate the degradation process, such as sunlight, heat and stress, but once the degradation has started, either before or after landfill, it will continue.
The Co-operative was the first British grocery retailer to use degradable carrier bags, which are supplied by Symphony Plastic Technologies and which uses EPI's TDPA technology .
These bags are 100% degradable, but are still as strong as non-degradable carrier bags and can still be reused. Bags are date marked, and from the date of manufacture the plastic will start to degrade in approximately 18 months time. The whole process will take about 3 years, but the degradation process (started after 18 months) may speed up if the bags are exposed to sunlight and/ or heat. For more information visit www.degradable.net
The Co-operative degradable carrier bag degrades completely, leaving only carbon dioxide, water and a small amount of mineralisation compatible with soil. The bags do not leave any toxic elements in the environment. Symphony's d2w product (which uses EPI's TDPA technology) has been independently tested by PIRA and has been tested as safe for direct food contact under EU standards. In landfill situations, the bag will still degrade and therefore help to reduce the amount of dangerous methane gas that can build up when normal plastic bags stay intact with waste inside.
As the bags break down into smaller particles, they are degraded by natural microbic activity. This means they do not need compost or any other form of biological activity to breakdown, but if they are put on a compost heap*, or similar environment, they will become biodegradable.
*industrial compost is typically maintained at above 55oC. Any less than that, such as in garden compost heaps, and sometimes even the likes of leaves and grass cuttings will not break down.
We recognise that this technology does not contribute to reducing the total amount of plastic carrier bags used, but believe that until other ways of positively encouraging consumers to use less plastics are implemented, this new technology offers a step change that will help to reduce long-term littering.
It is estimated that the average life of a single giveaway carrier bag is only 3 minutes before being discarded. Indeed, the UK grocery industry use enough carrier bags to carpet the entire planet twice a year (source IGD), and according to Government figures, each person on average uses 134 bags a year which in England is equivalent to 323 bags per household.
We are also encouraging reuse of carrier bags (see our top 5 tips for reusing our bags). But if the bags do enter the plastics recycling stream, the heat generated during processing deactivates the special additive and they can be safely recycled along with other similar plastics without affecting the quality or integrity of the new product use.
We already offer a 'Bag for Life' to our customers. This route is not the answer on its own, but a single 'Bag for Life' can save up to 35 giveaway carrier bags.
The use of degradable and biodegradable plastic packaging can help to reduce the amount of waste going to Landfill, reduce greenhouse gases and help reduce the amount of litter affecting wildlife and the environment in general.
Since June 2002, The Co-operative’s Organic Oranges and Organic Onions have utilised biodegradable netting, and from January 2003 our six pack Organic Tomatoes will use biodegradable trays and biodegradable film. This form of plastic is starch based, made from natural renewable materials derived from non-genetically modified sources such as corn and potatoes.
The biodegradable packaging can be composted with normal household and garden waste and will decompose in these conditions without adversely affecting the quality of the resulting compost. The biodegradable packaging breaks down into carbon dioxide, water, mineral salts and methane. Alternatively, the packaging will disintegrate in the normal waste treatment process.
By definition, biodegradable plastics require heat, moisture, and/ or micro-organisms (in any combination) to degrade. The production and supply of biodegradable packaging is limited at the moment, but there are ongoing developments in this area and we hope to extend usage as soon as possible to other products in our range.
Our top 5 tips for reusing our degradable carrier bags
- Keep a bundle in your bag and car and reuse them when shopping as many times as possible - our number one priority!
- Use as waste bin liners at home - at least now they won't stay around when they enter landfill.
- Use as pet 'poop' bags when walking the dog - the bag will eventually degrade when put in the special containers.
- Use as garden waste bags which can be put straight on the compost heap if filled with green waste.
- Use as planters for outdoor plants - wrap root balls of shrubs in a degradable bag, make holes to allow water to move through then plant in the soil. The plants will put roots through the plastic and the bag will degrade in the soil.
Safety First! to avoid danger of suffocation keep away from babies and young children.
Please make sure you dispose of the bags properly.