When we were designing Wylde One, one of the key things we were looking for was sustainable packaging that was user-friendly and the best it could be for the earth.
Sustainability has always been a key value of ours, not an after thought or a box ticking exercise, with our founders having been involved in environmental causes for over 30 years.
With our recent top review score for sustainability in the lubricants category from wherefrom.org, we felt inspired to break down the thought process behind the packaging we use for Wylde One.
As many of us know, when it comes to packaging, zero waste often means cardboard or glass, neither of which were suitable for a lubricant product (sure we could package it in glass, but this might cause an injury in the bedroom or other darkened space – think how heavy glass is and how slippery it could get with lube…)
In general, sustainable developments in packaging and waste are really driven by legislation (although consumer pressure also makes an impact), and many large companies only change their packaging when forced by price-point or regulations.
We wanted to be different to that. We searched high and low to find the tube that we currently use and were so proud when we found it. A composite material made from renewable sources of plastic and wood, and is 100% recyclable as plastic (2 HDPE) or wood (81 paper and cardboard/plastic) to increase its recycling capability and your choices. And is BPA & BPF free, to minimise endocrine-like molecules leaching into the product.
While many people look to compostable bio-sourced plastics (think sugar cane) as sustainable there is often a problem in perception around this, and many people don’t know the truth behind it.
Firstly, here in the UK, we don’t have enough waste facilities to deal with compostable plastics appropriately, as The Telegraph reported earlier this year. This means that all those good intentioned biodegradable plastics end up in landfill.
Add to this that once a plastic had bio-degradaded, assuming it does end up at the correct facility, it still ends up as a micro-plastic in the soil, which can then contaminate the soil as well as the water source. Even if it’s biologically sourced, like sugar cane, once it becomes a plastic, it’s a plastic.
This is really unfortunate and we really do need some revolutionary innovation in packaging and the legislation around it across the board to drive meaningful change.
Until then we do the best we can. And that includes making it as simple as possible to encourage consumers to recycle their waste after using.
The tube that we have chosen reflects that choice and we hope it feels good too!