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Dear Mr Hamilton,
Here is some information regarding our bio-degradeable carrier bags.
The world has been manufacturing plastics since the 1930's, but as less
than 5% of these materials have been incinerated, 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 the UK uses in household plastics every 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 materials more easily than others.
However, taking all energy and material uses into account, recycling alone
is not always the only or perhaps even the best solution. For example, the
process of collecting, cleaning and reusing or recycling may use more
energy and other resources than starting from scratch with new materials.
Hygiene requirements often restrict the use of recycled paper and plastic
materials in 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.
The Co-op is in favour of recycling, and encourages and helps to facilitate
the recycling of packaging used for Co-op Brand products, providing that it
saves resources, cuts pollution and is economic. Where space on pack
permits, Co-op Brand packaging is labelled to indicate which materials pack
components are made from, so helping consumers to recycle through normal
segregated recycling channels. For more information on this and other
recycling initiatives and options see www.co-op.co.uk Information Section,
Co-op Brand Packaging Recycling and 'Our Viewpoints' on 'Recycling' and
'Environmental Impact'.
To supplement this policy, the Co-op also encourages alternative
technologies including degradable and biodegradable plastic packaging.
The Co-op has started using degradable carrier bags in selected stores from
2nd September, 2002.
These give away 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-op is 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. The bags
will be 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-op 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. 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 55(superscript: o)C, any less than that, such
as in garden compost heaps, and sometimes even the likes of leaves and
grass cuttings won't 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 give away
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 but this route is not
the answer on its own, although 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
can also help reduce the amount of litter affecting wildlife and the
environment in general.
Since June 2002, Co-op Organic Oranges and Co-op Organic Onions have
utilised biodegradable netting. 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 netting breaks down into carbon dioxide, water, mineral salts
and methane. Alternatively, the netting 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 on going
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
1 - Keep a bundle in your bag and car and reuse them when shopping as many
times as possible - our number one priority!
2 - Use as waste bin liners at home - at least now they won't stay around
when they enter landfill.
3 - Use as pet 'poop' bags when walking the dog - the bag will eventually
degrade when put in the special containers.
4 - Use as garden waste bags which can be put straight on the compost heap
if filled with green waste.
5 - 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.
Typical Questions & Answers
1 - Q - Is the degradable bag as strong as the normal non degradable bags?
A - yes it is, indeed the bags are the largest we supply to customers and
therefore hold the most shopping so have to be strong enough to do the job
well. All our bags are also subject to rigorous strength testing.
2 - Q - Why have you only converted some of your carrier bags to this
technology?
A - This is a new technology, and we are working with a new supplier to our
business so it makes sense to take the relationship forward at a measurable
pace.
3 - Q - Do the new bags cost more money?
A - No, the whole process of bag procurement is very competitive and any
new technology has to be cost effective to survive.
4 - Q - This new bag isn't actually going to stop people using plastic is
it?
A - No, but consumer usage of plastic carriers isn't going to change
overnight so we take the view that any positive step that reduces the long
term impact of plastic waste is a step forward in the right direction.( And
as most plastic eventually ends up in landfill, as this bag degrades even
in landfill, it will help reduce the build up of dangerous methane gases as
the bacteria needed to break waste down can get through degradable bags but
not conventional plastic bags.)
5 - Q - So how would this technology be affected by the introduction of a
carrier bag tax?
A - As far as we understand it, the government has yet to decide the route
and application a proposed tax would take but in general,
the Co-op would support any initiative that benefits the environment and of
course, if the tax isn't introduced for 3 years then the degradable bags
we're launching today won't be around then!
6 - Does the material leave trace elements in the soil and can it be used
to grow food in?
A - No, it doesn't leave trace elements in the soil, this relates to a
material that was tried on the market and withdrawn 8 years
ago. Indeed this technology is currently used by Organic growers as plastic
planters and Symphony have extensive research to prove that the product can
be used for the safe growing of food. The material totally degrades to
leave CO2, Water and mineralisation which is compatible with soil.
I hope that the above information is useful and of interest. Please visit
our website www.co-op.co.uk for more information about our viewpoints on
this and other environmental matters