BSAC steps up on plastic waste - UPDATE

BSAC steps up on plastic waste - UPDATE on the new 100% biodegradable and home compostable SCUBA magazine wrap. SCUBA magazine’s postal packaging is changing, BSAC’s Chief Executive Mary Tetley explains why…

BSAC is acutely aware of members’ environmental concerns over the recyclable polythene wrapper used to package our SCUBA magazine. Although polythene can be recycled, many local authorities don’t offer to recycle of this material, and so many of these wrappers find their way into landfill.

Reducing plastic waste

After lots of research by our suppliers, they have now found a new 100% biodegradable and home compostable (bioplastic) wrapper option which we have switched to immediately to stop using plastic.

The new wrap is 100% biodegradable and home compostable. 

The new Bioplastic wrapper can be disposed of in your home compost, council food waste or garden compost waste bins and is completely compostable. All local councils have different recycling policies so please check the services in your area. Bioplastic takes up to 180 days to degrade.

Switching to no wrapper at all

It goes without saying that no wrapper at all is better for the environment, as even bioplastic takes up to 180 days to degrade. With this in mind, from August 2018, we will be sending out SCUBA magazine with an address label on the back cover and no protective packaging.

We appreciate that some magazines could arrive a little damaged in the post, but we hope that you will accept that this is a small price to pay for protecting the environment and reducing plastic waste.

If you wish you can ‘opt in’ to continue to receive your magazine delivered in the new bioplastic wrapper, which started for May 2018 deliveries, then you can do so by following the instructions below to 'opt in' to bioplastic.  

We have worked with SCUBA’s publishers TRMG to explore our options, but finding the right solution has not been so straightforward. For example, the first potato starch alternative we looked at was only compostable and not recyclable. What has become clear is that the perfect environmentally-friendly protective wrapper for SCUBA is not yet on the market for the volume of magazines we mail each month but bioplastic is a great start. 

SCUBA magazine loses plastic wrapper

From August 2018, the copy of SCUBA magazine all UK* BSAC members receive will be sent without any packaging.

BSAC members will be emailed individually about this change to the SCUBA magazine wrapper.

This shouldn’t impact on your reading enjoyment however if you would like to retain a wrapper for your monthly issue of SCUBA, you will need to 'opt-in'. 

To receive your magazine in a bioplastic wrapper, then you can do so by “opting in” to bioplastic via your 'My preferences' section in your MyBSAC account. This is what the screen will look like:

You will need your login details or if you have not yet logged in, register first. 

Alternatively, SCUBA magazine is also available in a digital version (iSCUBA). You can choose to receive your copy of SCUBA magazine digitally by selecting ‘iSCUBA’ on the same page.

If you don’t opt to get either iSCUBA or SCUBA in a bioplastic wrapper, you will automatically receive your magazine in the new 'no wrapper' postal format.

You can opt to change your SCUBA mailing preferences at any time.

*Overseas members will still be sent their magazine in a wrapper due to international postage. 

Please email Mary Tetley if you have any concerns or queries regarding the magazine wrapper.

Note: this post was updated on Wednesday 16 May 2018.