Tableware Sample Pack (plus £4.50 discount code) UK only.

Our food contact items are packed in a lightweight polythene/plastic wrapper which performs the function required to ensure the goods are hygienically protected in transit and, most importantly, are fit for food contact.

We keep all our packaging to the bare minimum required to ship them. For example, we ship our plates in case sizes of 100 – 1000 and inner packs of 25-50 to cut down on the use of packaging. Supermarkets will typically pack in packs of 8-10 plates.We have not yet found a suitable alternative to plastic or polyurethane for the hygienic shrink-wrap which protects our food contact products from moisture and bacteria.

We have explored the following options:

• Biodegradable starch-based substitutes in the past but they are very brittle and have no stretch capability so they crack and split during the movement in transit which means that the plates arrive with the hygienic seal compromised and are also not protected against any moisture in the air. Biodegradable plastic is made from the same materials as conventional petroleum-based plastics, but with different chemicals. These extra chemicals cause the plastic to break down more rapidly when exposed to air and light. Some biodegradable plastics fragment rather than biodegrade, due to the addition of oxidizing agents. By fragmenting, rather than degrading, they break into small pieces which can pollute soils. Biodegradable plastics are impossible to recover for recycling and aren’t suitable for composting.
• Card/paper-based packaging for the inner packs has been rejected as it does not adequately protect the products from moisture, neither does it maintain the integrity of the hygiene standards at the point of packing. It also increases the carbon footprint of the products as it increases the weight and size of the packs which reduces the quantity we can ship in a container. Transporting these items is a significant part of the carbon footprint.
• We have recently explored the potential of compostable film made from potato starch which is now being used by some publishing houses for magazine wraps. Unfortunately, this film has a short shelf life and will not withstand the humid conditions in countries such as India and China where we source most of our tableware.