100% PLASTIC FREE
We’re really encouraged by the advances being made in biodegradable plastic packaging, but think there’s some way to go before we have effective recycling solutions that prevent it from still being part of the plastic pollution problem. Until then all our packaging will be paper.
We Have A Problem With Plastic
9 billion tons of plastic has been produced since 1950. Just 9% of it has been recycled, and 165 million tons has trashed our oceans – with 10 million more tons flooding in every year. And In landfill, it pollutes our environment with toxic chemicals, released during the 300+ years it takes to break down.
And Compostable Poly Bags?
Made from plant-derived bioplastics, biodegradable/compostable poly bags are definitely way better than fossil fuel-based plastic bags because, under the right conditions, they will safely biodegrade completely within 3-12mths. Yay, right?
Unfortunately, most of today’s bioplastics are only compostable if exposed to oxygen, light, and a lot of heat. Many home composting systems and wormeries just don’t get hot enough, so bioplastics can take several years to break down.
And very few curbside recycling services offer industrial composting, so most eco-friendly bags just end up in landfill where they break down incredibly slowly. Also, if starved of oxygen under a pile of rubbish, the bio-polymer can produce methane – a greenhouse gas more dangerous to the environment than carbon dioxide.
Even loose eco-plastic bags can blow away, end up in our rivers and streams, and make their way to the ocean. And bioplastic doesn’t break down in marine environments – AT ALL.
In fact, eco-bags behave exactly the same in water as regular plastic bags. And bags floating in the ocean look like delicious jellyfish to turtles, other marine life, and birds, posing a potentially mortal threat.
Paper, it’s a Wrap!
Ok, we admit an enormous amount of energy is needed to create wood pulp from trees and roll it into sheets. And under the worst landfill conditions, even cardboard can generate greenhouse gases. But it still only takes 2-3mths to bio-degrade, it breaks down in water, is less hazardous if ingested by animals, and is more likely to be reused than plastic when properly recycled.
So we decided to partner with the two greenest, plastic-free packaging suppliers in the UK, who only use recycled or FSC certified mixed stock paper and card, saving huge amounts of energy and carbon footprint.
Our tissue paper is made from 99% recycled pulp, it is coloured with environmentally friendly water-based dyes, is vegan-friendly, PH neutral, and 35% of the reduced energy needed to produce it is from renewable sources.
We never say never, and continue to look into even more sustainable packaging options, but in the meantime, we encourage you to reuse our plastic-free packaging or recycle it responsibly.
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