greengrocer.uk.com

Here you will find a mix of simple facts, design philosophy along with some pretty technical stuff.

People often ask: What are Greengrocer bags made from, how environment-friendly are they, how long will they last and why are they a better solution than jute, paper or cotton? Well these questions and more are answered right here...

To begin with - Did you know that from May 2008, all our products will be made from 50% recycled content? Yep, that's true. And they will still be uber cool, smooth to touch and recyclable here in the UK. Now for the FAQs...

1. Why are Greengrocer better than recycling common single-use carrier bags and so-called compostible bags?
Because Greengrocer bags will last and they can be used over and over again. Reusability is the key. Think: Reduce – Reuse – Recycle! Reduce the need for single-use carrier bags. Reuse your Greengrocer bag every time you shop. Recycle your Greengrocer bag at the end of its natural life!

2. How long will my Greengrocer last?
With ordinary use a Greengrocer bag should be good for about 2 years (which is over 100 UK shop visits for the average household). This is Greengrocer's best environmental credential. Each Greengrocer bag has a care label inside which includes hand washing instructions. Yes we even made them washable!

As an aside, we are told that our bags are also good for gym gear, for picnics and taking recycling to the deposit-point but we just want you to use them for the groceries!

3. What are Greengrocer bags made from?
A very common, recyclable material named PP (polypropylene) which is a vinyl polymer. From May 2008 all our bags will contain 50% recycled content. There are many reasons we chose this material - but above all for its capacity for repeat recyclability. PP recycling, like most recycleng ensures we don't lose the 'embodied energy' bound up in our products. This is very important when considering a material's overall Carbon Footprint and/or overall Environmental Footprint.

Want to know more? PP is a versatile co-product of the petrochemical industry but don’t let this put you off…before PP was invented, the base materials were burned off. But not now! The type of PP used in Greengrocer bags is 100% recyclable right here in the UK. Recycled PP takes many familiar forms, common uses include environmental geotextiles, green roof components, insulation, bicycle parts, a myriad of building materials even the banknotes of some countries.

4. Is PP considered ‘Environment-Friendly’?
Yes. After comparing a wide range of materials including cotton, jute, hemp, paper and others, we chose PP for our bags. There are two main reasons:

Firstly because PP is environmentally inert. It reseases only water vapour and a small amount of CO2 when heated for remanufacture. Provided the recyclate is not contaminated, there is no by-product or waste produced from PP recycling. With Greengrocer, there is no need to compost or landfill and this is good news because as mentioned before, the embodied energy in the bags isnt lost. Greengrocer bags can be repeat-recycled into a myriad of useful and desirable new items.

Secondly because we subscribe to the philosophy and practice of Design for Remanufacture (DfR). This approach is one where designers and manufacturers select materials and techniques suitable for large scale recycling and remanufacture. The recycling of PP uses less energy than actually creating it (which in itself is an energy efficient process!) PP is a very, very versatile DfR material.

5. I already ‘reuse’ my carrier bags by using them for the rubbish. Isn’t this enough?
Unfortunately the answer is a resounding NO! Because the vast majority of UK domestic rubbish still ends up in landfill…and even in 2007, only a small percentage of carrier bags are the decomposing type! In environmental terms, it is much, much better to use a multiple-use, robust and long-lasting bag like ours for your shopping and use purpose-designed bio-degradable bin liners for your non-recyclable waste.

A footnote to carrier bag recycling facilities: Although carrier bag recycling drop-points are now available in some supermarkets, the facilities are not widespread due to the very lightweight nature of carrier bags and their big limitations for remanufacturing. Recycled carrier bags are generally only used for very low grade applications (such as many non-bio bin liners – think landfill again!). This is because of the contamination effect of the original printing ink which makes them only suitable for dark colours, such as grey or black.*

* Recoup Recycling. What About Other Household Plastics?
Article. 2006. See: www.recoup.org

6. How recyclable is PP?
Almost all lightweight PP material is readily recyclable. Ours certainly is! Large-scale recycling of PP is technically feasible and there are now fully operable world-class facilities here in the UK. We have links with market-leading recyclers with whom we have worked hard to devise a commercial-scale recycling strategy for recycling your pre-loved but worn out Greengrocer bags. Stay tuned for specific details about where and how to recycle Greengrocer bags and check out the recycling page.

PP recycling is very efficient. Tests show that stabilised PP undergoes no significant change in mass because the material rarely needs to perform to its maximum limits. This means that as a rule; what you put in to the recycling process equals what comes out! Polypropylene production scrap is usually reground and returned directly to the process at source. The quality of the material from old parts (cleaned and sorted according to PP grade) matches that of the production scrap. The problem of recycling is to ensure reliable material supply (logistics) rather than processing technology.* PP recycling technology is advancing rapidly and we at Greengrocer are involved in assisting recyclers and scientists with Life Cycle Analysis data and data for R&D.

* PP Recycling – Article, Tse, L. See: www.visionengineer.com

7. Why should I choose a Greengrocer Bag over a free carrier bag?
Because so-called 'free' carrier bags are a false economy...in more ways than one!. 'Free' carrier bags are actually costing all of us a staggering 77 million pounds a year. This sizeable sum is simply added to the cost of the things we buy every time we shop. Besides, the fact that buying and re-using a Greengrocer bag wont break the bank, you will love their feel and their look. Priced from 99p, our bags are affordable, long lasting, groovy and 100% recyclable. Still not convinced?

Well how about the fact that our large Greengrocer bags are much more efficient than standard placky carriers (you can fit 2.5 times more in them on average)? And our Greengrocer Bottle Bags fit 6 bottles and they are really comfy to carry...more so than a box! All our bags are hip, great value and easy to use; much more so than ubiquitious single-use plastic carrier bags!

8. Where are Greengrocer Bags Made?
Greengrocer bags are made in the Far East and shipped by sea. We deal directly with only the most principled manufacturers - all of whom have proven ethical trade practices. We take this very, very seriously. Where required, our bag producers provide their staff with access to workplace transport, on-site accommodation, meals, health care and social support as standard. Plus, we require all our suppliers to sign up to our own Greengrocer Code of Standards for Ethical Production and Procurement and we monitor compliance. When you buy a Greengrocer bag you can be sure you are buying an ethically produced environment-friendly product. (To read more, please visit our Ethical Production page here).

And finally, on the environment...our lightweight bags are packed tight into recycled cardboard boxes and shipped in very large quantities thereby minimising impact on the environment. The delivery method is as energy efficient as humanly possible!