End-of-life

End-of-life in sustainable packaging refers to the final stage of a product's lifecycle, where packaging is disposed of, recycled, or repurposed. Sustainable packaging aims to minimize environmental impact by ensuring that materials can be effectively managed at this stage. This includes designing packaging that is biodegradable, compostable, or easily recyclable, thus reducing waste and pollution. Proper end-of-life management ensures that resources are recovered and reused, supporting a circular economy and reducing the environmental footprint of packaging materials.

How do I compost your products?

Refer to a blog post on how to compost!

Are your paper mailers and boxes kerbside recyclable?

Yes, our paper mailers and mailer boxes are made using recycled board and can be recycled in any paper waste stream.

What is the spout made from, can this be composted or recycled?

Our spouts are made from rigid plastic polymers and can easily recycled in their respective plastic streams.

Can you use your vacuum pouches be used for sous vide?

All of Grounded's vacuum pouches are able to be used for sous vide cooking. Our Plantmade recyclable pouches can be used for temperatures up to 80C or 175F. Our Plantmade compostable pouches can be used for temperatures up to 70C or 160F.

Can your recycled products be recycled again?

Yes they can. Grounded's recycled films and laminated are recyclable in either dedicated LDPE streams (#4) or via in-store collection systems. Check out your local soft plastics recycling schemes or speak to one of our packaging experts for more information.

Can your recyclable materials be composted?

No, our recyclable product are not compostable - they're designed to be recycled! For further reading please see our blog post on Composting vs Recycling.

Does the recycled content have any effect on the quality of the packaging?

Recycled content has greater variability compared to virgin plastic that creates a slightly speckled, grainy texture in the film. This is almost imperceptible to the naked eye and does not effect packaging or print quality. Speak to one of our packaging experts about getting your hands on samples of our recycled products!

What is the maximum volume or weight your products can hold?

Unfortunately different products and materials have different considerations so there is not a uniform answer to this. Please reach out to one of our packaging experts who can assist further.

How long does it take to compost?

Composting timeframe depends on the exact conditions of the compost. Industrial or commercial composts run at higher temperatures and generally operate on a time frame of 2-3 months. Home composts are more variable and dependent on things like climate and how well they are managed. Home compost certification assumes the compost environment operates ~30°C and in order to achieve certification products must fully biodegrade within 12 months.

Does compostable packaging have a shelf-life?

Unlike plastics, compostable materials are designed to have a shelf-life. They won't start spontaneously composting on the shelf or in your warehouse but over time things like sealing and lamination strength will start to deteriorate. In general, we recommend our compostable materials be used within 12-18 months depending on the product being filled as well as storage conditions. However this is influenced by atmospheric conditions like heat and humidity so in particularly hot and humid climates this is reduced. We recommend storing all compostable materials in dry climate controlled conditions as best practice to ensure best shelf-life of the packaging itself.