Many people ask us questions about our choices in sustainable materials. We're very proud to be the greenest basics brand in the Netherlands, and think it's fantastic our Saints are going through the trouble to check these facts. We often get questions about our plastic packaging, how can that possibly be eco-friendly? You'd be surprised! Read along with us:
Why would a sustainable company use plastic?
We have thought long and hard about that. We've spent quite some time experimenting with different types of packaging, each with it's own pro's and cons. After taking them all into careful consideration, our best option was D2W oxo-biodegradable plastic.
What is oxo-biodegradable plastic?
The clue is in the name: It is plastic that's biodegradable. During production the 'normal' plastic gets mixed with a small portion of pro-degradant additive. This means that when the plastic comes into contact with light, water, heat or pressure, it will start to biodegrade.
Our intelligent plastic packaging, made with D2W
Doesn't it leave micro-plastic in the environment? This is a huge pollution problem!The long-term effects of micro-plastics on the environment are still largely unknown, but the potential damage to land, sea, and living creatures is enormous. Of course we, as Saints, do not want to add to the problem. But going on scientific evidence, D2W plastic doesn't leave any plastic particles behind in nature. Our plastic packaging is entirely consumed by microbes: “Oxo-biodegradable plastic conforms to ASTM D6954 and BS8472. It degrades and biodegrades in the open environment, until it becomes a food for micro organisms. There are no toxic residues or fragments of plastic.” (source: biodeg.org)
There is plenty of scientific literature to support these claims. Want to know more? Check the links below:
biodeg.org
Oxo Biodegradable Plastics Association
What about the production?
D2W biodegradable plastic is made in the same factories as “normal” plastic, with the same machines. It is an oil-based product, but recycled plastic can be used as a raw material. Our plastic packaging can be recycled too, so make sure to dispose of them correctly! They are not meant to end up in nature, but if they do, the D2W-additive ensures it biodegrades completely, without dispersing micro-plastics.
Our previous packaging
Why don't you just use paper or cardboard packaging?
We have experimented with this a lot, and there are a few downsides. First of all, we haven't found a single one that can handle the wrath of the postal sorting machines. Because all of our packaging broke, we had to wrap our clothes in a extra (plastic!) bag for protection. This means we ended up wasting even more resources. Secondly, paper isn't nearly as sustainable as people might think. The environmental impact from paper and cardboard can be 3 - 10 times more than plastic!
Isn't there a better alternative?
As always, every option comes with it's own pro's and cons, and we have to weigh them against each other in order to choose the most eco-friendly option. That's exactly what we've done in this case, and believe we have made the best possible choice. Plastic pollution is a huge concern, and more and more countries are taking action to reduce their plastic waste. We hope this will bring more innovative solutions to the problem, so we can constantly improve our methods.