Earth Day – how to reuse and recycle our packaging…

20 Apr 2021

Earth Day may be celebrated on the 22nd April each year, but as a business, we are constantly thinking of ways we can create a greener future. The annual event of Earth Day is designed to shine a light on the environmental issues we are facing, from climate crisis to deforestation and air pollution.

We try our very best here at Welsh Cheese HQ to reduce our company’s impact of waste to landfill. This blog post will show you exactly how to dispose of or reuse our packaging in an environmentally friendly way. You can even gift it to a little furry friend!

Our Boxes:

When you place an order with The Welsh Cheese Company, we will send your goodies out in one of our branded boxes which are made not far from Welsh Cheese HQ in South Wales. The cardboard used is a minimum 70% FSC certified sustainable cardboard box and is 100% recyclable. If you unfold the box, inside you’ll find a gorgeous map of Wales, showcasing the locations of our fantastic cheesemakers. Take a look at this before recycling to see which part of Wales your cheese came from and maybe where you’d like to get your next lot from!

Woolcool Insultation:

Our Woolcool fleece liners are both recyclable and reusable! They provide a very high performance insulation and can keep your cheese at perfect temperature while it is on its travels. As wool is a by-product of rearing sheep, it is available in abundance and is one of the most sustainable and natural materials! It is completely compostable and biodegradable and releases valuable nitrates back into the soil. Once the wool has done its job as useful packaging, it can be reused in a variety of ways!

Wool can be used in the home for any of your furry friends, they really do like to cuddle up on the soft wool, it could be a soft pillow for a spoilt cat or extra warmth for your hamster’s bed! Wool is very flexible so can be easily shaped. Wrap it around your pipes to stop them freezing in the winter or around your plants to protect them from the cold. For more creative ideas on how to reuse your Woolcool, see the pictures at the bottom of our blog.

Cardboard Sleeves:

We have recently changed the protective sleeves that we use for insulating our glass products. Out with a single-use foam sleeve and in with a recyclable cardboard upgrade. Not only are they much better for the environment and can be recycled, they also create better protection for your glass goods.

Paper Tape:

We use branded paper tape to seal the boxes our hampers are sent out in. We’ve made recycling as easy possible for you as the whole box and tape can be recycled without the need to pick off the pesky plastic sticky tape. If you ever wanted to reuse the cardboard box, the tape can easily be pulled off and is 100% recyclable and biodegradable.

Recyclable Mailing Bags:

We currently send most of our parcels with two couriers, DPD and APC. Our DPD mailing bags are 100% recyclable, whereas our APC bags are made completely from recycled materials. Both of our couriers are committed to protecting the environment and creating a greener future.

Ice Packs:

All of your goods are sent with a gel ice pack. These can be reused as many times as you like and are great to keep your food cool if you’re travelling or going on a picnic. If you choose to dispose of your ice pack, simply defrost it, cut it open, pour the non-toxic gel down your sink and recycle the packaging. Rinsing with a hot tap helps the gel dissolve quicker.

Here is a collection of images of ways in which our packaging has been reused.

Protect trees form the frost. @sally_cello via Twitter

Keep pests away from plants.

The perfect size cat bed. @TheGraceK via Twitter.

Increase rate of fermentation.

A free dog toy! @russelliph7 via Instagram.

Customers have also told us that they’ve put wool on their bird tables so it can be taken for nests. A great idea as we are currently in nesting season!

If you decide to reuse our packaging we’d love to see pictures. Tweet us @welshcheeseco or tag us on Instagram @welshcheeseco .

Find out more here Earth Day 2021 | Restore Our Earth™ | EARTHDAY.ORG