Compostable film in magazine distribution
16th February 2018
Fourth in a series of five articles exploring how to reduce the environmental footprint of magazine wrappers in mailings and magazine distribution.
Compostable organic film from biologically sourced materials
Compostable organic film is manufactured from starch derived from potatoes. It does not contain any plastic and it degrades fully to compost. Unfortunately it is considerably more expensive than polythene and has a short shelf life before it begins to degrade. It is also translucent in appearance which makes addressing more of a challenge.
The most environmentally friendly option – and Spatial Global has trialled it
Spatial Global trialled compostable film a decade ago in a drive to provide clients with a more environmentally friendly option. However take-up amongst clients was too low for it to be viable. It cost around £50.00 per 1000 items compared with £8.50 for conventional polythene, and we reluctantly had to discard our stock when it degraded in our warehouse. Unfortunately, despite the clear environmental benfits, we don’t believe it is a viable commercial solution at this time.
The issues are complex and there isn’t one right answer
At Spatial Global we understand and agree with the drive to reduce our collective environmental footprint. Unfortunately the challenge is complex and the right solution will depend on whether you wish to reduce your use of plastic, reduce waste going to landfill, reduce litter or maintain your current costs. There is no one solution that ticks all these boxes.
Here are the five core options for distributing your title by mail:
We hope the following overview will be helpful.
1 – Conventional polythene (LDPE)
Recycling Qualities: Recyclable but most councils do not collect polythene wrap
Landfill Qualities: Will remain in landfill indefinitely
Cost Comparison: The most cost effective option
More about Conventional polythene in magazine distribution
2 – Oxodegradeable film (breaks down in presence of light and oxygen)
Recycling Qualities: Not recyclable due to additives
Landfill Qualities: Will remain in landfill indefinitely due to lack of light, but will break down in the general environment
Cost Comparison: Slightly higher than conventional polythene
More about Oxodegradeable film in magazine distribution
3 – Biodegradable film (degrades in landfill)
Recycling Qualities: Not recyclable due to additives
Landfill Qualities: Will degrade in landfill but has a relatively short shelf-life
Cost Comparison: Approx 300% of the cost of conventional polythene
More about Biodegradable film in magazine distribution
4 – Compostable film (manufactured from potato starch)
Recycling Qualities: Not recyclable
Landfill Qualities: Will degrade fully to compost in landfill but has a very short shelf-life
Cost Comparison: Approx 580% of the cost of conventional polythene
More about Compostable film in magazine distribution
5 – Paper envelopes (manufactured from recycled paper or sustainable sources)
Recycling Qualities: Recyclable
Landfill Qualities: Will degrade fully to compost in landfill (excluding window if applicable)
Cost Comparison: Approx 530% of the cost of conventional polythene
More about Paper envelopes in magazine distribution
It’s possible to reduce the environmental footprint of mailings, but…
The ‘greener’ options tend to be more expensive – which is why conventional polythene has become the de facto standard in the mailing industry. The shorter the shelf-life, typically the longer the manufacturers lead time and many have a minimum order of two tonnes. Spatial Global seeks to be environmentally conscious while giving our customers well-balanced advice on the pros and cons of the various options.
Improving our overall environmental performance
Spatial Global has taken positive steps to ensure our environmental impact is reduced wherever practically possible. This includes the installation of low energy lighting and more energy-efficient machines to reduce our carbon footprint. Our waste is recycled wherever possible and we are constantly reviewing our environmental policy to ensure we continually strive to achieve ever-improved standards.