why has Riverford stopped using degradable plastic bags?
In short, degradable plastic cannot be recycled or composted sensibly in the UK at this time. The only option is landfill, where degradable bags may generate more greenhouse gasses than conventional plastics. The best option in terms of energy, resource conservation and climate change is to recycle them into new bags.
Don’t different sorts of plastic get sorted at recycling centres? Are you telling me I shouldn’t be looking out for bio-degradable or recyclable bags?
As far as we are aware, recycling centres are not yet able to differentiate between different sorts of plastic which look very similar. You only have to get a little non-recyclable plastic into a load of recycling and it renders it unstable, so basically the whole lot gets sent to landfill.
How did you come to be using the ‘wrong’ bags up till now?
Good intentions, bad advice. We based a decision on what we thought was the best information and advice available at the time. Theoretically the bags we currently use are great because they break down in sunlight or air. But they cannot be recycled, and they cannot be composted, so inevitably end up in landfill, generating greenhouse gases as they break down. We started using them with the best intentions but it was a bad decision, based on biased information from manufacturers. Our study with Exeter University now enables us to base the decision on disinterested information.
Why does Riverford use plastic bags in the first place?
We use as little as we can and massively less than most retailers. Plastic is used mainly to protect leafy vegetables with high moisture, such as lettuces and spinach, which lose quality quickly in contact with the air. . You really would notice the difference in culinary quality if we didn’t bag these.
If you are minimizing plastic, why are carrots in plastic bags?
Carrots keep their flavor better unwashed, and should be cleaned just before being eaten. So we often put carrots in bags to contain the mud rather than spreading it around the box. However the last couple of seasons of appalling weather have convinced us that we should wash off the worst of the mud of the carrots and give up bagging them (they will only be gently washed to get the worst off, not polished as they are for supermarkets). So plastic bags for carrots will cease in the forseeable future (starting with a trial at one farm)
Why is Riverford pursuing a different policy to lots of supermarkets?
Riverford is unusually well placed to recycle efficiently: many of our customers are aware and environmentally-motivated; we deliver weekly to customers and already take back boxes for re-use
And what about the plastic punnets that sprouts and tomatoes sometimes come in?
We are currently looking for a different solution for sprouts. Other produce will no longer come in plastic punnets. Is there a financial benefit to Riverford? Sadly not. The time it will take to sort the plastic will cost quite a bit more than what we can get from the recycling company. However this is a small price to pay for a clear conscience!
What should I do with the other packaging I get from Riverford?
Card punnets - these can be composted or put out with paper recycling. Also very handy for growing seedlings in.
Meat box packagaing Send back gel packs, boxes and liners for re-use. Inner packaging has to be thrown away – the Environmental Health Offier would have a fit if we offered to take it back
Nets In theory these can be recycled as they are LDPE (same as the bags) but the metal clips mean we cannot recycle them.
Paper Again, the bags can be composted or put out for recycling. Customers have pointed out that these bags fit very neatly into kitchen waste caddies. Others use them as lunch bags if they are not muddy.
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