PACKAGING - 27.10.2015

Are biodegradable bags the green option?

The findings of a survey suggest that the public want businesses to use biodegradable bags. But are they better than plastic or compostable ones and should you consider supplying them?

Survey results

A YouGov survey has found that 85% of the public want bags that are both biodegradable and recyclable rather than plastic. What’s more, 65% said that biodegradable bags should be exempt from England’s carrier bag charge.

This kind of poll is commissioned to promote a position without all the choices and risks being explained to respondents. In this case the company which comissioned the survey is lobbying the UK government to be exempt from the plastic bag charge, which we covered in September 2015 ( yr.10, iss.4, pg.3 , see The next step ).

Note. The government wants to introduce a “superbiodegradable” standard and bags meeting this would be exempt from its 5p charge. However, it doesn’t yet know what this standard is or what the bags will be made from - but it’s very unlikely that they will be oxo-degradable.

What is an oxo-degradable bag?

Oxo-degradable bags are controversial. They are plastic bags with an additive that means they fragment in oxygen and sunlight, leaving tiny pieces of plastic that take years to break down.

Tip. Steer clear of oxo-degradable bags. Many of the supermarkets introduced them a few years ago but withdrew them following government research and concerns that they were worse for the environment than plastic bags.

Next question

If oxo-degradable bags are no good, what about the alternatives? Even though the public state they favour “biodegradable bags”, these aren’t a particularly green option. Biodegradable means the material can break down naturally, but there’s no time scale, which means it wouldn’t be suitable for industrial composting or anaerobic digestion.

Compostable bags are greenest

Compostable bags have a European Standard defining what “compostable” means. EN13432-labelled products have to meet strict criteria. In a nutshell, the material has to biodegrade within twelve weeks, after which time no more than 10% of material fragments are allowed to be larger than 2mm. The standard is applicable only to packaging - bags, boxes, bottles, etc.

Headache

In theory a compostable bag is only the greenest option if it ends up being composted or used to bag food waste and sent for anaerobic digestion. What’s more, not all of the collection services will accept compostable bags - some owners of anaerobic digestion plants see the bags as a contaminant.

What should you do?

There are no real perks to offering compostable bags. For example, they are not exempt from the 5p charge and they will cost more to purchase. Plus, it’s unlikely that your customers will fully understand (or care) whether they’re a truly greener bag.

For a previous article on carrier bag charging, visit http://tipsandadvice-environment.co.uk/download (EN 10.05.06).

Biodegradable or oxo-degradable carrier bags aren’t greener. Compostable bags certified to the EU standard are a decent alternative. However, it’s not worth going down this route as most customers are unlikely to appreciate the green benefits, especially as they don’t provide an exemption from the government’s 5p charge.

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