PEFC supports use of paper bags

GreenPrint

The Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC) and AB Group Packaging, are encouraging brand owners, retailers and consumers to use paper bags as an alternative to plastic, with the government announcing that it is to introduce a 5p charge levy on all single use plastic bags in England with effect from October 2015.

Together with AB Group Packaging, the PEFC is supporting the increased use of paper bags, as a viable alternative to plastic. Both PEFC and AB Group Packaging realise this could represent a great opportunity for the paper and packaging industry to push the usage of fibre based packaging, and in turn give the industry a plus in terms of its environmental sustainability.

The use of paper bags, particularly from renewable, recyclable sources, is a better alternative for the environment, as they are biodegradable, compostable and recyclable. The majority of plastic bags are still being made from Polyethylene (PE), ending up in landfill and can take hundreds of years to break down.

Commenting on the proposed tax on plastic bags, and the intention to increase the usage of paper bags, AB Group managing director, Dermot Brady, stated: ‘With the announcement of this tax for plastic bags, this marks an excellent opportunity for the paper and packaging industry to increase the use of paper based bags, which are both sustainable, renewable, and present an excellent environmental plus over plastic.’

A further reason for encouraging the use of paper based bags is that the introduction of the new tax could also represent a massive headache for retailers and brand owners. It is understood that the new 5p tax would have to be accounted for separately, with the VAT also having to be accounted for as a separate entity, resulting in a massive spend on altering their accounting and IT systems.

Since 2006, a raft of changes have been introduced to reduce the huge amount of plastic bags that are used in the UK, which has included marketing ‘Bags for Life’ more clearly. This has also involved reducing the amount of new plastic and raising the level of recycled content used to make bags. With the introduction of these implementations, carrier bag distribution was reduced by some 32% between 2006 and 2012. However, between 2010 and 2012, single use carrier bag distribution started to creep back up in England between by around 12%.