Environmental Policy
Sustainability is one of the things which matters most to our business.
Putting that into practise happens all across the business from the materials we use to the way we work.
As awareness of the need to be carbon neutral grows there’s been support for small businesses like ours. We took part in a course which covered a range of topics over 6 weeks, from auditing our supply chain to looking at alternative ways of powering the workshop. It was a combination of inspiring and terrifying.
It’s an ongoing process. Often it doesn’t seem like there’s one right answer, so we weigh things up, give them a go then see if it worked. New products and services are becoming available and where appropriate we’ll move to those.
A perfect example of this is packaging. We use paper or cardboard packaging for the majority of our orders. While biodegradable plastic is becoming more available much of it still breaks down into micro plastics, so the problem is less visible rather than solved. Many of the compostable plastics need industrial composting. Paper packing isn’t perfect as it still uses energy to make. However it’s easy to reuse and recycle, so it’s the best choice for us until something better is available. Where orders need extra protection we’ll reuse bubble wrap or padded envelopes.
We won’t automatically use tissue paper to wrap your order– it’s pretty but unnecessary. If you’re buying a present and would like it wrapped in tissue or wrapping paper pop a note on your order and we’ll do that with pleasure. Have a look at our sending a gift page for more information.
As well as avoiding unnecessary packaging we look to use materials which can be reused and recycled. Glass will often be sent in a metal tin – there are strong and lightweight and make useful storage for all sorts of things. If they’re not useful to you we’ve found that charity shops love them. If they’ve reached the end of their useful life they’re easy to recycle. If we didn’t use metal tins we’d need bulkier cardboard packaging. It weighs more which in turn has more impact on the environment as it’s moved. Cardboard can easily be recycled but it’s seldom reused. Smaller parcels help us offer you lower postage costs; and keeping parcels letter box friendly means that we avoid the need for multiple delivery attempts or a trip to the sorting office.
We use Royal Mail to deliver parcels as they’re the most carbon efficient UK delivery service.
We’ll buy local wherever possible. We’ll bulk buy when that’s appropriate, as it’s a great way to reduce delivery journeys and packaging.
We’re lucky enough to have access to the brilliant Scrap Stuff Leeds; a source of photography props, packaging and inspiration. The goods they sell have been saved from landfill, so they get a second life. They’re also a great place to take things we aren’t using, like the packaging which absolutely wasn’t what we thought we’d ordered.
We’ll provide repair, reuse and recycle information for every item we sell. Sometimes items can come back to us for reuse, sometimes there’s a better place for them.
There’s lots more information about the materials we use, why we chose them and how they’re sourced, so that’s all gathered together.
If there’s anything you’d like to suggest or ask please get in touch via the contact us form.
Putting that into practise happens all across the business from the materials we use to the way we work.
As awareness of the need to be carbon neutral grows there’s been support for small businesses like ours. We took part in a course which covered a range of topics over 6 weeks, from auditing our supply chain to looking at alternative ways of powering the workshop. It was a combination of inspiring and terrifying.
It’s an ongoing process. Often it doesn’t seem like there’s one right answer, so we weigh things up, give them a go then see if it worked. New products and services are becoming available and where appropriate we’ll move to those.
A perfect example of this is packaging. We use paper or cardboard packaging for the majority of our orders. While biodegradable plastic is becoming more available much of it still breaks down into micro plastics, so the problem is less visible rather than solved. Many of the compostable plastics need industrial composting. Paper packing isn’t perfect as it still uses energy to make. However it’s easy to reuse and recycle, so it’s the best choice for us until something better is available. Where orders need extra protection we’ll reuse bubble wrap or padded envelopes.
We won’t automatically use tissue paper to wrap your order– it’s pretty but unnecessary. If you’re buying a present and would like it wrapped in tissue or wrapping paper pop a note on your order and we’ll do that with pleasure. Have a look at our sending a gift page for more information.
As well as avoiding unnecessary packaging we look to use materials which can be reused and recycled. Glass will often be sent in a metal tin – there are strong and lightweight and make useful storage for all sorts of things. If they’re not useful to you we’ve found that charity shops love them. If they’ve reached the end of their useful life they’re easy to recycle. If we didn’t use metal tins we’d need bulkier cardboard packaging. It weighs more which in turn has more impact on the environment as it’s moved. Cardboard can easily be recycled but it’s seldom reused. Smaller parcels help us offer you lower postage costs; and keeping parcels letter box friendly means that we avoid the need for multiple delivery attempts or a trip to the sorting office.
We use Royal Mail to deliver parcels as they’re the most carbon efficient UK delivery service.
We’ll buy local wherever possible. We’ll bulk buy when that’s appropriate, as it’s a great way to reduce delivery journeys and packaging.
We’re lucky enough to have access to the brilliant Scrap Stuff Leeds; a source of photography props, packaging and inspiration. The goods they sell have been saved from landfill, so they get a second life. They’re also a great place to take things we aren’t using, like the packaging which absolutely wasn’t what we thought we’d ordered.
We’ll provide repair, reuse and recycle information for every item we sell. Sometimes items can come back to us for reuse, sometimes there’s a better place for them.
There’s lots more information about the materials we use, why we chose them and how they’re sourced, so that’s all gathered together.
If there’s anything you’d like to suggest or ask please get in touch via the contact us form.
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