Frequently Asked Questions

The criteria for the industrial compostability of packaging are set out in the European standard EN 13432. This requires materials to disintegrate after twelve weeks and completely degrade after six months.

Our compostable food packaging can be composted along with food waste in industrial composting facilities or on-site bioprocessors. When our products are collected for industrial composting, they are usually be sent for anaerobic digestion or in vessel composting where the temperature and processes can be controlled and monitored.

Through these processes, compostable packaging breaks down, along with food waste, into a nutrient rich substrate, digestate or compost.

We also work with partners across the world that manufacture bioprocessors. Our compostable food packaging can be digested in these bioprocessors alongside food waste, allowing packaging and food to be processed together on-site.

Our compostable food packaging is made from materials that are certified to the EN 13432 standard for industrial composting.

Household and on-street collections of compostable packaging are limited. However, there are a range of on-site solutions and take-back schemes that are available to our customers.

Compostable solutions have an important role to play, particularly for helping to capture more food waste and divert it from landfill. We are currently working with partners throughout the UK, the EU, and the rest of the world to set up on-site closed-loop composting solutions.

Talk to us more about our compostable food packaging and on-site composting solutions.

Cardboard is one of the most efficient materials to recycle. A 2022 study by Graz University of Technology estimated that cartonboard fibres can be recycled at least 25 times*.

Carboard recycling has multiple benefits:

• Significantly reduces the volume of waste sent to landfill and incineration
• Reduces carbon emissions that would otherwise be produced from converting virgin fibre into new sheets
• Keeps valuable resources in circulation by yielding fibres that can be made into new products
• Plays a role in promoting a circular economy

More about our recyclable food packaging

*Source: ProCarton

We follow the UK Government’s Recyclability Assessment Methodology (RAM) to assess the level of recyclability of our packaging, as the UK introduces Red, Amber and Green (RAG) ratings for all packaging products.

Each category considers various obstacles that impact a product’s ability to be recycled in the UK, such as collection rates, product composition, and material specifications.

In the UK we follow the guidelines issued by On-Pack Recycling Label (OPRL) to produce the recyclability labels that we print on our packaging. This helps consumers to make informed decisions when disposing of food packaging after use.

More about our recyclable food packaging