Cleanzine: your weekly cleaning and hygiene industry newsletter 18th April 2024 Issue no. 1110
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No guarantee with a 'brown box'
The Cleaning & Hygiene Suppliers Association's is warning buyers that a box without a Manufacturing Standards Accreditation Scheme marque means there's no guarantee of what's inside the box.
"Buyers who make assumptions about the quality of the plastic sacks they purchase are taking a big risk," explains Mike Stubbs, chairman of the Manufacturing Standards Accreditation Scheme for Plastic Refuse Sacks.
"Unbranded 'brown boxes' come with no guarantee, whoever the manufacturer might be. The order may be for medium or heavy duty plastic sacks but with 'brown box' products these 'fit for purpose' specifications are meaningless; they have no common definition.
"In contrast, plastic sacks with the Accreditation Scheme Marque are manufactured to a clear, defined specification and are tested against that specification to make sure they are 'fit for purpose'."
The CHSA's Independent Inspector audits the products within the Scheme using the British Standards Institute's Drop Test, during which the sack is filled to a pre-defined weight then dropped a specific height and assessed. Ten sacks are tested in this way and only if the batch passes is it marked suitable for the 'duty' category in question.
The labels are also reviewed to ensure there is full traceability to manufacturer and batch.
The Manufacturing Standards Accreditation Scheme for Plastic Refuse Sacks guarantees three things:
- Consistency of supply: customers receive what they order;
- Accurate labelling: customers know what they are paying for;
- Fully audited manufacturers: our standards, your guarantee.
7th January 2016