Eco Packaging
Packaging is quite a sensitive topic these days. In the old days - back when your nan went to the butcher and the baker (and probably the candlestick maker as well) instead of just Tesco's - most things were protected with brown paper and a bit of string, because that's all there was. The contents might have broken or leaked but at least it was environmentally-friendly. Then along came plastic, and suddenly everything was being wrapped up in reams of it. Great for whatever was inside, but not at all great for Mother Earth. Fortunately, the world is beginning to recognise the error of its ways, and packaging is fast undergoing a new revolution.
So what are we - Cult Pens - doing? We recognise that we need to get your purchases to you in the same state in which they left us, which of necessity involves a little cocooning. But we also want to be part of Team Save when it comes to the planet. So this is what we've done, what we're doing, and what we're aiming to do...
First of all, NOTHING from Cult Pens HQ goes to landfill. Nothing at all. Hurray!
Plastic tape: this is being phased out and replaced with paper tape, so please bear with us while we make the transition.
Jiffy bags: we're continuing with these, because they do keep your items safe, but what you can do is either reuse them, or separate the plastic inner from the paper wrap and recycle each component. Here's Mark at Devon Contract Waste demonstrating...
Grip seal bags: these are being phased out and replaced with little paper bags for the small things you might want to order. You can reuse these, light a fire with them or recycle them.
Bubble bags: we're continuing with these, but from April they'll be made of 30% recycled material. You can reuse them or put them in your recycling bin.
Bubble wrap: we're phasing this out and replacing it with Hexcel Wrap, a sort of concertinaed type of paper. You can reuse it or put it in your recycling bin. And it's great for primary school projects!
Packing chips: these are the most fun element of all our new packaging! They're made of starch instead of polystyrene and you could actually eat them, though they're a bit bland. Best to just reuse them, or dissolve them in water.
Book wraps: these are made from 100% recycled card and protect your books and notebooks perfectly. And they're acceptable in all recycling bins.
Packing materials: we reuse whatever we get from our suppliers, and some of it is plastic. We'd rather reuse it than risk its being sent to landfill. You can keep the chain going by reusing it again or checking with your local authority to see if it's recyclable.
And that's not all! We can recycle pens! Well, we can't but the nice peeps at Devon Contract Waste most certainly can, so if you have a few redundant pens lying around until noon, eating all your food and hogging the Xbox, don't chuck them out - send them to us instead (clearly labelled please!) and we'll get it sorted.