When we started our journey researching the world of packaging, we had one very simple goal:

"100% recyclable at home" 

This one simple goal was actually a lot harder than you think! In the UK, recycling is managed by our local councils and authorities. Meaning what you can recycle, how it's collected, and how it's recycled is different depending on where you live. If you check the labels on some plastics tubs or trays, you may find it says "Check Locally" for this reason.

We didn't want to produce a product that you had to send off to an industrial compost facility - which most 'compostable' packaging falls into. Nor did we want you to have to drop off your plastics at a location if your local council was unable to collect it within your home recycling. We wanted something that everyone could confidently recycle at home without any fuss.

Most plastic 'recyclable' coffee packaging in the UK is made from LDPE 4 (Low-density polyethylene). While some councils do accept cartons, lids and bottles made from LDPE 4, the majority don't accept plastic bags as these can 'jam recycling machinery'.

This is where paper comes in. It's recycled widely across the UK, and the majority of councils recycle paper. We found amazing award winning packaging that was plastic-free and paper based from Sirane Packaging in Telford. We honestly believe these are the most sustainable bags for coffee on the market currently.

• The majority of households are able to recycle our bags in the UK.
• They're made from a sustainable and renewable source.
• Endorsed by the UK Recycling Association
• Winner of the 2018 UK Packaging Awards ‘Resource Efficient Pack of the Year’
• Winner of the Green Apple Award for Environmental Best Practice
• Third place in the Sustainable Packagaging category at the Sustainable Food Awards

Our postal boxes and tape come from The Walsall Box Company just outside of Birmingham. These are FSC certified and made from recycled paper and cardboard material, as well as being recyclable themselves! Our tape is made from paper has a natural rubber adhesive.

The two main 2 boxes we use are designed to fit 1 or 2 bags of coffee (which is the majority of our orders). Keeping the footprint of our boxes low reduces the amount of material needed to ship your product, and also reduces our footprint during delivery - allowing more space on trucks and vans for other parcels!

Our boxes are designed to fit through most UK letterboxes, meaning your parcel isn't making a wasted journey just to be held back at the post office for you to drive and collect!

Our labels and cards are printed by the lovely folk at PRINT.WORK in Leeds. These are printed on recycled, and recyclable paper. The ink is non-toxic and partly made from organic biomass, contains no animal products and is food safe.

Our postal labels (the labels with your address) are from DYMO and are made from 80% recycled paper, FSC Certified and are recyclable too.

So if you order a bag of coffee from us - all you need to do after you finish your coffee is pop everything (and we mean everything!) into your paper and cardboard recycling bag/bin!

No wondering if you can really recycle this bag, no ripping plastic tape from boxes, no more reading cryptic recycling pages!

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Sources:

https://www.recyclenow.com/recycling-knowledge/packaging-symbols-explained

https://www.recyclenow.com/what-to-do-with/plastic-bottles-0

https://plasticwashing.co.uk/polyethylene-recycling/

https://www.sirane.com/en/product/earthpouch/