In an effort to help reduce plastic usage we are moving to biodegradable postal bags... so we are phasing out our pretty pink packets for boring old grey ones, but it does mean that even if you throw them in with your normal household waste they will eventually breakdown unlike other plastics.
Our suppliers are catching up with this too, whilst some items (especially clothing) may still come in plastic that is not easily recyclable, they are making the effort to either use less packaging or going for greener plastics that can at least be recycled.
We here at RetroEsque have little control over this side of things, but we will do our best to do our bit.
Below is a bit of an explanation for the new postal bags we are starting to phase in.
The polythene film is manufactured from at least 25% post consumer waste and are also 100% Oxo-biodegradable*.
* The term ‘Oxo-biodegradable’ is a hybridisation of two words, oxidation and biodegradable. It clearly defines a two step process initiated by an additive called 'Reverte' to degrade the polythene film and make it available for biodegradability within the environment when a bag has finished its useful life, usually within a set time period depending on the % added. 1% would trigger in around 6-8 months.
The additive is designed specifically to address the issue of plastic waste that gets into the environment and cannot be realistically collected. It has been used in numerous PE and PP applications for many years now.
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The pink bags we are phasing out are recyclable, but sometimes it depends on your local council to what they can actually recycle, so at least with the new boring grey ones you can have peace of mind that they will eventually breakdown and basically recycle themselves.
Happy Shopping Lovelies. x