What’s up with the packaging?
July 5th 2019
Nowadays, packaging is a hot topic. To be precise, no one can’t stop talking about it. More than ever the sustainability and recyclability of packaging are found important and we ourselves at Queal are totally aware of this. As mentioned in the improvements blogs and timeline, we’re currently working on improving the STEADY pouches. But what exactly are these pouches, and all other packagings we use, made of?
READY.
The single-serve READY cups are made of cardboard and have en PE-coating on the inside and outside. This means, besides the fact that cardboard can only be recycled when it’s still clean, that the cups can’t be thrown away alongside other paper/cardboard trash. A mono-plastic cup would be more sustainable but because it conducts heat very well, plastic cups are not desirable when the content gets really hot - which is also the case with READY.
For now, we’re not looking into new packaging for READY. One of the most important reasons for this is the minimum production capacity. We’re now working with an England based company that allows us to purchase small quantities. Which is nice, now that we still have to introduce the product to the larger public.
STEADY.
Our current Steady pouches contain two different materials: plastic and aluminium. This means, the packaging is categorised as ‘other’ and can’t be recycled with other plastic materials in many countries. Because we strive for as little environmental impact as possible, a new packaging material will be used for producing our pouches starting next year (2019). By then, our pouches will be entirely made of one material: PET 1 and suitable for 100% recycling. To make this transformation as gradual as possible we decided not to go for a temporary, intermediate, solution.
GO.
The so-called flow packs used for our bars consist of a laminate of two films; a transparent polyester film and metalized oriented polypropylene. This ‘foil for foodstuffs’ is specifically tested for storage at room temperature and below but it can stand heat up to 70 degrees Celsius for two hours or a 100 degrees for 15 minutes in case the foil will be filled with hot content.
Therefore this packaging is perfect for bars. In The Netherlands, types of packaging with an aluminium layer cannot be recycled with general plastic waste. It’s classified as “other” and needs to be thrown away in the residual waste.
FLOW.
Our Flow jars contain two different kinds of material, namely PET and PP. The jar itself is made out of PET and should, therefore, be suitable for recycling. The lid/closure is made out of PP. PP stands for Polypropylene - a stiff type of plastic with high heat resistance and therefore suitable for many applications like flowerpots, garden furniture, or even women’s heels. The material can be easily reused as a raw material. The self-adhesive label on the jar is made of PE and also recyclable as plastic.
Recycle, Reuse, Reduce
We hope that with Queal you're able to make your footprint a bit smaller. Although not everything is perfect, we strive to keep improving and to share this journey with you. For a better you, and for a better planet.
Check out our products.
Help?