We have made a mess of this one.  Two years ago, in a moment of folly, we were persuaded to buy a large supply of degradable bags on the grounds that they were marginally better for the environment than normal low density polyethylene (LDPE). It turns out that they cannot be recycled. In fact if even a small number of these bags contaminate a load of normal LDPE the whole batch will be condemned because they destabilise the recycled plastic. Our research suggests that there are very few circumstances where degradable plastics deliver a benefit to the environment so we are going back to conventional oil based plastic bags and will work to maximise the amount that is recycled. 

From October 2008 we are back to using only conventional LDPE bags (except for salad packs for the time being).  We want our customers to return all plastic packaging to us for recycling. In reality very little LDPE is actually recycled at the moment because of contamination and because few local authorities offer the facility.  By taking responsibility for the waste we generate and by only using one type of plastic we will be able to ensure that everything that is returned to us is recycled.

plastic punnets (1.6%)

We try to avoid using plastic punnets but, because the rest of the industry does, they can sometimes be hard to avoid.  Occasionally we do not have the right size of paper punnet and the only alternative is plastic, plus, a few times of year imports arrive ready punneted. It is really not worth us setting up a waste stream for these rare occasions so it is most practical to send these off with the rest of your waste which, because there are rarely facilities for recycling this type of plastic (normally PVC), will normally mean landfill.    

composting and biodegradable waste

Any fruit and vegetable waste generated on the farm is fed to the cows apart from the alliums (garlic, leeks and onions) which could taint the milk and are therefore composted. It is amazing what the cows will eat; whole oranges, squash and bananas seem to be consumed with relish. 

We tend to supply our vegetables in a less trimmed and prepared form (those outer leaves are often an effective substitute for packaging). This does leave our customers with substantial amounts of biodegradable waste to dispose of. If this finds its way to landfill, unless the landfill is well managed there is a danger of it breaking down under anaerobic conditions (no oxygen) to release methane and nitrous oxides, all of which are many times more potent than CO₂ as a greenhouse gas. The leachate (liquid) from this type of decomposition can be highly polluting if not contained in the landfill. The best solution is composting (microbial decomposition in the presence of sufficient oxygen) and the best place to do it, if at all possible, is at source at your home. Second best is segregation and curb-side collection for central composting but this is fraught with problems and is expensive in energy and money to organise