Sustain: The importance of sustainable food packaging

Here at Bunzl Ireland, sustainability has always been a primary focus. We aim to provide products that do the job but don't negatively impact the environment.

We always seek out the newest sustainable and eco-friendly products in order to provide our customers with the best there is. Because of this, we are now stocking products from the Sustain range that can transform the impact packaging has on the planet.

 

It's renewable because there are no oil-based plastics used in production, making it a solution for completely untethering your packaging needs from your plastic usage. Instead of traditional oil-based plastics, the Sustain range is made from sustainable materials sourced from trees, corn starch, or crop by-products like sugar cane pulp.

All of these sources are sustainably grown and then processed into the high-quality packaging sold in the range.

Packaging from the Sustain range is also 100% compostable, which means it is designed to be collected and commercially composted with your food waste. Despite common misconceptions, it is not biodegradable.

 

Compostable means that a product can degrade into compost. Compostable materials are materials that have been certified to break down completely. During composting, products will break down into CO2, water, inorganic compounds and biomass, which leaves no visible contaminants or toxic residue. After this process, the waste is turned into a nutrient-dense mulch, ideal for growing yet more plants.

For a product to be classified as commercially compostable, it must be certified to EN13432 standards or its equivalent.