Let us introduce you to Core, manufactured here at the Wellness Factory, where we are proud to put a huge focus on sustainable and eco-friendly manufacturing, so you can shop guilt-free.
And a huge part of being a sustainable brand is the packaging that we use.
Our end goal is to be 100% plastic-free. We are working hard to achieve this goal with lots of research and product testing. In the meantime, we are doing the following to ensure maximum sustainability for our packaging…
Core Biodegradable Pouches (Packaging for Capsules and Proteins)
Our capsules and plant-based protein powders are both packaged in biodegradable pouches. But what exactly are these pouches made from?
They are made using home-compostable Triplex laminate paper. This allows us to use an MGBK (Machine Glazed Bleached Kraft) paper pouch with our fun designs printed directly on. MGBK paper is waterproof, greaseproof, durable, and - of course - is still entirely plastic-free.
Aside from the primary MGBK paper, our pouches use ink, lacquer, adhesive, and a sealant web. Lacquer is used to create a glossy finish and to improve durability or resistance to damage.
All of the materials, including the inks and adhesives, conform to the following standards:
Vincotte OK Compost Accreditation (EN 13432)
Packaging conforms to “requirements for packaging recoverable through composting and biodegradation”.
Vincotte Ok Compost Home Accreditation
If a product claims it is ‘compostable’ then this claim is only referring to industrial compostability unless it has been certified home compostable by Vinçotte. In other words, our capsule and protein powder pouches are accredited as biodegradable and compostable not only on an industrial scale, but also on a home-composting scale.
Core Recyclable Sugarcane Bottles (Vitamin Spray Packaging)
Our liquid vitamins are packaged in spray bottles made with a sugarcane-based biopolymer. Unfortunately, these are not biodegradable. However, they are 100% recyclable and have a positive carbon footprint.
So, how does this work?
The bottles are produced using ethanol from sugarcane, as opposed to conventional HDPE and PET plastics which contain fossil fuel-based materials, like oil or natural gas.
The primary difference here is that the sugarcane ethanol is renewable. The raw materials used to produce HDPE and PET are not renewable. In fact, they contribute to global warming, deforestation, rising atmospheric CO2 levels, and more.
Our sugarcane-based biopolymer bottles actually have a positive carbon footprint. Not only do they not contribute to rising atmospheric CO2 levels, but they actually contribute to removing CO2 from the atmosphere.
For every 1kg produced of this material, 3.09kg of CO2 is removed from the atmosphere...
...whereas for every 1kg of traditional PE plastic produced, 1.93kg of CO2 is added to the atmosphere.
When it comes to recycling, these sugarcane-based biopolymer bottles can be recycled in the same stream as conventional HDPE and PET. Unlike reglar biopolymers which can’t be recycled without damaging the recycling chain, our biopolymers are 100% recyclable.
And to top it all off, our sugarcane-based biopolymer bottles only use 0.02% or arable land during production. This means that 99.08% of land is preserved for agriculture, pasture, protected/native land, and rainforests. In other words, we are helping to prevent deforestation, unlike conventional plastics.
All in all, this biopolymer is an incredible material that works just as effectively as normal plastics, but without the devastating environmental effects.
What about the card boxes?
Our spray bottles all come inside card boxes, and these are FSC-certified. FSC stands for Forest Stewardship Council - their job is to certify forests that practice sustainable and responsible wood sourcing. This wood is then used to produce FSC-certified materials.
This certification means that the material has been obtained in an environmentally friendly, socially accountable, and economically feasible manner. This ensures our Earth’s forests are treated with respect, i.e. there is no deforestation!
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