A while ago a company called Greencane sent me some tissues through the post. Not just tissues but toilet paper and kitchen roll too. A great big cardboard box full. Since then I have been busy mopping, wiping and sneezing. I now feel qualified to comment.
To conclude, the tissue was as soft and absorbent as any I have used.
But it was the packaging that thrilled.
I received a Mixed Box
Neatly packed in a box, a cardboard box, were
32 Rolls of Toilet Paper
(8 packs of 4 rolls)
6 Rolls of Paper Towels
(3 packs of 2 rolls)
3 Boxes Facial Tissues
The products were individually wrapped packs.
All the packaging was paper, card and or cellophone.
The cellophane is certified as commercially compostable.
Anyone trying to live a plastic free life will know what good news this is!
About
Tissues
Personally I prefer reusable handkerchiefs or loo roll but there are times when a box of tissues come in handy and then there are problems. Buy what you think is a cardboard box of paper tissues and you may find the hole, the one you pull the tissue through, has been reinforced with a plastic collar.
Well these are cardboard all the way. Yay!
Find out more abut plastic free tissues here.
Kitchen Roll
I don’t use kitchen roll. I have cotton dishcloths that can be used to wipe up spills, loo roll for sticky fingers and cotton napkins for fine dining… but if this is your thing you can now get it plastic free.
THIRSTY & STRONG!
Our 100% biodegradable paper towels comes in a convenient 2 roll pack with each roll having 80 sheets.
Toilet Rolls
You can buy loo rolls in PLA compostable plastic packaging but buy in bulk and the packs come packed in normal plastic!?!
These guys will deliver, in a cardboard box a
total of 48 rolls thats 12 packs of 4 rolls.
Each roll 300 sheets, 2 ply.
UK £23.80 per carton
Read more about going to the toilet plastic free, here.
More Details
There is a sticky label which peels off at the packet and looks just like plastic but I have been assured that this too is compostable cellophane. I quote: “This is a biodegrable water based coating to protect the core paper of the sticker but over the last few shipments has got thicker and thicker to the stage , I agree ,it seems like plastic.plus is proving hard to compost. So over the last 3 months have been working hard on minimizing this coating.But proved too hard so have made the decision to do away with coating altogether and next week i get first shipment with new label.”
The Paper
From the website: “Up to 70% of our paper is made from a mix of recycled sugarcane and bamboo fibre (bagasse), a byproduct of the sugar refining process. (Bagasse supplies are virtually unlimited worldwide). To obtain both strength and softness we need to then add 30% certified wood pulp = Sustainable.”
In a letter:
Real United Nations thing with our sourcing.
Timber from Canada.
Sugarcane from Thailand .
Bamboo from China.
Bags are supplied by Australia Company.not sure exactly where made .
Then all made in a very modern factory in Southern China.
All these suppliers carry environmental accreditation .
Including no GMO and Bpa.
I have over the years done a lot of work with our supply chain and with over 200 plus organic type stores we have had a lot of questions asked of us.
Delivery
They offer a home delivery service for the UK from their Brighton warehouse which is proving increasingly popular.
Buy
For lots more info and to order products visit the website
Composting Plastic At Home
While most agree that some plastics are indeed compostable, many say that they can only composted in large scale municipal schemes. As we don’t have many large scale municipal schemes this they say is a pointless advantage.I say the days of large scale municipal schemes is fast approaching as governments aim to divert biodegradable rubbish from landfill sites.
AND I have been composting my PLA plastic for years. We have used and composted a number PLA plastic products (including Biobags , Deli pots and disposable Cutlery)
It does take longer than other products and sometimes I have found shreds of it in my compost but I dig it into the soil where it quickly disappears.
Biodegradable, Compostable Plastics
What is biodegradable? Biodegradable products break down through a naturally occurring microorganism into simple, stable compounds which can be absorbed into the ecosystem. More about biodegrading here
What is compostable? To be classed compostable, items must biodegrade within a certain time (around the rate at which paper biodegrades), and the resulting biomass must be free of toxins, able to sustain plant life and be used as an organic fertilizer or soil additive. For a man-made product to be sold as compostable, it has to meet certain standards. One such is the European Norm EN13432. You can find out more here.
Read more about compostable plastics here
More Info
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