Blog

Background

Consumers are becoming increasingly concerned with the environmental impact of the products and services they use, and so there is great demand for products which purport to minimise harm to, or benefit, the environment. This focus on sustainability has led to the proliferation of products with various green claims, however, many of which may mislead consumers and/or exaggerate any environmental benefits. Biodegradation-promoting additives (also referred to as enzyme-mediated biodegradable additives) are claimed to make conventional (typically derived from fossil fuels and non-biodegradable) polymers (such as nitrile) attractive to microorganisms and therefore biodegradable (in landfill conditions) when incorporated with the polymer, thus proposing an end of life solution for non-recyclable polymers (including nitrile gloves). The exact mechanism by which these additives supposedly function is yet to be explained or proven in any publicly available peer-reviewed scientific study

At Polyco Healthline, we understand the need to reduce our waste as much as possible to support our sustainability goals, as recently outlined in our #phAMBITION project. We have set ourselves targets to reach by 2030 to address the key sustainability impacts and opportunities throughout our value chain.

#phAMBITION is Polyco Healthline's new sustainability programme. It aims to build upon our sustainability successes so far and set new targets and goals whilst unlocking the power of change. Our programme is aimed at addressing the social and environmental challenges of the next decade with commitments to improve the lives and wellbeing of our people with the smallest environmental footprint.

We have been identifying the areas where we need to make the most changes to reduce our CO2 footprint. Our pursuit of Zero Waste, Say 'No' to plastics and Energy efficiency stems from this. Our strategy is focused on addressing key sustainability impacts and opportunities throughout our value chain.

The environment is very much in focus in recent times, and many businesses are looking for ways to reduce the environmental impact of their products and packaging. More and more plastic and polymer products labelled as 'biodegradable' or 'compostable' are coming to market, and they are often presented as an environmentally friendly alternative to conventional oil-derived polymers. This blog will investigate the key differences between biodegradable and compostable products and consider situations where they may or may not represent a beneficial alternative to conventional polymers.

What are biodegradable materials and how are they certified?

Biodegradation is the process of decomposition of organic materials by microorganisms, such as bacteria and fungi.

Biodegradation may be aerobic (with available oxygen, e.g., composting), or anaerobic (with no/limited available oxygen, e.g., landfill). By-products include carbon dioxide, methane (in anaerobic conditions), water, and biomass (or compost).

In April 2022, a new tax on plastic packaging will be introduced in the UK.With just over a month to go until the Plastic Packaging Tax comes into effect, we have summarised the changes that are affecting our products and the wider industry. At Polyco Healthline we are ensuring our customers don’t have to directly make any changes to their business but we want to make customers aware of the impacts of the new tax.

What is the Plastic Packaging Tax?

From 1st April 2022, a new tax will be introduced in the UK to encourage greater use of recycled plastic and to help tackle plastic packaging waste. The tax will apply at a rate of £200 per tonne of plastic packaging manufactured or imported into the UK, containing less than 30% recycled plastic.

Who will be affected by the new Plastic Packaging Tax?

It is estimated that 20,000 producers and importers will be affected across a wide range of industries. As a major manufacturer and importer of plastic, at Polyco Healthline we have been

The global Covid-19 pandemic has accelerated innovations and brought opportunities for product enhancements.

Polyco Healthline teamed up with industry experts to develop a range of gloves treated with SilverClear® antimicrobial and antiviral additive. The additive inhibits microbial activity improving the hygiene of the products.

Based on a revolutionary "Silver Technology", SliverClear® is ecological and will not affect the feel of the material in any way. Safe and non-toxic, SliverClear® is widely used in advanced wound care.

Microbes can infect people when they touch their face, and the most common ways a glove user will touch their face is when they wipe sweat away with the fabric back of the glove or remove the gloves to touch their face with their bare hand. Our SilverClear® Glove Range will provide some protection in both instances.

Stock of our SilverClear® Glove Range is now available.

Click or scan the QR code to download further information on our SilverClear® Range.

Here, at Polyco Healthline, we are well aware of the constraints your business may be facing and have been working hard over the last few months to develop the next generation in hand assessment surveys.

We are pleased to launch our newly developed HPAS Online solution that will help you visualise what a safe workplace can look like. Within the safety of your own workspace and with no physical presence from one of our experts, we can now virtually guide you through a detailed Hand Protection Assessment Survey.

As the country adapts to the "New Normal", businesses try to find new ways of operating safely around current local and national restrictions.

As businesses started to reopen a few weeks back, you may have been scheduled for a PPE review or you simply needed to reappraise your PPE best practices.

Disruptions in supplies may also mean that you had to source alternative PPE or you simply have experienced a near-miss incident that needs urgent review.

A Hand Protection Assessment Survey

Plastic straws, stirrers and cotton buds are banned in England from today.

The legislation should have come into force in April but was put back because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Following the success of the ban on microbeads and the 5p charge on single-use plastic bags, the proposal to increase the ban to additional single use plastic everyday items such as straws, cotton buds and stirrers was fairly straight forward and due to be effective early 2020.

April had been the original deadline for the new legislation but, coming in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic and given its impact on supply chains, the government decided to postpone the ban until now.

From today however, it is now illegal in almost all circumstances for businesses to give them out to customers.

The ban on straws, stirrers and cotton buds is just the next step in the battle against plastic pollution and pledges to protect our ocean and the environment for future generations.

According to statistics it is estimated that

The global Covid-19 pandemic has accelerated innovations and brought opportunities for product enhancements.

Polyco Heallthline teamed up with industry experts to develop a range of gloves treated with Sanitized AG antimicrobial additive. The additive inhibits microbial activity improving the hygiene of the products.

The Sanitized® hygiene treatment protects the gloves from microbial growth, odours and provides long lasting material protection.

Microbes can infect people when they touch their face, and the most common ways a glove user will touch their face is when they wipe sweat away with the fabric back of the glove or remove the gloves to touch their face with their bare hand. Our Sanitized® Glove Range will provide some protection in both instances.

Furthermore, viruses need a living host; by inhibiting the amount of bacteria on the glove surface, the chance of reproduction of viruses on a glove surface is then significantly reduced.

Stock of our Sanitized® Glove Range is now available.

Did you know that UK motorists alone, consume around 100 million plastic tubs of screenwash each year? That is nearly two million plastic tubs sold per week.

These tubs eventually end up in landfill or unfortunately can make their way into our oceans.

An increased concern over plastic pollution in recent years has seen a growing demand for change. This, in turn, is generating a major drive in the industry to find innovative ways to deal with plastic waste.

Many manufacturers are rethinking the way they package products, driving them to redesign or invent new ways of producing everyday items.

Polyco Healthline is no different, we are hard at work finding new solutions to fight plastic pollution. Thats why we are launching the PH Screenwash Tablet to support our Automotive and Retail sectors.