Last month, my co-founder Becs and I, packed our bags for Southeast Asia to see the POLLAST!C Project in action. It's not the first time we've been, but it was definitely the most intensive trip to date and fascinating on so many fronts. Here are a few of the things we learnt.  1. The importance of a Sustainable Business Model NGOs and non-profit organisations are doing some great work in the waste management space, but they require constant funding and the funding can be fickle. We believe that the only long term sustainable way to establish the systems nee ..read more

Exciting news! Alongside iconic New Zealand brands Karma Drinks and Trade Aid, Better Packaging Co is now officially an Ākina certified Impact Supplier. What does this mean for us and our fabulous customers?   What is an Ākina certified Impact Supplier? Being an Ākina certified Impact Supplier is a mark of distinction in the realm of sustainable business practice in New Zealand. It signifies that we've met rigorous criteria set by Ākina, a renowned organisation dedicated to fostering social enterprise and sustainable solutions. This certification is a ..read more

'Tis the season for festive debates, and among them, the sustainability face-off between artificial and real Christmas trees. First let's unwrap the sustainability pros and cons, then get to the science and then The Golden Rules.   Artificial Trees: A Plastic Predicament Pros: Everlasting Enigma: Artificial trees are the evergreen champions of reuse. With proper care, they can last for many seasons, reducing the need for repeated tree procurement. Deforestation Deterrence: By opting for artificial, you avoid contributing to the direct felling of trees, easing the strain on natural fore ..read more

Got any used packaging hanging around? Inspired by one of our Better Friends @frayfibres who made an eerie installation from repurposed Buff Compostable Mailers and Compostable Garment Bags, we've turned some of ours into second-hand Halloween decorations too! SPIDERWEBS First you'll need to cut out a square from one side of a black POLLAST!C or Compostable Mailer and then follow the tutorial below on youtube. We stretched ours a bit so that it was less uniform and a bit more realistic! BATS! Cut out this template (or make up your own half bat sh ..read more

Until now there have been very few sustainable alternatives to stretch pallet wrap made from new, virgin plastic. While there are reusable wraps in market, and we would highly recommend investigating these, they are often only suitable if the wrap is used within a closed loop system. More often, goods are wrapped in pallet wrap before being sent to another location, where the wrap is then removed (and is difficult to return to source). In 2020, Better Packaging Co. began producing a certified home compostable pallet wrap and did so for some time before deciding we could do a lot better – we c ..read more

"If we eliminated the use of polybags, garments would be damaged...A damaged product that is unwearable has a far greater environmental cost than manufacturing a polybag." Patagonia –‘A Study on the Challenges of Garment Delivery’ We're here to make it as easy as possible for you to minimise the negative impact of your business on the environment! Replacing your courier mailers with a 'Better' alternative is relatively easy because that's a step in your supply chain that you can control. You may do your own fulfilment or even if you use a 3PL, you are able to use or supply your 3PL with the ..read more

Can POLLAST!CTM packaging help reduce global warming and climate change? POLLAST!CTM is our range of bags (and more!) made from recycled Ocean Bound Plastic pollution that we rescue from the environment in SouthEast Asia. It’s pretty obvious how this helps reduce plastic pollution, but what is its impact on the global warming crisis we currently face?     POLLAST!C production has a low carbon footprint The process of making POLLASTI!C Packaging generates significantly less greenhouse gases than when the equivalent packaging is made from virgin plastic1. So, when our cu ..read more

We’re kicking up a stink because humanity has a problem. We just can't seem to stop making more and more new plastic, most of it never gets recycled and far too much of it ends up in our oceans. Basically, we treat plastic like sh!t.​ The challenge laid down by the UN on World Environment Day 2023 is to find solutions to plastic pollution. At Better Packaging, we’re doing our best. This year alone, we'll collect 1 million kgs of plastic pollution from the environment in SE Asia and recycle it into POLLAST!C Packaging. We can only do this becau ..read more

If you’re considering getting your BCorp certification, here are some tips from Amelia, who heads up our Special Projects Office (ok, she is the SPO) and as our nominated 'B-Keeper' was responsible for managing the process for us. Designate one person to gather the information necessary and complete the assessment. This saves time and avoids doubling up and confusion. As a start-up we didn’t have many formal policies or procedures in place before we began the process, so the BCorp framework along with the templates BCorp provided were great tools to organise and structure ..read more

It is no secret that sustainability has become a buzzword. From the fashion industry to the food industry, companies are constantly striving to be more ‘sustainable’. At Better Packaging Co. we’re not ditching ‘sustainability’ because it’s gone mainstream, we’re saying sayonara because it is simply not enough. To truly begin to undo the damage mankind has done to the environment, we need to go beyond sustainability and adopt a regenerative approach instead. Sustainable actions focus on conserving resources and preventing further damage to the environment, whereas regeneration seeks to improv ..read more