Our Impact
Carbon Neutral Packaging
Being environmentally conscious has always been a focus at Georgette Packaging. (Most recently we held a charity rummage sale to raise money for Tree Trust - a grassroots organization that works to preserve old growth trees). We've also heard from countless customers about the importance of prioritizing eco-friendly packaging options. In 2019 we decided to double down on our environmental efforts by making absolutely all of the packaging we produce fully carbon neutral. Based on our research, we're the first Canadian packaging company to make our packaging completely carbon neutral.
What does this mean?
Simply put, this means we are purchasing carbon offsets to neutralize the emissions created by our packaging. Carbon offsetting works to compensate for the carbon emissions created by an activity such as transportation, agriculture, or manufacturing. Most carbon programs operate in one of two ways: they provide funding to projects that reduce CO2 emissions, or they support tree planting efforts.
Of course, not every carbon offset is created equal. (You can learn more about that right here). We're aiming to focus on projects that are transparent, efficient, and trustworthy by partnering with Pachama, a fellow Y Combinator-backed carbon credit provider developing the world's first carbon offsetting marketplace. Specifically, as of 2020 we direct our carbon offset credits to support the Darkwoods Forest project in British Columbia as part of the Nature Conservancy of Canada.
For a better planet
As business owners, we have the opportunity to take on more responsibility when it comes to sustainability. The choices we make for our companies affect hundreds of thousands of people. We've seen the impact one business can have by publicly taking a stand for better environmental practices. Be that business. Get in touch to get a consultation started on your new carbon neutral packaging.
We have also taken the extra steps to not only offset our employees carbon footprints but also to encourage our team to reduce their footprint by participating in the Carbon Neutral Club, who are 'on a mission to build a climate movement through the workforce, one employee at a time.'
More Environmental Considerations
We want anybody who uses something made by Georgette Packaging to know where their packaging came from, what it's made of, and how to dispose of it in the most responsible way possible, given their community. I care a lot about this subject; I worked as a sustainability and renewable technologies engineer in England and Northern Ireland prior to starting Georgette. This background has uniquely positioned me to help businesses navigate towards more and more environmentally conscientious packaging choices.
Boxes
Our paperboard boxes are made in Ontario, Canada, using two different materials - kraft or white board. Kraft board is made from 100% recycled board, and is both recyclable and compostable in many municipalities. Pure white board is made using virgin fibre, and does not contain any recycled content. However, the vast majority of municipalities recycle white board easily. They break it down into a pulp, which is then made into new (kraft) boxes. The average box has gone through the recycling process 7 times - kind of like a cat.
Our corrugated boxes are also made from 100% recycled materials, and are completely recyclable. Our rigid boxes are made from a combination of recycled board on the interior, and new material on the exterior. The inks we print with, as well as the glues we use in our packaging are soy and vegetable based. We use only water-based coatings to seal our inks. In fact, if you felt so inclined, you could safely eat any of our boxes! We recommend pairing them with a tall glass of Veuve Clicquot…
Bags and Paper
Our pastry bags are made in Canada, and our handle bags in the US. We strive to manufacture the majority of our packaging within North America, to avoid the high energy usage of long distance transportation. Like our paperboard packaging, we offer our bags in either white or kraft paper, easily recycled by most municipalities. We manufacture our handle bags with twisted paper handles, so that the final product is 100% recyclable. Our wax and tissue paper is also available recyclable or compostable, in either a white or kraft base.
Cold Cups
Our cold cups are majority made in the US, and come in two materials: PET (polyethylene), and Ingeo™ biopolymer. PET is a type of recyclable plastic, and Ingeo™ biopolymer is a compostable, American-grown PLA resin derived from plants. PET cups can be recycled by most municipalities, and compostable cups can be broken down by a city’s municipal compost system. We offer clear lids in either recyclable (PET) or compostable materials (Ingeo™).
Hot Cups
The majority of our hot cups are made in China. They come in two versions: either ‘regular’ (which are made of board lined with a tiny amount of plastic - these are recyclable in some municipalities), and compostable.
Moving forward
Our environmental processes aren’t perfect - yet. We’re working to make them better: manufacturing more items in North America to reduce energy consumption, constantly searching for kraft options for all our packaging, and carrying products that can be widely recycled and composted. We’re also searching for more widely compostable and easy to decompose packaging options, and more reusable items.
Want to join us in our environmental efforts? Go the extra mile to educate your customers on what your packaging is made of, and how to properly dispose of it. Make recycling and composting bins available, accessible, and identifiable. Encourage your municipality to do recycling and compost pickups for businesses, and call for transparency regarding what really happens to these materials. Question the effectiveness of your local processing programs. Encourage your customers to reduce their use of disposable packaging - and when you do use disposable packaging, make the most of it by branding it so that it has a real purpose in building your business and brand!
Our consultants can help advise you on how to do this - we’re here to support your sustainability efforts. If you have any questions about the environmental aspect of your packaging, don’t hesitate to get in touch!
