We’ve tried to do our best for the environment for a while.
We heat our brewery and offices with carbon-neutral wood pellet stoves, bought from ethical and environmental energy suppliers. We have invested in shredders so we reuse our cardboard. We recycle everything, including food waste in a bokashi bin. We source organic ingredients for our brews wherever possible. We don’t use chemical cleaners - just magic microbial ones.
But something weighed heavily on our conscience.
The labels that we used in our last brand had a metallic strip which made them hard to recycle and although the bottles were recyclable they were made from virgin plastic.
That has now changed.
We are proud to tell you that our new packaging is a big step towards a more sustainable future.
Being green is a value that is important to us, and so embracing these changes feels absolutely brilliant and necessary. Here is an update on our new greener packaging.
1. Our bottles are now made from 100% recycled plastic
One of the most exciting changes in our new eco-friendly packaging is our use of 100% recycled PET (rPET) bottles. These bottles are made from post-consumer beverage plastic bottles of original food grade quality. Our suppliers have invested in cutting edge technology (they call it the Starllinger IV+) to transform used bottles into food grade recycled plastic materials.
2. Sustainable lids
We have gone with a high-density polyethylene cap that is designed to be recycled. These caps meet stringent requirements for contact with food, making them a safe choice for a wide range of products. When you’re finished with your bottle of probiotics, you can put it in your recycling bin, safe in the knowledge that these caps can easily be recycled.
3. Labels
Our new supplier uses an eco-friendly label made with ClearFlake technology. This makes it easy to remove the label in the recycling process to ensure the bottle and the lid are clean. Our labels are printed digitally which has environmental benefits including reduced print waste and no need to use UV curing, solvents, or plates. They work with printers that enable a reduction of approximately 50% in consumption and waste, and are awarded the Green Leaf Mark from Intertek - one of the world’s leading independent certification and testing companies.
But we are keen to go even further. Over the coming year we will be investigating using paper labels which can be pulped after use and recycled. Unfortunately as it stands this technology is not available to us at our volumes but we are working towards it.
4. Eco-conscious production
We’re committed to environmentally responsible production processes. We use 100% green renewable energy to manufacture our materials.
We won’t stop there. It is our commitment to keep working out ways that we can be kinder to the planet and ways that we can use microbes to help us close the cycle of life.
How can you help?
By putting your used microbz bottles into your recycling. Also choosing sustainable products really does make a difference so please spread the word.
