What can I do with my packaging?
 

Caring for the world around us is at the heart of Gazegill Organics and we have taken care in choosing packaging that supports our planet. We hope that you can appreciate our efforts and understand that in choosing to order with us, together, we can reduce plastic in the food industry and minimise our carbon footprint.  We take the life cycle of our packaging into account and make sure that it is as effective as possible whilst being economically viable for all of us. We rely on external couriers for our deliveries and we are unable to manage a collection service at this time. However we are now working with Collect+ so that you can drop off your liners  and ice packs at over 7,500 locations across the country - please see below for more information. 

We are constantly in search of the best eco-friendly packaging and trying to be as innovative as possible whilst  keeping our meat fresh and achieve our goal to reduce waste and be plastic free. 

Below you can find a list of the ways we are managing to do both. New products are quickly being developed to accommodate proactive recyclers and eco-conscious consumers and as we will evolve we aim to provide a food delivery service that can meet all the requirements of our customers.

 

Glass milk bottles vs plastic milk bottles

With an expensive material we would have to add an additional charge to the milk which we appreciate some customers may be willing to do but it can also cost the planet. Most couriers across the UK do not insure perishable goods let alone glass items and the weight added to boxes has a dramatic impact on weight on the vans which therefore increases the cost of petrol emissions is higher too. In addition to this; a deposit scheme would require the bottles to be returned to us in Lancashire to be sterlised and refilled.   These processes all require masses of energy and water and do not offset the carbon footprint any more than a lightweight, recyclable plastic bottle.  

Boxes 

Cardboard Boxes: We support a local cardboard manufacturer that prints and delivers our recycled and recyclable cardboard box to us just a few miles down the road. Then by hand a member of staff constructs every single one ready for your order to be packed up. We are working toward using paper tape to provide extra security and structural integrity. This makes the box 100% recyclable. You can now dispose of the entire box as is by using your local council’s paper/cardboard waste collection service, visit a tip or add it to your compost. 

The boxes cannot be reused by us - this is something we are investigating but ideally we would be running our own courier service to manage this effectively. We also have to consider damage as a result of tape and the cross contamination of goods. 

Internal Packaging

Wool liner: We have researched the most sustainable material for us to keep your orders cool and reduce our carbon footprint. We have tried using plastic foil liners which proved effective, they were lightweight and a great way to insulate however the type of plastic used to do so and the amount we needed has become a burden to our customers and the environment. We have found, at a steep cost but the most effective and sustainable form of insulation is  wool liner; unrivalled in the world of food deliveries. You can return these to us and we can reuse them. To arrange, click HERE

Cardboard dividers: We are recycling cardboard offcuts to secure items in place during transit to reduce damage and make your items easier to unload.  The paper can be recycled or added to your compost. 

 

Ice packs: We use two different ice packs.  

  1. Foil and Fabric, this item is not recyclable and must be disposed of. The gel is an inert substance and can be drained. 

  2. Puffin Eco Ice pack, collect 5 and return with a minimum of 10 wool liners (Please add no more than 5 gel packs to the liners as the return service is weight sensitive); to do so click HERE

Plastic Bags: We currently use strong plastic bags to maintain the temperature of our products and reduce liquid damage to the cardboard. We are in the process of finding the best compostable/recyclable alternative for us which we are not too far from refining but we ask that if possible you reuse them in your home as bin bags or carrier bags.

Sausage/Burger/Meatball trays: We use cardboard trays which are recyclable and we use absorbent pads and cling film which are not, however it keeps our products in great condition. We are experimenting with alternatives to get your items to you as fresh as possible whilst being environmentally friendly. 

  1. Cardboard tray, rinse and recycle/add to your compost. 

  2. Absorbent pad and cling film, dispose with other general waste according to local council guidelines.

 

Vacuum packs: We would love to be 100% plastic free however we have not found a solution to maintain the quality of our meats in transit effectively without vacuum packing. The most eco-friendly way we have found to avoid compromising our quality is a recyclable plastic vacuum pack. We are so pleased to have discovered this alternative and we will be phasing out old stock. To distinguish between the two, the recyclable ones will be printed. 

  1. Plastic. Rinse and dispose with other general waste according to local council guidelines.

  2. Printed Recyclable Plastic. Rinse and add to recyclable plastic waste, according to local council guidelines.

In summary, the items to be returned are: 

Send via our CollectPlus service by visiting clicksit/gazegill

Unfortunately, if not specified above we cannot take back items :

Thanks for taking the time to read and for being a proactive recycler!