Plastic, where do we stand?

The health of the ocean and planet is close to our hearts and as a company we actively seek out the most environmentally friendly packaging available.

So, why the plastic tub?

We have been experimenting with alternative packaging since we started in 2008, and to date the issue remains in finding a suitable alternative to our current recycled food grade PP5 plastic pots.

Not to get all sciencey, but, salt is hygroscopic and therefore the packaging we require needs to have a vapour barrier and last past 3 years and beyond.  We understand PP5 to be the safest plastic to heat or freeze, and to re-cycle, so it is definitely not seen as a single use plastic material.  It has a low carbon footprint compared to alternative options. 

Packaging options could include glass or cardboard. However, while it is easy to recycle, glass has a much larger carbon footprint due to the energy used in production, low bulk density for transport (meaning more lorries on the road) and much higher product weight. Cardboard packaging is similarly easy to recycle, but due to the hygroscopic nature of salt, it would always need a single use plastic or plastic coated film or bag inside the cardboard box to keep the salt dry and to meet food hygiene requirements. 

Whilst reducing plastic should be every producers aim, it is worth noting not all plastics are the same with different levels of reusability and recyclability.  Until there is another, even better option, we will continue to advocate the reuse and recycling of our pots. 

Generally speaking, our sea salt pots have a long shelf life in the consumers’ kitchen and we receive lots of encouraging news about the ideas they have reused the pot for – anything from a plant pot to a soup container, chicken feed scoop, emergency prosecco glasses or the perfect pot to freeze any kitchen left overs.

We are carefully monitoring developments in packaging and will make any changes we can, but in the meantime we suggest keeping up the upcycling and recycling of our pots. 

Lastly and importantly, we WELCOME researched alternative packaging ideas to help us move towards sustainable products, now or in the future – please email: anais.hancock@cornishseasalt.co.uk.