Choosing the right packaging for your business

You’re running a busy business and it’s easy to overlook how important the packaging of your amazing foods is both environmentally and the message it sends to your customers, so this is a guide designed to inform you of the right choices and what they are.

Summary for the people short of time

Did you know "biodegradable" doesn't have a guaranteed breakdown time and doesn’t measure toxicity?

 For packaging that truly gives back, look for the EN 13432 compostable certification. It’s the only system guaranteed to add positively to the environment. Choose plants, not petrol! 🌽✨

The Informative bit for people with time (if you have time bear with us as this will all makes sense in the end)

The Difference between the UK and the rest of the world

There is a huge difference between the UK and international consumers, the UK consumer is just as environmentally engaged (and in some cases more so) but they just don’t know what they don’t know.

The UK consumer is being served a media diet of “you’re a bad person for using a straw” or “you’re a terrible person for grabbing that coffee on the way to work” without being told what their solutions are which is why the UK consumer is looking for “biodegradable packaging” believing it to be environmentally positive, whereas the international consumer ( especially Canada and New Zealand) are searching for compostable packaging, so what’s the difference?

Biodegradable vs Compostable is there any difference?

There are huge differences between the two and looking at the definitions of both shows you the huge differences

This is the UK Governments definition of Biodegradable ( bear with us as it may be dull but it all helps).

The biological treatment of waste uses biological processes and agents to bring about a change in that waste. This may be for recovering the waste, remediating a contaminated material, or as a pre-treatment before disposal.

The problem with this definition is that it doesn’t tell us anything about decomposition time (how long it takes to break down) or it’s toxicity (the environmental damage it does) , so compare this to composting (we haven’t used the UK Government definition as it’s a bit of a mess).

Compostable packaging needs to verifies that break down safely in composting facilities (industrial) or home composts without leaving toxic residue. Key standards include EN 13432/14995 (Europe) and ASTM D6400/D6868 (North America), verified by labels like BPI, OK Compost.

So the difference is that compostable is certified and tested to make certain it not only doesn’t damage the environment but actually benefits it when it turns into nutrient rich compost which in turn can be used to replace chemical fertilisers, so it’s not only a positive solution but if composted can be completely circular ( comes from plants and can be used to grow more plants).

Recycling vs Compostable which is better?

While "recyclable" is a term often used as an environmental solution we often hear it has its downside as it requires massive amounts of energy and can be easily derailed by a single bit of food residue on a container. 

And not all materials are the same there is a reason The Pure Option doesn’t make a replacement for tin and glass, and that’s because these are the best materials for their usages as they can be recycled over and over without any long term environmental damage, whereas plastics can only be recycled so many times (typically 4 times) until you have to keep adding virgin (new) material and then when it can’t be recycled it has to be incinerated to stop it contaminating the earth ( so obviously not a good thing).

So, In contrast, composting is the only guaranteed system that adds positively to the environment.

So, is a bio plastic the same as a normal plastic?

Certain materials like PLA (which comes from corn) are designed to do the same job as petrol-based plastics like PET and PP but the key difference is, what they are made of.

If we look at a PET deli container, the container isn’t the issue , what it’s made of is the issue , so basically the PLA container is made the same but instead of using dead dinos (petrol) they are made using corn which when it breaks down turns into compost in the same way corn would.

We should add something here which is that PLA will break down over time but in order for it to do it quickly it needs a lot of heat and that requires commercial composting, we have tested them in home composters and they do break down but in some cases (depending on weather and health of composter) it can take years , whereas in a commercial composter it takes under 13 weeks.

So, what are the key benefits of compostable packaging 

When we choose packaging from companies like us (The Pure Option), we are participating in a circular economy. Unlike traditional plastics, which are derived from "dead dinosaurs" (fossil fuels) and can linger in our oceans and landfills for centuries, plant-based packaging is made from renewable resources like sugarcane bagasse, corn starch, and wood pulp.

By making this switch, you are:

• Reducing Fossil Fuel Dependency: Choosing plant-based compostable materials keeps the dinosaurs in the ground or under oceans where they should be.
• Lowering Your Carbon Footprint: Plants capture CO2 as they grow, meaning the raw materials for your packaging help the planet "breathe".
• Eliminating Microplastics: Microplastics in our food chain. Plant-based materials break down without leaving behind these persistent pollutants.

Why Compostable is the "Gold Standard"

When a product is certified compostable (look for the EN13432 standard used by The Pure Option), it isn't just "disappearing"—it is transforming. As it breaks down, it turns into nutrient-rich organic matter. 

This compost:

1. Restores Soil Health: It feeds the microbes and fungi that make our soil fertile.
2. Sequesters Carbon: Healthy soil acts as a massive carbon sink, pulling CO2 out of the atmosphere and locking it safely underground.
3. Supports New Life: The very packaging that held your takeaway food today could be the nutrients that help grow next year’s crop.
4. Reduces Chemicals: If the UK moved to plant-based packaging we could replace the need for chemical-based fertilisers.

Conclusion

Thanks for sticking in there, we know it’s a long one but it’s a big topic with lots of nuances.

The reality is the UK has two choices, keep creating barriers and pushing the wrong choices (the UK Government approach) along with putting barriers in people’s way ( re-usable cups, which are a very poor solution to the problem, but they have had good PR) or we can change the problem part and just replace the environmentally damaging part (the petrol bit) and move to a sustainable future.

It has to happen eventually, and the once world leading UK plant-based packaging industry is now going to be spear headed by progressive and pragmatic nations like Canada and New Zealand but it’s the only credible and sensible solution

I know what you’re thinking who knew there was so much to it and I hope that it has helped you to make an informed choice and showed you if you care about people and planet, compostable plant-based packaging is a natural solution to the un-natural problem of petrol-based packaging.

To explore Europe’s largest range of 100% plant-based, plastic-free packaging, visit The Pure Option and join the movement toward a greener, anxiety-free future.

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