Plastic Free Packaging : Cooper & Clay

Here at Cooper and Clay, we are on a mission to source Unique Homewares and Gifts that have been ethically made, with low impact materials and processes. Ensuring that we can package these items in the most Sustainable way is very important to us.

Preventing Plastics Reaching Landfill

More often that not, we will use Plastic Free Packaging to send out all orders that are placed online. However, we strongly feel that sometimes it’s more appropriate to used plastics that would otherwise be destined for landfill. Reducing waste is very important, so reusing plastics that are not able to be recycled makes sense.

Talking To Suppliers

When we receive items that come packaged in plastics, we endeavour to open up a conversation with our suppliers to help persuade them to move away from using it in the future. However, some suppliers really do have the best intentions when using plastics.

For example, our lovely slate products are handmade to order by a stonemason in Cumbria. They post the items themselves, so we do not control their packaging. Here’s what they say:

For packaging we use re-cycled cardboard, from a friendly local bike shop, that would otherwise be destined for landfill.
We use re-cycled bubble wrap and fabric cuttings from a Lancashire textile mill, that would also be heading for a refuse tip.
So, don’t be disappointed that your product didn’t arrive in an elaborate, decorated box. Be proud that it’s been lovingly made, by a company working hard to preserve the natural beauty of the Lake District.
Coniston Stonecraft

The items from this supplier are seriously heavy, made from solid slabs of slate that can easily be damaged in transit. In this case we believe the company has done everything in it’s power to:

Reduce waste
Only use plastic that would otherwise be destined for landfill
Use plastic free packaging whenever possible

If a supplier doesn’t seem to meet these points, we will simply stop stocking their items – no matter how popular they are!

We believe this approach will help to educate more suppliers in the overwhelming need to reduce single use plastics and help them understand that consumers have had enough.