Some might think I am a bit sad, but I read ALL the customer feedback we get via our enquiry and Ekomi review system. There are several key themes of feedback, but there is one niggling subject that seems to divide people equally – “my order was over packed – why do you use so much packaging?” and “my order arrived damaged – why don’t you use more packaging?” We therefore spend a lot of time testing new packaging materials with the aim of reducing the amount we use while seeking to get every order delivered complete and undamaged.
So we’ve been on the hunt for greener packaging alternatives that are resilient enough to make sure your order arrives in one piece. And we have found some great products that fit the bill.
Firstly, over the last year, we have moved to stronger but lighter boxes that provide better protection for your products whilst reducing the weight of cardboard being used. (In fact if whole the whole UK packaging industry followed suit, carbon emissions related to packaging transportation would be reduced by over 30% overnight!)
Secondly, we have switched over to even greener packing materials:
green bubble mailer – the outer paper is recycled and all the elements are either recyclable or degradable
green bubble wrap – this is made from a significant proportion of recycled materials and is also recyclable in many areas
green void fill – this is an inflated cellophane sack that is made from recycled bottles and is recyclable and protects your products in transit.
The last one is particular favourite as it’s called Cell-O Green and is just character different from Cee Lo Green – the US rapper who won best international male artist at the Brits this year. Although he doesn’t know, Cee Lo Green is the star of choice when it comes to packing your parcels efficiently and ecologically. Cee Lo Green may sing about “forgetting you”, but we reckon that Cell-O Green will help make sure you know we’ve not forgotten you or our duty of care for the environment when it comes to getting your order in the best possible shape.
We’d love to know what you think of the innovative steps we’re taking to reduce our environmental footprint while better protecting your precious parcels, and we’d be delighted if you let us know how we could do better – just drop us a comment below!
Here at the Ethical Superstore offices we always try to think eco. Our light bulbs are all energy saving, our staff kitchen boasts an Eco Kettle, and we recycle all of the paper and card that we can get our hands on.
Back in January our Managing Director Andy wrote a blog “Our 2009 pledge to you” and asked for your feedback and comments. We were really pleased by the number of you who took the time to write in and leave some great feedback and ideas. Thanks!
From your responses it became clear that packaging was an issue close to many of your hearts. Unfortunately a great deal of packaging often just goes straight to landfill, so in the belief that through small changes each of us can make a big difference, I decided to review our current packaging and find greener, more eco-friendly alternatives.
One of the main bones of contention mentioned by many of you was our use of bubble wrap. As an ethical company, bubble wrap is a great source of conflict as it unfortunately isn’t green (eco-friendly I mean!). It is annoyingly necessary to protect glass and fragile items with bubble wrap but the plastic nature of the product means it creates waste that fills up landfills and takes many years to biodegrade. This was the first item that I wanted to change and I was so pleased to find a wonderful new green alternative to this conundrum – biodegradle bubble wrap. GeoBubble has the same benefits as traditional bubble wrap – protecting orders from damage while in transit but, what is so fantastic is it will safely dissolve naturally into the environment. And it is a lovely green colour too!
Another element we wanted to change was the way that we pack our bottles. Fragile products need extra protection, but frankly our old cardboard bottle holders required a degree in advanced origami to assemble! Our new wine bottle holders are now made from reconstituted paper and are pretty robust as this video demonstrates. They’re made from 100% recycled materials and are 100% recyclable too, helping to minimise the amount of rubbish that gets sent to landfill. It makes a great excuse to buy one of our fab ethical wines!
All of the paper that we use to pack our boxes and protect your orders during transit is recycled, and with no waxy lining you can recycle this paper all over again, not to mention the fact that it’s compostable too. Another eco-friendly packaging favourite is Eco-Flo packing, which looks and functions like polyestyrene, but biodegrades exceptionally quickly (check out our video clip in The Great Packaging Debate blog post).
As often as we can we reuse old boxes which means your package sometimes doesn’t look as pretty as it could, but the ecological benefits defiantly outweigh the negatives. If we can’t find a box to reuse, we use new boxes which are specially manufactured without wax, so can therefore either be recycled or you can use them to build a fort/time machine in your living room!
We hope you’ll agree that we’re heading in the right direction with our packaging and practices, but we are always on the lookout for new inspiration so if you have any ideas we would love to hear from you.
Whilst self-destruction is at the beating heart of rock n roll, planetary destruction is seemingly off the agenda nowadays, with more and more musicians and bands jumping on the biofuel powered eco-bandwagon, and doing their bit for Mother Earth. Cynics might claim that it’s just another ploy to raise profiles in an increasingly tough business, but whatever the motivation, the message is certainly getting through.
1. Pearl Jam
In terms of putting their money where their collective mouths are, few bands come close to the eco-awareness of Pearl Jam. In gifting $100,000 to various eco projects during a recent world tour, it was more than a donation, it was a call to arms. The activism section on Pearljam.com makes for great reading, and offers an insight into the lengths the band will go to in order to ensure their impact on the planet is kept to a minimum.
2. Radiohead
When Radiohead recently snubbed Glastonbury, it wasn’t because of the mud, the distinct lack of sanitary toilets, or a sudden dislike for Indonesian nose harpists. Nothing so trivial would keep Thom ‘Smiler’ Yorke and his merry band of men away. ‘Glastonbury’s spiritual houseband’, as the 2003 programme called them, disappointed legions of fans for one reason, and one reason alone – the lack of a green transport system to the site. The message was clear – the biggest greenfield festival in the world just isn’t green enough.
The founder, designer and director of Fifi Bijoux, Vivien Johnston, is a leading light in the world of ethical jewellery production – she believes in setting a gold standard through her choice of Fairly Trading suppliers and the eco-friendly and sustainable manner of production. What’s all the more significant is that she’s been creating such a stir that in recent months she’s been invited to speak with and spread her wisdom to some of the biggest names in the gold and diamond mining industry. Fifi Bijoux is working on getting the word out on ethical jewellery production; how it should be done and the undeniably beneficial consequences. In this post Vivien writes about her experiences during 2008 and what’s been happening in the world of ethical jewellery.
“This New Year, my resolution is to find those little spaces in the hectic pace of life. Those moments when you feel nothing but sheer delight and catch precious times with friends from afar or family you wish you could see more of.”
It’s getting towards that time of year…with only four weekends left until Christmas the shops are rammed, and everyone around me seems to be at least halfway through their Christmas shopping whereas I have hardly even begun.
A rising onset of panic has prompted my quest for the ultimate Christmas gift – something that will give rise to the appropriate ‘ooohs’ and ‘ahhhs’ upon being opened, but something that is more than a disposable knickknack or curiosity. I’m looking for something that with ethics and a story but which won’t break the bank, and of course has that extra bit of wow factor.
It was with these thoughts in mind that I came across The Leaky Collection, a fabulous little range of jewellery with an interesting story, making it much more than what meets the eye. The collection features some really lovely wooden bracelets and necklaces which won’t fail to be a hit, but the real winner come in the form of the Zulu Grass strands – colourful and versatile jewellery which is ethical and ecologically sound to boot.
The night before our fortnightly recycling day in my household is a stressful and often unpopular task, with all the washing, compacting and sorting involved. The council provides us with one small black box in which to squeeze our recycled rubbish and if this isn’t frustrating enough they won’t take my cardboard or plastic bags which means I have to get in the car and take it to our local recycling centre; I sometimes feel like giving up on this recycling habit.
Move over environmentally unsound polyethylene carrier bags and ‘I am Not a Plastic bag’ eat your heart out – although designer reusable totes are eco-friendly and very chic indeed, there’s a new fad on the scene, and it’s known as guerrilla bagging.
The people involved in this eco-crusade are using the most peaceful and productive guerrilla tactics around to take matters of excess plastic bag waste into their own hands. No longer content to sit back and watch careless rubbish disposal destruction wreak havoc on our environment, the Morsbags team aims to eradicate the modern shoppers’ perceived need for disposable plastic carriers through the power of handmade cotton bags.
Morsbags consists of a network of socially minded people who form into groups known as ‘pods’. They get together as and when they can, and sew together old and unused pieces of material such as curtains and duvet covers, creating reusable bags which they then distribute guerrilla-style to those who don’t even necessarily know that they are in need.
I posted my vote for you October 25, as one of more than a million Americans living abroad who voted in the Presidential election decided today in the early hours of the morning.Congratulations, we won!At my election party in Newcastle-upon-tyne, England, you had the united support of my British colleagues and my partner from Indiana, who also voted for you.
By any definition it was a record voter turnout, but an even bigger turnout could be counted at the parties and public gatherings like mine around the world, where the not-so-silent majority were rooting for you.True, you’ve won the vote of Americans, but the real landslide is that the world has voted for you.This is perhaps no more apparent than in the impoverished country of Kenya, where your relatives and supporters danced in the street to celebrate your victory – Kenya has even declared a national holiday in your honour.
People around the world feel you are part of them in some way be it a multiracial, multiethnic, or multinational dimension.Please make the most of the hopes and dreams of all of us who have voted for you and lead as President with the world’s collective interests in mind. For starters, America’s economy needs saving, but please don’t forget the critical need to expand Fair Trade with the poorest countries, including paying it forward to those same Kenyans who celebrate you.And you must challenge the world to end war, perhaps you could substitute a global green revolution in its place – I wouldn’t mind if we were all fighting for a more sustainable world.
Please do your best to make the dream a reality. We’re here to help.
Green news we loved: In case you missed them first time around, here’s our September round up of the most talked about, most innovative solutions or simply the most spectacular green news to hit the headlines.
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