{"id":111,"date":"2020-01-22T15:25:35","date_gmt":"2020-01-22T15:25:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hydropac.co.uk\/?p=111"},"modified":"2025-03-06T12:48:21","modified_gmt":"2025-03-06T12:48:21","slug":"top-5-food-safe-eco-materials","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hydropac.co.uk\/eco-friendly\/top-5-food-safe-eco-materials\/","title":{"rendered":"Top 5 food safe, eco materials"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>All of the shipping systems we manufacture for our <a href=\"https:\/\/hydropac.co.uk\/freshpac\/\">Freshpac range<\/a> are created using food safe packaging materials, but some do have more eco-credentials than others.<\/p>\n<p>We\u2019ve listed out our top 5 food safe materials and their eco-credentials below:<\/p>\n<h2>Natural paper<\/h2>\n<p>We use nothing but natural paper (both virgin and recycled) in our EnviroCool system and we love it! It has so many eco-credentials they\u2019re literally sprouting out of our ears (sprouting \u2013 get it!) and we\u2019re proud to say that we only use paper from trees controlled by the Forestry Stewardship Council (FSC).<\/p>\n<p>Paper is of course totally biodegradable; we use natural Kraft paper which is unbleached which makes sure the soil and water table aren\u2019t polluted should it end up in landfill. The heavy grade virgin fibre paper we use on EnviroCool\u2019s outer layer also has a natural resistance to moisture.<\/p>\n<p>What else. Easier to list them:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Organic \u2013 natural and plant based<\/li>\n<li>Biodegradable \u2013 paper takes around 2-6 weeks to fully decompose in a landfill situation<\/li>\n<li>Recyclable \u2013 through household collections, so easy as anything to dispose of responsibly (and recycled paper can be re-recycled, too). Recycling reduces the demand for virgin paper.<\/li>\n<li>Recycled paper \u2013 better for the environment than virgin paper, as less trees are being cut down (and less energy is being used to do so)<\/li>\n<li>Vegan-kind \u2013 no animal products used whatsoever<\/li>\n<li>Unbleached \u2013 no harm caused by dangerous chemicals leaching into the environment using natural Kraft paper<\/li>\n<li>FSC controlled \u2013 the FSC ensures responsible management of forests across the UK and beyond<\/li>\n<li>Compostable \u2013 natural paper is compostable as it has no heavy inks or dyes and will return valuable nutrients to the soil.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>For more info on <a href=\"https:\/\/hydropac.co.uk\/freshpac\/envirocool\/\">EnviroCool<\/a>, see our product page. EnviroCool is the only eco-friendly system in our market to offer both the sheer amount of eco-credentials as well as the unrivalled strength and durability our customers require!<\/p>\n<h2>Cardboard<\/h2>\n<p>We use cardboard across a wide range of our systems; EnviroCool, Recycle-Air, Reflective-Air\u2026they all use a cardboard outer box which in itself is eco-friendly.<\/p>\n<p>Cardboard is:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Organic \u2013 it is one of the packaging materials out there that offers the least impact on the environment<\/li>\n<li>Biodegradable \u2013 cardboard takes on average 3 months to fully break down<\/li>\n<li>Recyclable \u2013 recyclable through household collections, recycling cardboard minimises the need to produce virgin cardboard, as well as the energy to do so. Reusing recycled cardboard does not reduce strength or durability.<\/li>\n<li>Vegan-kind \u2013 as with paper, no animal products are used in the manufacture of cardboard.<\/li>\n<li>Compostable \u2013 like paper, cardboard can be composted and returns nutrients to the soil. Cardboard should be broken into small pieces before composting to speed the process up; shredding is ideal. Tape should be removed first.<\/li>\n<li>Reusable \u2013 as cardboard is by nature quite strong, it can reused a number of times as long as it doesn\u2019t get wet or crushed.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Click for our full range of <a href=\"https:\/\/hydropac.co.uk\/freshpac\/\">Freshpac Shipping Systems<\/a> with outer cardboard boxes<\/p>\n<h2>Compostable film<\/h2>\n<p>Compostable film is one of our latest innovations and we\u2019re getting ready to release it with our new EnviroGel and water packs very soon.<\/p>\n<p>Our compostable film (made from bio-polymers) is extremely eco-friendly, as you can see below:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Biodegradable \u2013 our film will break down fully within 6 months, quicker under certain conditions. As it is plant-based, it will not harm in the environment in any way.<\/li>\n<li>Organic \u2013 we\u2019re using this film with our new environmentally friendly gel formula; together the two make the perfect organic pair!<\/li>\n<li>Compostable \u2013 as this film is not plastic based, it can be composted (clue\u2019s in the name).<\/li>\n<li>Plant based \u2013 made from bio-polymers (plant based plastics) which come from EU grown maize. No palm, soya, virgin oil or deforestation involved! The crops used are also guaranteed to be GMO (Genetically Modified) free.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Bio-plastics are fast becoming a replacement for many traditional plastic uses; they have extremely positive reviews and of course are much more eco-friendly.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>The EU grows 7.8m tonnes of maize each year<\/li>\n<li>14% is used for starch in paper and cardboard<\/li>\n<li>1% is used for bioplastics<\/li>\n<li>When composted, the film will leave behind biomass, like a twig or a leaf would<\/li>\n<li>If the film does end up in landfill, it will biodegrade without harming the environment, again much like a leaf or twig<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Keep an eye on our website as we\u2019ll be releasing EnviroGel very soon!<\/p>\n<h2>LDPE<\/h2>\n<p>LDPE (Low Density Polyethylene) is a type of plastic granted, but it has more eco- credentials than other types of plastic such as Polypropylene (which is what plastic straws are made from). LDPE is not biodegradable, but it does have other eco-benefits to save grace.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Recyclable \u2013 some LDPE can be recycled through household collections, others have to be taken to specialist recycling centres. As a rule of thumb, we would recommend any LDPE products that are flexible (such as our Reflective-Air bags) are taken to a specialist centre, as a lot of council-run recycling centres will not recycle flexible LDPE in case it clogs up their machinery.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>We hope one day that all councils have the investment for recycling machinery that can definitely handle this type of LDPE, but until then, visit <a href=\"https:\/\/www.recyclenow.com\/local-recycling?material=PL500-PL600\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\">https:\/\/www.recyclenow.com\/local-recycling?material=PL500-PL600<\/a> to find the specialist centre nearest to you.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Reusable \u2013 reusing anything made from LDPE as opposed to throwing it away or recycling it means that less energy will be used in making new LDPE (or other plastic) products, as well as the energy cost to recycle it.<\/li>\n<li>Toxicity \u2013 LDPE is less toxic if it does end up in landfill than other types of plastic.<\/li>\n<li>Food-grade \u2013 products made from LDPE in our line-up are food-grade quality.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>We use LDPE in systems such as <a href=\"https:\/\/hydropac.co.uk\/freshpac\/reflectiveair\/\">Reflective-Air<\/a><\/p>\n<h2>EPP<\/h2>\n<p>EPP (Expanded Polypropylene) is different to your normal Polypropylene. It is highly versatile and extremely strong, meaning it will not only protect your goods in transit but also absorb outside shocks and bumps.<\/p>\n<p>We can\u2019t say that EPP is as eco-friendly as other materials in our line up, but it is still:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Reusable \u2013 given its durability, EPP products can be reused many times, as long as it is looked after properly<\/li>\n<li>Recyclable \u2013 like LDPE, EPP products can be recycled. It is best to check with your local council whether they will collect or whether the EPP needs to go to a specialist recycling centre.<\/li>\n<li>Non-toxic \u2013 if EPP products do end up in landfill, they will not harm the environment whilst they break down. They do not contain hydrocarbon, volatile organic compounds and they are free of heavy metal<\/li>\n<li>Food-grade \u2013 it also resists mould and fungi growth<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>We use EPP for our <a href=\"https:\/\/hydropac.co.uk\/freshpac\/polystyrene-boxes\/\">Deluxe Thermo Box<\/a> range. These are suitable for any kind of hot or cold catering.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>All of the shipping systems in our Freshpac range are created using food safe packaging materials, but some do have more eco-credentials than others.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4701,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"default","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"set","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[201,202,210],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-111","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-eco-friendly","category-packaging","category-range-showcase"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/hydropac.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/111","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/hydropac.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/hydropac.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hydropac.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hydropac.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=111"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/hydropac.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/111\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":15901,"href":"https:\/\/hydropac.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/111\/revisions\/15901"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hydropac.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4701"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/hydropac.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=111"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hydropac.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=111"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hydropac.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=111"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}