Page 6 - BOSS Today Issue 43

BOSS Today #43 NEWS

CHARTING THE SINGLES

BOSS Today talks to Martin Eames (Director, Product Promotional Services) about BOSS’s latest environmental initiative.

Q: You recently volunteered to be the n Lobbying to influence both items that are
Chair of BOSS’s latest special interest legislation and the industry as a intended to be
group on Single Use Plastic Packaging. whole, and publicising the positive used only once for
How and why did this group start? developments within the industry. a short period of
ME: Phil Lawson was approached by time (ie a week)
several interested parties who felt Q: What do the makers of plastic and before they are
BOSS could help in this area. One of packaging think about all of this? thrown away. This
Commercial’s large customers had ME: We are not anti-plastic and part of our includes those that can be recycled
started talks with them about how remit is to argue the case for where (eg petroleum-based plastics,
they might work together to eliminate plastics are necessary to protect the food packaging and containers,
unnecessary single use plastic from product and/or lengthen their use. disposable items and materials
their supply chain for office products, However, we are also interested in used for temporary branding and
and this triggered interest from their seeing where alternatives can be marketing use), unless there is a legal
dealer group, wholesaler and other successfully introduced and are very and/or health and safety issue where
suppliers. We also had discussions with conscious that our customers will be single-use plastics are required (eg
Tony Bellis at 3M and Graham Craik pushing us to find more sustainable food gloves, food preservation, etc.).
on behalf of the Writing Instruments solutions, including more recycling. Bio-plastics are derived from biomass
Association, as they both felt that the Ultimately, BOSS is not the arbiter and/or intended to biodegrade
‘Blue Planet’ effect would have far- of best practice on this issue: we over time; this is under specific
reaching implications on our industry. are just there to help facilitate and circumstances and therefore not
spread information and knowledge. considered as a solution.
Q: What happened next? Single-use plastics are not
ME: The two meetings we’ve had so far have Q: What else IS BOSS doing? products that have an end of use
been encouraging: a number of people ME: We are preparing a library of relevant value beyond the market recycling
from across the industry are already materials that members can access value (eg set-top boxes, mobiles,
involved, and we have decided that the and are also highlighting government etc). They are not packaging and
group’s terms of reference should be: consultation processes, such as the products that are designed to be
one on plastic packaging and tax (see used over a number of years and that
n Defining what the industry considers https://www.gov.uk/government/ can be repaired or dismantled and
single use plastic packaging to be. consultations/plastic-packaging-tax). industrially recycled.
n Providing education on We have been asked to help with the
information and issues relating measurement of the amount of change Q: How can people get involved?
to this area of public concern. of use of single use plastic packaging ME: All BOSS members are welcome
n Standardisation, where possible, to within our industry, while the BOSS to take part in our meetings, have
allow for common data gathering Synergy team will be including a flag access to all our documents and share
and reporting and liaising with within data collection and new product information about their company’s
the BOSS Synergy committee on data sheets to identify if a product plans. A number of companies are
what and how to record data. has ‘single use plastic packaging’. taking this issue very seriously and
n Improving the industry’s are planning some impactful changes.
performance on this issue Q: So, you have a definition of ‘single use plastics’?
by encouraging compliance ME: At present we are using this definition: To get more involved, email Philip Lawson
with agreed best practice. Single-use plastics are plastics on philip@bossfederation.co.uk

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