Every day, up to 80% of consumers forget to reuse plastic shopping bags, content that they are still
\ndoing their bit for the environment because of the many half truths circulated about plastic recycling. At
\nthe end of the day, whether a bag is made from a discarded PET cooldrink bottle or fabric woven from
\nplastic polymers, the result is still the same. Consumers are left to pick up the tab whilst the
\nenvironment ultimately pays the price.
\nDaniel and Declan Cherry, directors of Traderbag which supplies customized sustainable paper
\nshopping bags, note that almost all single use plastic bags are labelled as both recycled and recyclable.
\n\u201cThen, in small writing, it says the conditions have to be right. No one really knows what those
\nconditions are. We are actually printing our excuses on to our packets and stretching the truth.\u201d
\nThey believe that recycling simply delays rather than halts the damage. It is what is done with plastic
\ncarrier bags after they leave the till point that makes the difference.
\nAlthough South African legislation remains in limbo and most hurried shoppers continue to fork out for
\nso-called recycled plastic, more than 100 countries \u2013 including 34 African countries \u2013 have completely
\nbanned the use of single use shopping bags.
\nThe Cherrys note that, while the South African government makes up its mind, retailers can make a
\ndifference by giving their customers choices. The price difference between plastic and paper is small
\nand closing. Simply removing all plastic from stores and forcing forgetful shoppers to pay a premium for
\nplastic based fabric bags is not a solution.
\nA trial conducted by Traderbag together with a discount fashion retailer showed that even lower LSM
\nshoppers would pay a little extra for a paper alternative. The experimental bags sold out in a few days
\nand this chain is now supplying them.
\nAn entrepreneurial opportunity
\nAs Generation Z entrepreneurs, Daniel and Declan Cherry do business differently. Researchers tell us
\nthat this generation is the most environmentally conscious in terms of values, advocacy, and integration
\nof sustainability into consumer habits.
\nNot only does Traderbag make it viable for both retailers and consumers to switch out plastic for paper
\nbut offer solutions that synchronise perfectly with business processes and enhance brand messaging.
\nDaniel Cherry founded Traderbag about two years ago. He worked for his father\u2019s business which
\nsupplies paper-based swing tags for garments to more than 85% of South Africa\u2019s fashion retailers.<\/p>\n
2<\/p>\n
\u201cYou could see the shift slowly emerging. A few retailers started asking about paper bags. As more
\nstarted asking, I realised that this was a massive opportunity and a good time to get into the market.
\nThen I started doing research on the side effects of plastic!\u201d
\nDeclan Cherry returned home from Europe to help grow the company.
\nBecause the use of plastic bags is so pervasive in South Africa, capacity to provide the volumes
\nneeded for large chains to immediately switch did not exist when Traderbag started out. Some chains
\ncan use up to 50 million shopping bags per month with South Africa\u2019s largest supermarket chain having
\nsold at least 645 million recyclable plastic bags in 2019 alone.\u00b9 These figures will have increased
\nsubstantially.
\nTraderbag worked closely with two Johannesburg suppliers and one Durban supplier to bring in
\nmachinery to make customized paper bags for its clients.
\nAs Daniel Cherry explains, the entire supply chain is South African. The bags are all sustainably
\nsourced and made locally. Paper is FSC approved\u00b2 and the ink is water based so all products are fully
\nrecyclable.
\nA successful paper trail
\nThe Traderbag trailblazers have already signed up the country\u2019s largest apparel retailer which has now
\ncompletely replaced plastic with paper in its stores. They are adding more and more fashion retailers to
\ntheir client list and firmly believe that the apparel sector will lead the changeover.
\nThey are also investigating replacing plastic wrappings that protect garments en route to stores with
\npaper-based alternatives.
\nAccording to Plastics SA, the umbrella body representing the plastics industry, South Africa is the
\nlargest plastics producer in Sub-Saharan Africa. The packaging sector is responsible for 49.4% of all
\nplastic consumption.\u00b3
\nHowever, just 14% of single-use shopping bags are recycled as the process is both difficult and costly.
\nThin plastic bags require specialized facilities. They often become entangled in sorting equipment or
\ncannot be used when contaminated by food and liquid residues.
\n\u201cPaper is the most recycled material in the world. Paper bags can be recycled up to nine times, while
\nplastic can only be recycled three to four times. With paper, the fibres eventually get shorter and don't
\ncombine. But that is biodegradable and can be composted, benefitting the environment. Plastic bags
\ndegenerate into micro plastics that continue to exist for hundreds of years. They are consumed by
\nmarine animals and continue to contaminate land and water,\u201d says Declan Cherry.
\nCaption:<\/p>\n
3<\/p>\n
Pictured left is Declan Cherry and right Daniel Cherry of Traderbag, the Durban company that has
\nlaunched sustainable paper carrier bags to the retail market.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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