when we started evolve, we searched high and low for the greenest packaging options.

 

refillable?

first we looked at refillable packaging, but it needed to be easy for customers to use, and needed not to risk products going mouldy in their packs so we had to abandon this idea for our main packs early on. however, we thought we might be able to offer refillable travel packaging one day.

 

biodegradable?

we then looked for the lowest impact packaging possible. we took inspiration from the book "crade to cradle" and tried to find packaging that was either entirely biodegradable or entirely recyclable. we found a biodegradable pouch but the technology had not advanced to a point that it was usable. it would be very likely to turn into mush within a 6-12 month period, or damage the products inside.

 

recyclable

we finally decided to use recyclable packaging made from 1 material, plastic. plastic is very light, and easy to transport. the plastics we use, HDPE, PET and PP are all fully recyclable and are also very inert meaning that they don't contaminate products. Not all local authorities will accept PP packaging, which we use for our lids and pumps, so this must be separated from the bottles. 80-90% of our packaging can be recycled at the doorstep. we aren't totally satisfied with this and we are looking for ways to use or recycle the remaining PP packaging that is not currently accepted by local authorities.

 

recycled

we were also able to find a UK based, closed loop source of recycled HDPE plastic made from milk bottles. This means it is food grade and hasn't been contaminated with other HDPE plastics that could have been in contact with hazardous materials. it also means our carbon footprint is really low as the majority of our packaging and all of our manufacturing is based in the UK.