SCG’s Delayed Biodegradable Products project visits Sirane

As part of their Innovate UK project work, SCG visited Sirane Ltd in Telford to see their fantastic Earthboard Tree Shelter range in action.

Sirane’s Director of Board Products UK and Global – Ross Griffin, gave us a tour of the production facilities and trial sites to pressure test our new DBP Certification scheme’s applicability in the real world.  Passionate about the need for trees and sustainability, Ross has been instrumental in the design and development of the products, using vast his experience in manufacturing plastic-free food packaging.

As a result, the tree shelters are made from a special water-proof cardboard which is 100% recyclable, and 100% biodegradable. An additional water-based coating as added protection and are PLA free. 

Ross demonstrated the trials being carried out at their production site and at a local farm. We saw how the product had been developed over time, with the result being structurally sound tree shelters after 3 years that show signs of starting to biodegrade.

SCG’s work within the Innovate UK Project is to create a Delayed Biodegradable Product Certification scheme.

Delayed biodegradation can be a valuable solution for the millions of trees planned for planting over the next few years. Young trees are susceptible to damage from dear, rabbits and voles. Where plastic tree shelters are not effectively managed (collected, reused and recycled) they can damage tree growth and ultimately become terrestrial and marine pollution. Creating tree shelters that last long enough for trees to grow to a robust size, and then biodegrade, provides an alternative to the plastic shelters generally used in highly managed commercial forestry.  

Thanks to Ross and Sirane, SCG now have a greater insight into the production and performance of these products, and are shaping our certification scheme armed with this knowledge.