The debate about which (recyclable, biodegradable or compostable) is best for the environment is ongoing and there’s no single answer to this question. All of these solutions come with their own benefits and limitations, but are a step forward in considering more sustainable alternatives to the current consumerism & throwaway society we have created in recent years.
Appletree and Avalon have a wide variety of compostable, biodegrable & recyclable products. Where possible, we focus on reusable or home compostable. We are also pleased to say that we don’t stock any single use plastic products and all of our packaging can be recycled or composted.
With regards to plastic, we have researched this extensively & feel that even though we’d like to eradicate anything harmful to the planet, the impact of single use plastic on the environment is the bigger immediate issue we can help highlight and remove right away from our lifestyles.
We aren’t saying that we don’t understand the wider, bigger picture, or the impact that all plastic has but in order for us all to take small steps towards a zero waste lifestyle, we feel that everyone has the power to minimise their consumption of single use & hopefully be inspired to take a look at our other alternative options.
If we have stocked a reusable plastic item it will be 100% recyclable. We have made this choice to offer a UK manufactured option & because we have found that it is overall more ethical by supporting our ethos & by not causing any other environmental issues such as deforestation, high carbon footprint, low wages for workers or contributing to consumer health risks
Ultimately, if something is reusable, we can take the care to ensure that we accomplish the necessary precautions to make the product better quality & 100% recyclable.
Together we can also make better informed decisions on everything we buy, now & in the future & ultimately try not to waste so much as humanity.
If you are going to choose to recycle, here are some handy tips from Which?
Which? Took some time to speak with plastic experts & they explained that while manufacturers need to do their bit to improve their plastic waste output, there were plenty that consumers could be doing to help make sure that the UK’s recycling system is more efficient.
Screw lids back on – The general rule is to screw plastic lids back on to their bottles and push straws back into cartons before recycling. On their own they are too small to make it through most recycling sorting machines (most will reject anything narrower than 40mm). However please check with your local authority.
Squash bottles – Squash plastic bottles before you put them out for recycling. Not only does this save space (reducing their carbon footprint), but it also stops them rolling off the sorting machine conveyor belts
Recycle at the supermarket – Take recyclable plastic film and leftover carrier bags back to recycling points at big supermarkets. The Which? investigation showed that this could increase the amount of supermarket packaging you recycle by up to 10%
Empty and rinse – If there’s residual food waste left in your recycling, empty it and give it a quick rinse. They don’t need to be sparkling, but a half-full yogurt pot or baked bean tin, for example, risk contaminating porous materials such as paper and card in the same recycling load and rendering it all unrecyclable
If you would also like to read more on plastic, we’ve found this useful link:
https://www.bpf.co.uk/sustainability/plastics_recycling.aspx
Where do you stand on plastic?
