Recyclable Packaging - Handmade Naturals UK

Our Packaging & the Environment

Our Product Packaging is as recyclable as it is possible

The issue of packaging is becoming more and more of a hot topic. More of us a becoming aware of empty bottles and jars and wrappers littering our beaches and seas and affecting the wild life. It is an easy position to take to object any form of plastic, it sounds like it fixes everything. However, plastic is extremely useful and can be beneficial to the environment as it reduces food waste and keeps produce fresher. Transport costs are also substantially reduced if plastic as opposed to glass packaging is used because it is a lot lighter and requires less fuel to move around. The problem isn't plastic, the problem is irresponsible disposal of plastic we've finished with. So we do need to take stock and be more responsible in how we dispose of the packaging of our every day items, as well as look into what packaging our products come packaged in.

When it comes to skin care there is a fine line between safety and being environmentally friendly. For example packaging shower gels in glass bottles is simply not safe. The ability to re-fill products in pre-used packaging is something many of our customers ask for, however the safety and practicality of it makes it very hard for us to implement. Used packaging is often deformed (plastic bottles), has taken on the smell of the product that was packaged inside and it is very hard to sterilise so it can be used again (consider for a moment the dispenser and getting product out of there to clean it!). And even if you were happy to stick to your own used up bottle, due to the nature of our products we do have to package and seal as soon as they are made. Unfortunately we are not able to move our products from container to container as we are exposing them to germs and that ultimately will affect their shelf life.

Considering all environmental aspects and the safety of our products and customers, we have selected packaging which is as recyclable as possible:

We use fully recyclable plastic airless dispensers (with no metal parts inside) for our creams, HDPE bottles for our large size lotions & conditioners, shower gels and shampoos, PET bottles for the smaller size shampoos & conditioners, frosted & tinted glass jars for our body butters and are now in the process of migrating our facial toners and oils into glass bottles.

Nearly all of our packaging can be recycled and put into the recycling bin, but bear in mind that recycling is always a question of cost. When it comes to product closures like pumps, they can be quite complicated little things and although the components are individually mostly recyclable, it can be costly to separate metal springs from the plastic body of the closure. (Different authorities across different parts of the country have different policies regarding recycling. As a country we are doing fairly well regarding recycling, not as well as Germany for example, but we are getting better as technology improves and environmental awareness increases.). You can help ensure the closures are also recycled by separating them into components and disposing of them accordingly. Keeping in mind that the wad on the inside of screw tops (both aluminium and plastic) and the flip caps/disc tops are items which cannot be recycled

It is a rather complex issue we are sure you will agree. To repeat, the main issue is not the packaging itself, it is how we dispose of it. Please be responsible and recycle our product packaging - the glass jars, hdpe / pet bottles are all recyclable. The airless pumps and aluminium tops (minus the plastic wad) are also recyclable.

Our postal packaging is mostly recyclable too. The loose fill polystyrene looking chips are made from cornstarch and are fully biodegradable, compostable or if you have young children, place them in your sink and have fun watching them melt away when wetted. Carton boxes can either be re-used or recycled. The padded kraft paper envelopes need to have the bubble wrap liner removed and separated - paper into recycling bin, liner into standard waste. The green bubble wrap we use to protect glass during transport is biodegradable too so don't worry about throwing it into your standard waste bin.