By Steve Farrell2021-04-16T11:48:00+01:00
Both paper and plastic industries are frustrated at a lack of transparency from the supermarket
It is almost taken for granted that eliminating plastic is good for the environment, but when it comes to carrier bags, the truth is less clear.
Some historic reports, including a decade-old one from the Northern Ireland Assembly, have suggested (whisper it) that paper has a higher overall carbon footprint because it is heavier in transit and uses more energy in production. But studies also tend to be dated, focusing on single-use plastic bags. Since supermarkets scrapped those in 2018, the more urgent question now is whether paper can be an improvement on plastic bags-for-life.
Cardboard shortage expected to settle down quickly Richard Stuart-Turner Monday, February 1, 2021
Small retailers and printers have reported struggles in getting hold of cardboard boxes for deliveries due to a raft of factors hitting the supply chain, but the Confederation of Paper Industries (CPI) is expecting the situation to settle down soon.
DS Smith manufactures all of its boxes from recycled material
In a report published yesterday (31 January), the BBC spoke to a number of small businesses who have had to delay customer deliveries due to their difficulties in sourcing cardboard boxes.
It also said many major supermarkets have recently had to switch to plastic boxes for their eggs, which led Asda to respond on Twitter after coming under fire for the change.