Our Packaging
In store packaging
At 69b we have always thought carefully about how our products are packaged when they leave our store:
Logo'd Tissue Paper
Our tissue paper is from Noissue who provide sustainably sourced tissue paper which is:
- Compostable
- Recyclable
- Eco Alliance certified a reforestation project working to reforest previously deforested areas
Paper Bags
Our bags are sourced from the Big Brown Paper Bag Company, who are a small UK based business that make bags from recycled paper.
The best packaging is no packaging (or very little!)
We have taken lots of time to think over the last two lockdowns, and we have decided that we will be phasing out paper bags from the middle of 2021. The energy it takes to make the bags and the limited amount we can store in the shop will not help in reducing our carbon footprint. We will encourage our customers to bring their own bags in future. We will still provide tissue paper, but will always ask before we wrap!
Online Packaging
We are still very new to online, having opened our ecommerce site in November just before lockdown 2.0. While setting up our website we researched the best packaging to use. Here’s what we came up with:
Wastebased.co
The bags we deliver small or medium items in are made of 100% compostable materials. They are made from corn-starch and a small amount of bio plastic (unfortunately the technology isn’t there yet to make bags without very small amounts of plastic that act as a binder). All our shipping bags are non-toxic and can be put into your kitchen food waste bin or on your compost heap.
Cardboard Boxes
For medium to large orders or orders with a lot of items, we will pack them in a cardboard box. Our cardboard boxes are from Forest Stewardship Scheme (FSC) certified boxes, and all the carbon in production is offset.
Packing Slips
We don't add shipping notes to web orders in order to lower our (and your) carbon footprint. Any information about your order can be found on your confirmation email, or you can email us at hello@69bboutique.com.
Stuffing for boxes
If we need to use any extra packaging to secure items, we use either potato starch-based packing peanuts (which can be put on your compost heap or will break down if put under the tap), or we use brown packing paper we have recovered from deliveries we have received.
The future of Online Packaging
Searching for environmentally friendly packaging for shipping goods is a minefield. A product can look great on paper and after a little bit of research can be not as good for the planet as it first appeared, OR it can be amazing and renewable and environmentally friendly, but falls apart on the way to our customers!
We have looked into reused packaging, biodegradable packaging and recycled paper and we still have not found the perfect solution; we are constantly investigating ways we can improve out packaging to ensure practicality and items that are beneficial to the environment.
We are hoping that in the future we can find resources to ship with that can use circular economy, including packaging that can be sent back to us and reused.
If you have any suggestions please email us!