Plastic & Packaging
First things first, we are ANTI-PLASTIC. It baffles us to see bananas and apples in single-use plastic bags at the supermarket. It forces the customer to buy more than they need which increases the likelihood of food wastage. The build up of plastic in our oceans is devastating - it’s predicted that by 2050 there will be more plastic in the ocean than fish, yet still only 9% of plastic worldwide is actually recycled.
There is overuse, there is misuse, but plastic is also put to good use. From life saving medical equipment to car parts which make vehicles more fuel efficient, plastic does have a positive role to play, despite it’s poor reputation. Plastic is also used positively in the fruit & veg industry to help reduce food from decomposing before it reaches the dinner table.
With little other options available, plastic is used to sleeve delicate lettuce, protect squash-able tomatoes, and stop greens from wilting. We still work hard to use as little plastic as possible while ensuring you receive good quality produce. With that said, here are our plastic pledges:
We will avoid plastic where possible
If we can place it in the box loose, we’re going to! We have invested in good cardboard box packaging to help protect produce in transit so it doesn’t arrive pummelled.
As we buy produce directly from growers, and there is such a short amount of time between field and fridge, we will ask growers to send their produce to us without plastic packaging, knowing that it will still be fresh and having saved a plastic bag!
We’ll pack small things into paper bags.
Due to food standards, most pre-cut items (cut pumpkin’s) are usually wrapped in cellulose, or sometimes plastic. But when we can we pack things like sprouts, shrooms & stone fruit into the paper bags.
What is compostable cellulose? It is a substance from a plant's cell wall, this is extracted from renewable plant material to produce the cellulose film which is used to wrap the pre-cut veggies above.
We prioritise all food that is going to waste.
Sometimes produce may already be cut from the ground and wrapped in plastic (e.g. those items destined for the supermarkets). In this case, we figure it best to give it a home instead of both food and plastic ending up in landfill.
Careful Consideration
We will use plastic for items like delicate items like frilly lettuce, tomatoes and baby silverbeet to stop them from decomposing before reaching your fridge. All plastic is recyclable at soft plastic recycling stations! We promise to take time to carefully consider whether or not it's use is necessary.
Packaging Recycling Guide
