Protecting our planet

Glamorgan Star news 31/01/2023

2 minutes read

Protecting our planet – By Brian Mayne:

Recycling crisp packets can make a difference

This column by local environmentalist Brian Mayne looks at an initiative that recycles waste to support local homeless and less fortunate people.

I recently read about Caedraw Primary School in Merthyr Tydfil whose pupils have been working on a project to turn empty crisp packets into blankets to help the homeless, a fantastic scheme giving a waste product a new life.

The initiative is part of the Crisp Packet Project established by Pen Huston in Hastings in 2019 to address the problem of flimsy sleeping bags for homeless people. A blanket made from crisp packets can protect sleeping bags in cold and wet weather, reflecting the heat, keeping individuals dry, and helping to reduce the amount of single-use plastic going to landfill or incineration.

Since being launched, the Crisp Packet Project has grown into a nationwide network of volunteers making sleeping bags, survival blankets, and more for homeless people in their communities.

Recycling crisp packets has always been tricky, as most are made of a type of plastic, with a foil-like interior which is made of a metallised plastic film. Although they are technically recyclable, crisp packets are among the least recycled types of packaging material.

Some supermarkets provide facilities for crisp packets to be dropped off for recycling. Look for the recycling points marked ‘soft plastics’ often located after the tills or near the front door but check online first as not all supermarkets collect them. There are also community drop-off points in the Vale and Bridgend, supported by TerraCycle. Check on their website for a location near you.

Although they are not a substantial percentage of material in our household waste, the plastic that goes into making crisp packets is incredibly durable. This means that if they make their way to the sea they can last for years, damaging natural habitats and harming wildlife – as ocean creatures ingest tiny microplastics as they break down.

The easiest way to reduce the amount of crisp packet waste produced is to cut down on how many crisps we buy. Around 16 million packets of crisps are eaten each day in the UK. Alternatively, we can switch from a multipack and individual bags of crisps to sharing sizes instead. We can even have a go at making homemade crisps to avoid packaging. However, if these aren’t practical then simply recycling crisp packets when you’ve munched through them will help protect our planet.

To help us do this we need crisp manufacturers to start designing packaging that can be recycled easily and get local authorities to include them in kerbside collections. Hopefully, the new ‘Extended Producer Responsibility’ legislation – when implemented – will address this as it aims to cover the cost of collection, sorting, and recycling of packaging and incentivise producers through the fees they pay to ensure the products placed on the market are recyclable.

Despite this, I’m sure there will be opportunities to be creative in the reuse of materials. If your school/organisation would like to get involved in the Crisp Packet Project to support local homeless people, details can be found on their website.

Brian is a fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, as well as the Chartered Institution of Wastes Management, Chartered Environmentalist, and is recognised by the International Solid Waste Association as an International Waste Manager.

• The views expressed by columnists of this newspaper do not necessarily reflect the views of the Glamorgan Star, its employees or its proprietors.