What is the Canary Squeeze packaging made from?
Plant based compostable films. Our film is made up of two films plus an adhesive layer and ink.
How much of the Canary Squeeze packaging is made up of films?
>96%
Does the film break down into micro plastics?
Both films break down into water, CO2 and bio-mass. There are no residual micro plastics.
The packaging films are plant based- what sort of plants?
Renewable sugar cane and wood cellulose
Is the packaging home compostable?
Yes
What certifications are there for the compostable films?
The packaging films are certified to European Standards; “OK compost HOME“ by TUV.
Is the packaging recyclable?
No
Can you compost dairy products?
Yes you can. Food waste in general is high in moisture whereas butter products have a high fat content. Fat can slow down the decomposition process but shouldn’t be an issue as long as it is present in small amounts.
How long does it take for the packaging to decompose?
Due to the high fat content of butter products this will take longer to decompose than general waste products depending on the composting conditions
We are currently undertaking a compost trial to determine how long it takes to decompose. At six months we are seeing significant decomposition and we will continue to check every month for progress. Times will vary depending on the amount of moisture, oxygen and temperature and this will vary from compost to compost and seasonal conditions.
There is a lot of jargon used in the sustainability space and here are some examples and their meanings.
Biodegradable:
Capable of being degraded from the action of naturally occurring microorganisms (eg. Bacteria, fungi). Note: All compostable plastics are biodegradable, but not all biodegradable plastics would be considered compostable. Compostable plastics are a subset of biodegradable plastics, defined by the standard conditions and timeframe under which they will biodegrade.
oxo-degradable:
Often confused with biodegradable plastics, oxo-degradables are a separate category. They are not a bioplastic or a biodegradable plastic, but rather a conventional plastic mixed with additives (such as Oxo-degradable or photo degradable additives) in order to help them break down faster. These plastics quickly fragment into smaller and smaller pieces, called microplastics which are left in the environment indefinitely until they eventually fully break down.
HOME COMPOSTABLE:
Packaging that can go in your home composting bin along with your general food waste. Compostable plastics are those plastics which have been tested and certified by a third party to adhere to international standards.
COMMERCIALLY COMPOSTABLE:
Packaging that needs to go to a special facility that provides the right conditions for it to break down.
RECYCLABLE:
Packaging that can be recycled into new products.
What are your sustainability goals?
We are committed to sustainability and providing a better environment for our future. What we have implemented to date:
- We offer a butter portion that is “naked” – our Canary butter medallion – taste, texture and zero waste.
- We actively promote recycling both internally and amongst customers and suppliers.
- We use electric forklifts instead of forklifts with internal combustion engines.
- We minimise waste by evaluating operations and ensuring they are efficient as possible (e.g. conserving energy).
- Where possible we reuse/re grade product to reduce waste.
- We encourage our staff to either bike, walk or carpool to travel to and from work.
- We use zoom meetings to reduce face to face meetings which reduces the use of fossil fuel and carbon emissions.
- We promote “paperless” as much as possible in all of our processes. All printers are defaulted to black and white and double sided for when printing is absolutely necessary.
- We are reviewing all packaging to find a more environmentally friendly alternative. We are converting our IWP Cheese portion to compostable packaging.
- We are investigating the replacement of existing plastic liner bags with a bio-degradable bag.
- We have increased our networking with like-minded companies.