NEWS

We all know we should be buying environmentally friendly products but how can our business make a difference? This is a question we all ask ourselves but with technology and manufacturing processes changing all the time, it is becoming increasingly obvious that the new products coming through the market can really make a dent in the carbon footprint we leave on this planet.

“Next time you stand in the shower, take a moment to reflect that the warmth you feel is from the sunlight of hundreds of millions of years ago”.

Prehistoric plants absorbed the sunlight shining onto the earth and stored it as carbon in the form of oil, gas and coal. Using these resources is a driver of climate change as carbon is put back into the atmosphere at a much faster rate than present day plants can absorb it. And what’s more, we are using them to produce epic quantities of rubbish which will litter the surface of the earth for thousands of years to come.

To give an idea of the scale, more than 70,000 tonnes of paper cups are used in the UK each year – that’s enough for seven billion drinks! The negative impact of these products bites twice! First in production, which for oil-based plastics can lead to significant carbon emissions and second after use, where they will sit in landfill for centuries to come.

Materials

Bagasse – Bagasse is the dry fibrous residue left once sugar cane fibre has been pressed for juice. It is ideal for producing tableware due to its inherent strength and can be considered a tree-free paper. Being a waste material to start with, it is a low impact option.

Recycled paper – All of the paper products we stock such as napkins and paper carrier bags are manufactured in the UK out of 100 % recycled paper pulp.

Kraft board – Kraft board with a high recycled content where possible. Paper board products are all UK-made making then carbon friendly.

Natureflex – A compostable cellophane made from sustainably-sourced wood pulp by Innovia Films. Natureflex has a high oxygen barrier making it ideal for a multitude of food packaging applications.

PLA – PLA is made from corn starch and is an ideal replacement for oil-based plastic in a multitude of applications. These include films, thermorformed products such as cups and deli pots and also injection-moulded products.

CPLA – A proprietary combination of PLA, chalk and other biodegradable additives. CPLA is suitable for high-heat applications such as making cutlery and hot cup lids as it can take temperatures of up to 95°C without any deformation. PLA in its natural state is not suitable for high-heat applications as it will deform with heat above 60°C.

Others – Some of the other materials widely used are wood, siali leaves and bamboo.

Landfill

So, what does happen to waste which is put into landfill? Well, the answer is (pretty much) nothing.

In fact, landfill sites are designed in such a way that they stop things breaking down to prevent pollutants entering the environment. Landfills are typically sited where the ground is naturally impermeable and then lined with plastic or clay to prevent leachate (potentially toxic landfill ‘juice’) seeping into groundwater.

Once full, landfills are sealed with a further layer of clay or soil, creating a relatively oxygen-free, dry environment. These are almost exactly the opposite of the conditions required for composting.

So the reason we should be using environmentally friendly consumables isn’t just because they will compost quicker than general cups and supplies but the process in which they are made doesn’t use virgin materials it uses plants instead of manufactured paper.

Also it takes a lot less carbon to produce eco friendly products so in reality here are the main 3 reasons why you should be using compostable environmentally friendly products:

· Low carbon – real, quantifiable reductions in manufacturing process

· Low impact – they only use renewable or recycled materials

· Low waste – organics recycling means we think resource, not waste

Article By Alan D Clarke