Sustainable packaging

So, we have just received our new 100% compostable mailer bags.

These tear resistant shipping bags are made out of 100% corn-based polymers. This means that they will easily compost on a home or industrial compost heap. This creates a circular economy where sustainable packaging materials can be disposed of responsibly by the recipient, without any harm being done to the environment.

What is the difference between biodegradable packaging and compostable packaging?

These phrases get used interchangeably, which makes things pretty confusing for those wanting to dispose of packaging responsibly! Here is a quick run-down:

While just about every packaging material is technically biodegradable, not everything is compostable. The term ‘biodegradable’ sets no limits on how long the process takes, or the environmental impact it has. Even a regular plastic poly mailer is biodegradable - but the process can take hundreds of years! Needless to say, this doesn’t constitute sustainable packaging.

Moreover, while everything will break down eventually, harmful residues can be released during the process. This is why plastic pollution is a two-fold issue. It already has an adverse impact on ecosystems as a form of litter. But as a petroleum-based material, chemicals will leach out of plastic as it biodegrades - which is bad news.

Compostable packaging differs in that it will break down into natural elements in a compost setting, usually at a much faster rate than ‘biodegradable’ products. To facilitate the composting process, certain steps need to be taken. i.e. Putting your compostable mailer on a home or industrial compost heap. Compostable packaging can only be certified if the process is completed within a reasonable timeframe. For example, to meet the standards for the leading industry certifiers (TUV Austria, BPI and Dincerto) packaging must break down within 90 days in an industrial composting facility, and in 180 days on a home compost - which our compostable mailers do!

Compostable packaging also counts as sustainable packaging because it releases no harmful residues as the materials break down. Our compostable mailers are made from organic composites, so they are ‘returned to the earth’ in the most eco friendly way possible!

The Facts about our packaging

All our ink is soy-based and our tissue is completely acid free and FSC Certified, providing you with a premium packaging solution without harming the environment.

-Soy ink is a kind of ink made from soybeans. As opposed to traditional petroleum-based ink, soy-based ink is more environmentally friendly, might provide more accurate colors, and makes it easier to recycle paper.

-'FSC' stands for Forest Stewardship Council, an organization that works to promote the practice of sustainable forestry worldwide. The Forest Stewardship Council ensures customers have the option to choose forest products like paper and wood that have been sourced in an environmentally-friendly, socially responsible and economically viable manner.

-Acid-free paper is paper that is infused in water yields a neutral or basic pH (7 or slightly greater). It is also lignin- and sulfur-free.

Moonchild Yoga Wear have joined the Eco Packaging Alliance. The Eco-Packaging Alliance is a great way to contribute to global reforestation, and show that we use eco-friendly packaging! For every order we make at the packaging manufacturer, we’ll plant trees for you in areas of need.