We are committed to being as low waste as possible
With that in mind, here is some information on what to do with our packaging.
Cardboard Box, Corrugated Card & the Crinkle-cut Filling:
All of these are widely recyclable! (And actually are already made from recycled materials). Re-use is possible too - the box is sturdy and pretty and great for storage about the house or garage. Or maybe save it for shipping gifts to loved ones. Same goes for the box protectors and the crinkle cut.
Wool Liners:
The inside of the liner is 100% low grade sheep wool that would otherwise be of minimal value to farmers. Few sheep naturally moult, so they actually need shearing to stay fit and happy. It is washed and scoured in the UK using a natural process with no harsh cleaning chemicals. The plastic cover can be removed and recycled in your standard plastic recycling (#4 MDPE)
There are lots of fun ways to re-use these:
- Protection for plants, flowers and trees from frost. They're also good for mulch and slug defence
- Lining pet baskets, plant pots, hanging baskets or vegetable beds.
- Felting or carding or stuffing craft projects
- Draught Excluders or Pipe Lagging
- More ideas can be found on Instagram with the hashtag #letsboxclever
- If you collect a great deal of them, WoolCool (the maker) can also arrange to retrieve AND REUSE THEM, creating a true circular, sustainable system. All you need to do is print out a label and send them back. Check out the details by clicking here.
However if you do need to discard the liners, once you've removed the plastic cover, you can put it directly into a compost bin. They can also be dug into the soil of the garden where they will release valuable nitrates back into the ground as they break down. Some local authorities will accept the wool in household garden waste bins, but you ought to check with them to find out what recycling facilities are available in your area. And here's the best bit: EVEN IF THE WOOL GOES TO GENERAL WASTE, IT WILL BREAK DOWN IN LANDFILL.
Oxygen Absorbers (Little Yellow Sachets):
These little yellow packets are not for consumption - but help keep cut meats from oxidising and losing flavour. You'll find them in our sliced packs, our bags of oinks and with the PigTails.
These are non-ferrous, and while not eatable, can be sliced open and emptied safely in the bin. The contents (Activated Charcoal, Ascorbic Acid, Salt and Silica) will degrade completely over time, but it's best to open them so that animals will not try to consume them.
*Non-Recyclables*:
Unfortunately, we have not yet found a compostable vacuum-seal bag that meets our standards for product protection and shelf-life. We are working on this, but at the moment, it is a necessary evil of keeping things fresh and getting them safely to you in the post. Equally, these are not really ideal for re-use.
Our kraft wrapping paper is also unfortunately hit-and-miss. These are best suited to keeping your meats happy once removed from the vacuum seal - and they don't tend to survive the process. Moisture and paper and all.
In terms of compost - we do have fully-biodegradable vegetable-waxed paper - but we also have some stocks of older only semi-biodegradable sheets. These are relics of misinformation we were given when C&Q first opened ("Sure, it's biodegradable... oh, but only if it's rubbed by a 1000 virgins and kissed by an angel" GRUMBLE). We are working through it and will update this page when we only have the fully-biodegradable remaining.
However, whichever you have, the advice is the same. They are designed to breakdown in regular landfill - so once you're done using them to protect your opened sausages, just pop them in the bin.