Our policies around plastics
What is our commitment?
We encourage everyone to reduce plastics in their life and aim for zero waste. However, we also know that not everyone can do this or even wants to do this. Our philosophy at Hello Charlie is any small change towards sustainable living is a big step.
We therefore aim to offer products that are fully reusable, but also to offer products that are comparable to, but more sustainable than mainstream alternatives.
A good example is baby wipes. We stock reusable baby wipes and disposable wet wipes. To ensure that the wet wipes we stock are better than the mainstream, we will only stock fully biodegradable wipes. As there is no viable alternative to plastic packaging for wet wipes, we will only stock brands that are in soft packaging that can be recycled through REDcycle.
Another example is a plastic lunchbox. Although these are usually made of virgin plastic, it’s a product that is going to replace hundreds, if not thousands, of pieces of single use plastic. By opting for reusability and durability, we’re giving the environment a helping hand, even if we are choosing a plastic product.
When it comes to plastics, we are committed to:
- Reducing single use plastic
- Choosing products made of recycled plastic where available
- Opting for fully recyclable plastics
- Only using safe plastics:
- HDPE #2 plastics
- LDPE #4 plastics
- PP #5 plastics
- #7 plastics that are opaque, including ABS, nylon, and bioplastics
- Prohibiting the following:
- Bisphenols (including BPA and BPS)
- Phthalates
- PET or PETE #1 plastics
- PVC #3 plastics
- PS #6 polystyrene
- PC #7 polycarbonates
What do we require our suppliers to do?
- To disclose the types of plastics they are using
- To commit to reducing single use plastics, including packaging
- To ensure that packaging can be easily recycled
How will we implement this?
We have always stocked only safe plastics, and will continue to check each and every product before we will stock it.
We will work with our suppliers to reduce single use plastics, including product packaging and packaging for shipping.
As at July 2021, we have only rough estimates of how much plastic packaging we receive that cannot be recycled. The majority of this is pallet wrap. We haven't been able to find a recycler for pallet wrap, and at this stage are working with suppliers on alternatives to pallet wrap.
Transparency
We have always included plastic types where applicable on the product descriptions pages on our website.
We are currently undergoing brand audits for all of our suppliers. As we complete our reviews and Brand Audits, we will make these publicly available on our website. We aim to have all current brands published by 30 June, 2022.
If you have any questions about our plastics policy, please feel free to get in touch at info@hellocharlie.com.au