Transparency Policy: Radical Honesty & Ethical Business
Let’s be completely transparent: the packaging industry is full of greenwashing, misleading buzzwords, and hidden compromises. At The Pure Option™, we believe you deserve the raw, unvarnished truth—not just about the materials we use, but about the human hands that make them, where they come from, and how they break down.
- We do not sell petroleum-based plastics dressed up as green alternatives. Every product in our business is manufactured strictly from renewable, plant-based materials.
- We look at things differently; we solve the unnatural problem of single-use plastics using natural, plant-based alternatives.
- We are a company focused on a barrier-free solution to modern problems. Re-usable isn't always the answer—re-thinking is the solution. Just remove the problematic petroleum-based part and use plants. Simple when you think about it!
Empowering our Team (The MAM Test)
We don't put barriers in our team's way. If they need to make a decision, we let them. Most of the time it works, and the times it doesn't, we learn from it. No blame, just a learning experience.
If an action isn't good for the planet and humankind, we just don't do it. We empower our employees to do the right thing using what we call the MAM TEST (or 'mum' if you're not Welsh!). We ask this simple question: "Would you be happy to tell your mam you did it? If not, don't do it."
Commitment to our Customers and the Community
We don't do lies. It's just not how we do business.
- 🙋 Own Our Mistakes: If we get it wrong, we put our hands up and rectify it. Explanations are OK; excuses and avoidance are absolutely not.
- 💷 Radical Financial Transparency: We publish our profits and how we share them. We are a business, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't make a difference, and we should be open about where the money goes.
- ♻️ Clear Disposal Advice: All of our products contain clear information on the best way to dispose of them for the best environmental outcomes.
- 🌍 Accessible Carbon Data: All of our products feature a carbon calculator, so you can track their carbon footprint in a way that is easy to relate to.
Ethical Sourcing & Fair Labour Standards
True sustainability isn't just about protecting trees and soil—it's about protecting people. We refuse to sell products that are kind to the planet if they are created by exploiting human beings. We call this being a Responsible Corporate Citizen.
- Preference for Sedex-Certified Partners: We actively prioritize working with manufacturers and suppliers certified by Sedex (Supplier Ethical Data Exchange). This ensures third-party audited transparency regarding labour standards, health and safety, environmental management, and business ethics.
- Zero Compromise on Ethical Labour: We strictly refuse to work with manufacturers, suppliers, or distributors that do not guarantee fair living wages, safe working conditions, and reasonable working hours for their employees.
- Local Impact: We believe our business needs to make an impact locally as well as internationally. We only pay the living wage, and we do not believe in zero-hour contracts unless an employee specifically asks for one.
- Profit Sharing: We believe that a company's success should also be the community's success. We share 10% of our profits with our employees, 10% in charity donations, and cap Director bonuses at 5%.
- Human Rights First: Child labour*, forced labour, and underpaid workforce exploitation have zero place in our supply chain. If a factory fails to meet our human-rights standards, we do not do business with them.
Our Materials
We have never used petroleum-based materials. Not when we started, and never in the future. We only use 100% compostable, sustainable, and plant-based materials. This is a core pillar of our values with no compromising. Approved materials include sugarcane, corn, bamboo, sustainable wood, Alcea Leaf, and vegetable-based starches.
- We design our products with 'end of life' as the starting point. All of our products are designed to break down into nutrient-rich compost when disposed of.
- We don't make unsubstantiated eco-claims. Where possible, our products are independently tested and certified to global industrial and home composting standards, including EN13432 and ASTM D6400, breaking down into clean, organic biomass in under 6 to 12 weeks.
- We tell you exactly how to dispose of our products. Whether an item is suited for home composting, industrial organic waste collection, or food waste bins, we spell it out clearly so you and your diners never have to guess.
Our Packaging Technical Standards
Our packaging is designed to meet a consistent standard and achieve a sustainable outcome:
- Sugarcane Bagasse: Upcycled agricultural waste from sugar processing. Naturally greaseproof, breathable, oven/microwave safe up to 300°C, and 100% home compostable.
- Corn Starch PLA: Derived from fermented corn starches. Delivers crystal-clear cold cup and deli pot visibility with 0% petroleum or toxic additives.
- NatureFlex™ Wood Cellulose: Home-compostable clear film made from renewable tree pulp. Looks like plastic, blocks air and moisture, but returns to soil safely.
- Unbleached Kraft Board: Strong, rustic card sourced from responsibly managed forests, lined with plant-based coatings rather than fossil plastics.
As a small, family-run business, we are realistic about what we can and cannot achieve instantly. Driving change is about taking steps. We source our supply chain based on our values, not just the price of goods. If companies have a history of poor practices regarding employees, supply chains, or the environment, we simply won't work with them.
While we do our due diligence, we cannot always personally audit our supply chain as frequently as we'd like. Therefore, we utilize third-party audits done on our behalf. As we grow, we intend to be more hands-on, aiming for twice-yearly internal supply chain audits.
*Child Labour Nuance: We are actively monitoring our policy towards child labour. We have found that at times, strictly refusing to work with small family businesses and generational farmers (where children help on the farm) can sometimes have an adverse effect on the living standards of that family. While we aren't currently working directly with these small family-owned businesses, where a strict 'no child' policy adversely affects the farmer's livelihood, our goal is to help bring their income up to standards where the farmer does not need to rely on child labour.
Have more questions about our supply chain? Please contact our team and we'll be happy to be radically honest with you.
Updated: 10/08/26
