Buyers of plastic bin liners can now look for the CHSA Accreditation Scheme logo to be certain ‘what’s on the box is what’s in the box’. The Accreditation Scheme for Plastic Refuse Sacks has been expanded to include these products.
Mike Stubbs, Chairman of the Panel governing the CHSA Accreditation Scheme for Plastic Refuse Sacks, said: “With members of the Accreditation Scheme consistently delivering near perfect conformance on label compliance and performance, the time was right to include a wider range of products in the Scheme for Plastic Refuse Sacks.
“Bin liners, bought in huge number, were the natural addition. With the reassurance of the CHSA Accreditation Scheme marque on the packaging of products manufactured by Scheme members, buyers of these products can now be certain they are getting what they pay for.”
In line with the existing audits of plastic refuse sacks, conducted at least twice a year by the Independent Inspector, the quantity and dimensional compliance of bin liners are now being checked, guaranteeing the number and dimensions specified on the labels match the content of the box. The Inspector also makes sure every batch is traceable to the manufacturer.
Plastic refuse sacks are also audited for performance with a greater focus on fitness for purpose. The Accreditation Scheme defines the meaning of light, medium, heavy and extra heavy duty in terms of weight. The bags are tested using the British Standards Institute’s Butt End Drop Test; they are filled with specified ballast to the specified weight and butt dropped a specified height of 1.5 metres and then checked for splits. Only bags that pass this test and whose label carries the CHSA dumbbell logo can claim this performance criteria.
During 2017, over 450 products covered by the CHSA Accreditation Scheme for Plastic Refuse Sacks were audited for label compliance, conformance being over 98 per cent. Over 1,000 sacks were also tested to establish if they are fit-for-purpose.