Update 2nd May -This article has been revised after a conversation with the Welsh Government and has changed to reflect the fact that a ban only applies to polymers (including corn based PLA) and not all materials as originally thought
These have been extremely trying times for companies like mine that are trying to make the world a more sustainable place, first the Government introduces the plastic tax and decided to force everyone into putting recycled plastics in their products, without taking into consideration that if you remove the plastic, no problem to solve.
So what is the Welsh Assembly planning?
Essentially the Welsh Assembly Government (WAG) has decided to restrict usage of the following products.
- Plates
The WAG isn't banning plates, only the use of polystyrene and lined plates, including PLA ( why does the UK hate corn so much?)
- Cutlery
Thankfully disposable cutlery itself isn't banned only polymer based materials like plastic and (there's a theme here) PLA.
- Drinks stirrers
Thankfully it is also not banning stirrers only plastic stirrers including, you guessed it , PLA.
- Cups made of expanded or foamed extruded polystyrene.
- Takeaway food containers made of expanded or foamed extruded polystyrene.
In this we agree with the WAG , polystyrene is awful and there are a number of better plant based materials available, a big pat on the back for this one as the sooner the better.
- Sticks for balloons
We have to admit to a general amount of ignorance on this as we don't and have never made sticks for balloons but surely these can be made from wood which would eliminate it's environmental harm?
- Plastic-stemmed cotton buds.
We don't actually sell these but much better materials exist such as bamboo, so it's good to see an end to these, although it will mean these will now come from China and will be shipped across the planet, so we are a bit undecided on this one.
- Drinking straws
Straws always surprise us as there is a lot of anti straw sentiment and we just don't get it, we used to drink milk from cones and paper straws without issue and now there is a lot of negative coverage with regards to straws and the real issue isn't the product, it's what its made of that is the issue.
Now on the service this seems like a small thing but it has huge repercussions, not just for #thepureoption but for most businesses as it will drive change but it will drive a barrier led change, a change the will force people to make lifestyle choices when they shouldn't have too, as we have said many times, the product isn't the issue, the material it's made of is the issue.
This is our MD's response to the Welsh Government sent today.
The issue we have as a company means that the guidance is , it's well meaning but it shows the same obsession with barriers that the UK Government has, it's shows a lean towards barrier approaches like bring a reusable cup rather than a solution led approach of just solving the problem with minimum restrictions.
I’m sure I don’t need to tell you or the Welsh Government that recycling is just reusing a legacy problem, usually the simplest solution is the best solution and it applies in this case, just change the problematic materials and change it to a positive material that benefits the environment it is disposed of in.
It's this obsession with the problem that is causing policies that are short term solutions to a long term problem, it will absolutely kill innovation, it's why we are putting our future plans on hold to create new solutions to solving the un-natural problem of plastics, put simply this sort of flawed methodology and way of looking at a problem is the opposite of what we do , we find problems , we solve them and this is not encouraging companies like us to think it the long term..
I hope the Welsh Government starts talking to businesses solving these problems and asking what would help up to grow, expand and make a difference but we are still in the problem obsessed phase.
Wales has the potential to go down the route of Ireland and New Zealand and create a world leading plant based industry and yet the way it is looking at the problem is recycling led and not solution led, we are all jealous of the support that the Irish and New Zealand Government are giving their compostable product industry, we can only hope they wake up one day and we are still around to be a driver of positive environmental change.
I hope that sanity will eventually return and we stop putting barriers in the way of the consumer when better options exist, we should be promoting these solutions not denying them.
After our MD's conversation with the WAG representatives today, he feels somewhat relieved that they aren't banning these products but less optimistic that the WAG is looking at the long term solutions.
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