Recycling Our Packaging and Helping the Environment

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• Each year we send out thousands of parcels throughout the UK and beyond. Each order is safely protected to survive its onward journey and the inevitable bumps and bashes it will encounter. We pride ourselves on our high standard of packaging and also care deeply about the environment.

Being a retail business, we receive a large amount of boxes and cartons from our suppliers. Where possible we reuse these boxes for sending out orders. One exception is that if an order has a different delivery address to the billing address, we will always use a plain, anonymous box. This way we don't spoil the surprise if it's a gift. Also, you can always request an anonymous box when placing your order, if that helps keep a pressie under wraps.

Using a 'previously used' box may not look as nice as a shiny new box, but it does help to save on cardboard. So if you receive such a box, don't worry that it advertises a different product from what you have ordered. Open it up and you will (hopefully!) find your correct order inside. It is always a fine balance between the size of outer box and the amount of void fill used for each order. We always err on the side of caution.

Our "Standard" boxes can be configured into 21 different sizes, but occasionally, due to a particular items size or shape, it may look like too big a box has been used or there's too much packing material inside. But we would prefer that rather than the order arriving damaged or broken. We also ensure each order is protected by filling underneath as well as on the sides and top. Something many companies don't do.

When we moved into our new warehouse, in November 2021, we received a "Business Development Grant" from Reigate and Banstead Borough Council (our local authority) for, amongst other things, a cardboard shredder.

Our local supplier struggled to supply the model we wanted for quite a while, it finally arrived in November 2022!

Between The Riedel Shop and Art of Living Cookshop we generate a huge amount of waste cardboard, from suppliers, customer returns and even, bizarrely, our cardboard box company. Usually, between 3 and 4 cubic metres per week!

Previously, this has all had to be sent away to be recycled. Well, not any more!

Our brilliant Cushion Pack CP422S2i Cardboard Shredding Machine (not a very sexy name, I know) means that we now send away an average of one small box per week to the recycling company.

All our packing materials are recyclable with most boxes, according to our box supplier, being used and recycled back into new boxes within 14 days. Very impressive! The SuperTube (bubble wrap on steroids) that we use, is made from LDPE (low-density polyethylene) which can be made into a number of different products through polyethylene recycling, such as plastic panelling, rubbish bin liners, furniture, rubbish bins and compost bins.

As well as you being able to recycle our packaging, we recycle as much of our suppliers packaging as possible. Our weekly visit from our Hungry Recycling chap, affectionately known as Hungry Simon is always much anticipated, although it usually involves a fair amount of last minute rushing around making sure that all our plastic, paper and cardboard has been properly sorted.

As well as all this, new Riedel glasses and decanters are made from up to 50% recycled glass from within the factory, the production processes are completely BPA-free (no plastic), the main raw materials are locally sourced, such as quartz sand from Hirschau, Germany (short transport routes) and the beautiful Riedel display boxes are made from Forest Stewardship Council certified products.