An idea for UK supermarkets : This SA ‘plastic’ bag can be used as compost in your garden

• Pick n Pay SA  has introduced compostable supermarket bags on Tuesday.
• The bags are made of vegetable matter such as maize and potato starch.
• It takes between three to six months to decompose, compared to 500 to a thousand years for a typical plastic bag decompose. 
• Many thanks to Cheryl De Beyer for the tip off.

Pick n Pay have introduced South Africa’s first compostable supermarket bags at its V&A Waterfront store, Cape Towny. The bags will only be available on Tuesday (in celebration of International Plastic Bag Free Day), but a nationwide roll-out is planned.

The compostable bags are made of vegetable matter, such as maize and potato starch, and will break down after three to six months depending on conditions.

A typical plastic bag takes between 500 to a thousand years to decompose.

“It isn’t unheard of now for shoppers to prefer one supermarket brand over another, purely because they express a serious commitment to recycled content in packaging or encourage their shoppers to bring their bags every time they shop.”

READ: These shops won’t offer any plastic bags today

Pick n Pay’s director for transformation Suzanne Ackerman-Berman said the new bags are strong and can be reused – similar to normal plastic bags.

“The important difference is that these trial bags are also home compostable,”  Ackerman-Berman said.

“They are designed to collect organic waste, such as your kitchen scraps, and will compost with the organic waste in a home compost environment.”

She said the bags still need to be tested before Pick n Pay can introduce it nationwide.

“Currently, for example, there are no integrated large-scale composting facilities available.”