Compostable plastics are more useful to produce flexible packaging that contains food residue
The WRAP’s new guidelines will help address confusion over compostable plastic packaging (Credit: moritz320 from Pixabay)
The Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP), a British registered charity, has unveiled new guidelines to help businesses avoid confusion on the usage of compostable plastic packaging.
The new guidelines will enable businesses to make informed decisions when considering the application of compostable packaging.
The guidelines help to determine key applications and opportunities for compostable plastic packaging
WRAP’s guidance determines major applications and opportunities for compostable plastic packaging, based on the current products and infrastructure available to packaging designers and specifiers.
The items, which may have food residue on them and help recycle food waste, include food caddy liners, fruit and vegetable stickers, tea bags, coffee pods and ready meal trays, as well as closed-loop situations such as festivals.
WRAP has framed recommendation to help citizens better communicate on the appropriate disposal of compostable plastic packaging, helping to know whether the item can be composted at home or not.
The guidance also explained the importance of not placing compostable plastic packaging with conventional plastics in the recycling bin.
In March this year, WRAP is planning to launch a campaign to provided citizens with factual and balanced information about plastics, including compostable plastics.
WRAP strategic engagement manager Helen Bird said: “We know from research that 77% of citizens believe that compostable plastic is better for the environment than other types of packaging. However, compostable plastic is still plastic, and it is no silver bullet for solving plastic pollution.
“Businesses need to be clear on when it is viable, given the complexities surrounding current treatment infrastructure. When it comes to recyclability, WRAP is clear that a claim of ‘recyclable’ should only be made if it can be recycled in practice.
“The same should be applied to compostable plastics. And it is critical that end markets for recycled plastics are not compromised; people need clear instruction not to place compostable plastics in the recycling bin.”
In December 2019, the new report revealed that one billion “problematic and unnecessary” single-use plastic items will be eliminated by the end of next year by members of the UK Plastics Pact.