home compostable, zero waste & plastic free
our packaging
Mailer Bags
To keep our garments safe and dry, and to protect them during transit, I use The Better Packaging Co.'s comPOST packs. I have two sizes of their Black 'Dirt Bags', one for accessories and one for clothing. These behave just like plastic mailer bags, however when placed in your home compost they will biodegrade within 3-6 months, leaving no trace or toxins. They are made from corn and a man-made binding agent added for flexibility.
Business Cards
Initially I chose to combine both our business and thank you cards, to create just one item to pop inside our parcels, that said thanks whilst also reminding our customers of our links. For this we chose to go with Moo's cotton business cards which are made from 100% recycled T-shirt off cuts. Making them tree-free and compostable. They are also already bright white, with a subtle texture and nice crisp feel, which work perfect for our design.
Postcards
Once I ran out of our initial cards, I chose to upgrade them to be more informative and interactive. Unfortunately Moo don't do any other sizes of their cotton cards, so I chose to go with standard recycled card, that is compostable and recyclable. For the front of these we collaborated with vegan artivist @jessicajaneillustrations, who drew in her own style an image of our founder Elle. On the back we upgraded our thank you section and also included a small bio about our brand.
Sunflower Seeds
As a treat to say thank you for choosing to shop eco-consciously and support my small sustainable brand, I wanted to give something back. Something that didn't cost the earth, was plastic free and vegan. Each year I plant sunflower seeds in my garden using last years crop and I love watching them grow, their big yellow heads bring me so much joy and an abundance of seeds. By gifting a few seeds to each customer, I not only get to spread a beautiful yellow crop all over the uk, but it also allows people the chance to reconnect with nature and nurture something beautiful themselves. They can be grown in the garden or a pot and are very hardy, making them great for everyone in any living situation.
Pencils
To write my thank you notes I use a pencil, this is to allow me rub away spelling mistakes and not waste a card. It also make them non toxic and compostable. Pencil sharpenings can be also be composted in small amount, creating zero waste. I'm currently using pencils I already own, but when I need some new ones I shall invest in these recycled newspaper pencils.
Mailer Bag Pens
To write the address on my compostable mailer bags, I use a Posca Paint Marker in white. Unfortunately these are plastic, however I hope to soon move to compostable labels printed with a laser.
Cardboard Boxs
I decide to source some small parcel boxes for large orders and for a gift wrapping option. I chose to go with Eco-Craft as they are a uk based family run business who offer high quality recycled products that are plastic free, locally sourced and powered by renewable energy. The boxes I chose are made form approximately 95% recycled post consumer waste. Their hairy manilla effect is made from low grade post consumer waste which is the greenest as it is not dyed or bleached using any chlorine. They are recyclable & compostable.
Stickers
I wanted to include some embellishment onto my gift boxes, to make them more personal and aesthetic. So I designed some stickers that would not only have our logo on, but a nice message 'a gift just for you', plus a 'I'm compostable' message onto to indicate to customers that they can compost me. It also has a duel purpose, as I chose long stickers that I could wrap around the box and seal it. I chose to go with 100% recycled consumer waste paper stickers, printed with vegan ink and that could be composted or recycled.
Paper Tape
I use tape to seal boxes and to move darts and repair patterns, so I chose to purchase some self adhesive paper parcel tape from Eco-Craft. It is made with renewable kraft paper and backed with a natural rubber adhesive base. It is water and solvent resistant, free from animal products, toxins and acid. It can be composted and recycled.
Pens
To write on our cardboard boxes I use pens I have found around my house, once these have ran out, I shall be investing in a refillable natural grass pen by a good com.
Paper Mailer Bags
After using the corn mailer bags for a while I have found some down sides to them, firstly they are super difficult to push through letter box as they aren't sturdy and just get awkwardly squeezed through. Also if people don't have access to a compost bin, these mailer bags aren't recyclable so might be thrown to landfill. Whereas a paper mailer bag can be composted or recycled. They are also apart of 1% for the planet.
All our packaging is home compostable,
with some also being recyclable,
creating zero waste for our customers
or the planet to deal with.