Single use plastics should be reduced to make managing crops more sustainable. This according to agronomist Mike Stoker, from biostimulants specialist Orion Future Technologies, is possible using a new bag in a box solution.

“The price of plastic has risen by more than 40 percent since the Iran/Israel conflict broke out in February. As a UK manufacturer of biostimulants, Orion has seen this as an opportunity to manage our cost of production and protect our customers by reducing the plastic needed to package our biostimulant products,” he says.

“The bag in a box reduces plastic use by 63 percent, which will help us to keep prices down and has knock-on benefits including reduced storage and transport costs which further brings down the carbon footprint of our products,” he adds.

Akin to the packaging used for products like wine, the bag in box also reduces the amount of air that flows back into the contents of the bag, giving the product a longer shelf life compared to when it was packed in hard plastics. It empties quickly, without ‘glugging’, and the design prevents air going back into the pack.

“For growers, the bag in a box is easier and cheaper to recycle and dispose of. It takes up less space and will also appeal to buying groups looking to promote sustainable credentials. The plastic bladder can be extracted, triple rinsed and recycled along with the cardboard outer box,” he says.

The Chartered Institute of Waste Management states that, “Around 135,500 tonnes of agricultural plastic waste is produced each year in the UK,” and Defra suggests that only 20-30 percent is turned into new products.

“As a manufacturer of plant nutrition products, we have targeted more sustainable packaging as part of our overall desire to reduce unsustainable plastic consumption. While the bag in a box still uses plastic, it is a fraction of what has been used in the past and we see it as a big step in the right direction,” concludes Mr Stoker.