No Comments Written by Sam on December 13, 2019. Posted in Christmas Waste

Do Christmas jumpers contain plastic?

Do Christmas jumpers contain plastic?

12 million novelty jumpers are set to be bought this year, despite 65 million festive jumpers sitting forgotten at the backs of our wardrobes. With one in three under 35s purchasing a new Christmas jumper every year we look into what negative impact this has the environment around us.

Christmas jumpers contain plastic

According to a survey by Hubbub only 29% of shoppers know that most Christmas jumpers contain plastic.

The common plastic fibre has been linked to the issue of ocean plastic pollution, as it sheds masses of microfibres when washed. A study by Plymouth University discovered acrylic was far more ecologically damaging than polyester.

Hubbub project co-ordinator Sarah Divall said: “We don’t want to stop people dressing up and having a great time at Christmas, but there are so many ways to do this without buying new.

“Fast fashion is a major threat to the natural world and Christmas jumpers are particularly problematic as so many contain plastic.

“We’d urge people to swap, buy second-hand or re-wear and remember a jumper is for life, not just for Christmas.”

The charity also warned that our Christmas dinners are putting the planet at risk because of the amount of food waste, and urged households to consider how much they need to buy and whether it will all get eaten.

According to their research, across the UK an estimated 2 million turkeys and 74 million mince pies will be binned, costing British people money and harming the environment.

How can you be more eco-friendly this Christmas?

• Many of us already have a jumper languishing in our wardrobes so why waste money on another.
• Swap with family or friends – an easy way to get a new christmas jumper from last year with minimal effort.
• Add a temporary festive touch to an ordinary jumper you can wear all year round.
• With so many jumpers only worn once, it’s easy to find an almost new jumper in a local charity shop.

If you require a waste disposal plan, North West Waste Consultants can ensure that you’re following the suitable procedure and have the correct documentation for the disposal of your hazardous waste.

MAKE AN ENQUIRY TODAY!

No Comments Written by Sam on September 25, 2019. Posted in environmental

Sainsbury’s cuts plastic and become the first major retailer to reduce plastic packaging on their fresh flowers.

In a 12 week trial running across 167 stores nationwide Sainsbury’s will package more than one million fresh bouquets of flowers in recyclable paper and sealed with recyclable paper tape. The goal of the trial is to determine whether customer demand and experience of suppliers can manage the transition over a long term basis,

How Are They Removing Plastic?

To save over 10 tonnes of plastic than one million bunches and bouquets will use:

• Recycled paper packaging in place of plastic sleeves
• Paper tape in place of sticky tape
  

  It forms part of the British retailer’s commitment to reduce plastics by 50 per cent by 2025, across its food operations.

  Quoted from Judith Batchelar, director of Sainsbury’s “We are proud to be the first retailer to reduce fresh floral plastics on a significant scale, across 167 of our stores. Our customers have made it clear that they want us to reduce plastic packaging – developing a more sustainable solution to minimise plastic on fresh flowers is a further step in the right direction.

  Removing Plastic Bags

  

  To achieve this commitment, other developments over the coming weeks include the removal of plastic bags from the bakery, and the removal of plastic bags from fresh produce.

  From the 30th September all plastic bags for loose vegetables and fruit will be removed from online grocery deliveries a move which is set to save 180 tonnes of plastic.

  Shoppers will need to bring in their own containers or buy a reusable bags charged at 30p.The change will apply in all convenience stores and about 500 supermarkets with more to follow.

  Sainsbury’s isn’t the only supermarket implementing sustainability measures as last month Waitrose revealed it would trial a “bring your own” scheme in one of it’s London stores to encourage customers to buy and refill produce.

  The supermarket giant will begin selling items such as cereals and pasta in large dispensers as part of the concept, which it hopes will effectively reduce waste from plastic packaging.

  If you’re a business looking for help with your summer event waste management, don’t hesitate to get in touch with North West Waste to learn more about what we do.

No Comments Written by Sam on December 7, 2019. Posted in environmental

570,000 hermit crabs die from plastic rubbish

570,000 hermit crabs die from plastic rubbish

How Does This Affect Us?

The blow to hermit crabs could be the start of a nasty chain reaction impacting marine life.

Crabs play crucial roles in tropical ecosystems, aiding in forest growth and development through the soil. Reductions in crabs may significantly impact plant expansion, scientists said.

In addition to forming an important part of maritime food chains, the scavengers also help clean island beaches and tropical forests while breaking down organic matter, spreading nutrients by aerating and fertilizing the soil, and dispersing seeds.

No Comments Written by Sam on August 13, 2019. Posted in Uncategorized

Annoyed with paper straws? Could pasta straws be the solution?

Annoyed with paper straws? Could pasta straws be the solution?

Roughly 8.5 billion plastic straws are used in the U.K. each year, but as a new ban takes effect next April, that number will shrink to zero. One startup is hoping to corner the market for alternative straws using an unlikely material: pasta.

Stroodles straws are said to provide greater durability, are flavourless, vegan, 100% biodegradable and are edible raw or cooked after use.

A core principle for Stroodles is their ‘drink-easy’ ethos, meaning drinkers shouldn’t have to change behaviour or compromise on drinking experience to do good for the environment.

Company founder, Maxim Gelmann, said: “While we’re a very logical and effortless solution to the plastic problem, Stroodles is not just a straw company.

“Our driving goal is to become a vehicle for change and we hope that Stroodles can act as an enabler, subtly inspiring people to question how they consume everyday items. We hope these incremental changes will lead to a ripple effect and create a greater shift in behaviour, one Stroodle at a time.”

The concept of conscious consumerism also extends to Stroodles’ business model and operation. Pasta straws that don’t meet the standard get donated to food banks and a share of Stroodles’ sales are donated to charities who help fight plastic waste.

No Comments Written by Sam on October 8, 2019. Posted in environmental

Halloween Waste – The Living Nightmare

Halloween is a time for pumpkin carving, spooky costumes, trick-or-treating with the kids and overeating on chocolate and sweets until you feel the size of a pumpkin. But there’s a dark undertone to Halloween which is the excessive amount of waste that we produce.

This year the UK alone will bin over 8 million pumpkins after the Halloween, a quantity which is equivalent to the entire nation having pumpkin pie to eat. This number would be even larger however a campaign #PumpkinRescue has an annual goal to reduce this number.

#PumpkinRescue

Pumpkin Rescue uses everyone’s favourite spooky staple as a way to talk about the edible food we throw away and easy steps we can take to make the most of it instead.

It’s a celebration of food that challenges preconceptions, teaches new skills and has some fun along the way.

More information on how you can join the campaign can be found here: https://www.hubbub.org.uk/pumpkin-rescue

Costumes

12,500 tons of Halloween costumes get sent to landfill each year perhaps this year consider creating your own costume. From metal juice lids to milk jugs, you’ll be surprised what recycled materials can be used to creative, classy Halloween costumes.

If you simply don’t have the time to create a eco friendly costume consider donating them to your local charity shop so they can be used again next year.

Check The Label

Halloween props such as broomsticks and masks can become plastic waste however not all props are non recycable so check the label and potentially reduce your plastic waste. However DIY is far greener and more fun to create, using eco friendly felt to create bats or painting a wreath black to create a eerie masterpiece the possibilities are endless.

If you’re a business looking for help with your summer event waste management, don’t hesitate to get in touch with North West Waste to learn more about what we do.