Organic Body Launches Compostable Bags

A solution to waste - or a waste of time?

A carrier bag that can degrade in as little as 35 days, compared to up to a 1000 years for the traditional plastic carrier, has been launched by Organic Farmers & Growers (OF&G).

OF&G, which inspects and licenses thousands of organic farms and food manufacturers across the UK, set about finding an alternative carrier, as: ‘Putting products in plastic bags that will linger in the environment for hundreds of years does not sit at all well with the principles of organic food and farming’, explains Richard Jacobs, OF&G’s chief exec.

The bag is produced from non-GM cornstarch, grown on land that would otherwise be non-productive, and will fully degrade with 35-45 days - if correctly composted. The bags will also break down within months if any of them end up caught in hedges or trees, breaking down into harmless elements.

A compostable bag does, however, require a two-way process. The eco-manufacturing will go to waste if consumers allow the bag to end up in landfill, as in a largely anaerobic environment nothing really breaks down, whether it be a plastic bottle, a newspaper, an apple core or a ‘compostable’ bag.

OF&G recognises the bag is not perfect but is a ‘better alternative’ and plans to use it as a tool to educate consumers about composting. The bags are available to all interested retailers, not just OF&G’s licensees.

Planet Organic checked in its branded cornstarch carriers last years, which can break down within six months.

Do you think the cornstarch carrier is a good way forward, or would you still rather see the typically single-use bag banned?