Mis-information is rife when it comes to recycled and eco-friendly items as more suppliers jump on the bandwagon. A classic case in point is the myth of the “eco-friendly” PP (polypropylene) bag.
Some years ago I was asked to make a 10-minute presentation to a group of established business gift distributors and marketers. The topic, “Eco and Recycled gifts - plainly speaking!” was designed to unravel the jargon now surrounding the recycled and eco-friendly gifts sector.
In the brief time I had to speak, I wanted to go back to basics and clear up the definitions and differences between recycled and recyclable, sustainable, non-polluting, ethical, fair trade and organic.
It made me realise that what I considered very basic terminology was clearly not as widely understood as I had imagined, and that even the most experienced distributors and marketers were at the mercy of what they are told by their suppliers. In hindsight it should have been obvious, with so many items available there’s no way anyone can be an expert in all areas and people have to rely on what they are told. Sadly, it appears that the ‘green revolution’ had resulted in some truths being stretched a little in the name of sales and marketing.
Many companies and products are now joining the recycled and or eco-friendly bandwagon with a worrying degree of ignorance regarding what it’s all about. A glaring example of wide spread misinformation and companies “band wagoning” is the idea that the non-woven PP (polypropylene) bag can be marketed as “green” or “eco-friendly”. The truth is, it shouldn’t be.
Recently, I received an email from a company claiming they “didn’t do plastic and never would.” Their email was promoting their new “eco-friendly” PP (polypropylene) bags.
The advert, among other things, claimed the item was biodegradable, 100% recyclable and re-usable and their direct intent was to insinuate the bag wasn’t plastic and was somehow beneficial to the environment.
Quite simply put, polypropylene is plastic. It’s as much plastic as PVC or polystyrene, and polypropylene is NOT biodegradable as so often claimed. As for whether it’s recyclable, in theory yes it is on an industrial level but I’ve yet to hear of a council that separates or specifically sorts household PP, making its recyclability for the end user almost 100% unachievable. Re-usable it may be but that does not make a PP bag or any other product eco-friendly in itself. A kettle is re-usable, in fact they are used many times a day but that’s not a measure of its eco-credentials. A water bottle isn’t “green” just because it can be used time and again, it’s just a water bottle; if it were made from recycled or biodegradable plastic it would be going some way to earning an eco-friendly tag.
The PP bag is just one clear example of mis-information being bandied about the industry. It’s misleading but not necessarily dishonest, in fact probably it’s not dishonest but a misunderstanding in an eagerness to generate sales. In fact when I rang the company in question about their PP bags the lady who answered told me the bag was 100% biodegradable, she also said with great conviction that it was a “recycled by-product of crude oil”, perhaps she wasn’t aware that that’s exactly what plastics are. I don’t believe she knew any better and actually thought what she’d been told may have held enough truth for her to “get away with it”.
If a company throws enough “facts” at the wall some will stick, sadly buyers may catch a cold when they in turn repeat what they are told and sell an item or give it away on that basis, only to discover it’s nothing of the sort.
Buyers and re-sellers alike beware and press hard for more information when a company that doesn’t normally sell eco-friendly items suddenly starts marketing an item on its eco credentials, a bit of fact checking, common sense and trusting your instincts may be the first step.
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