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Sustainability

"At Zepbrook, we've always prided ourselves on achieving our mission statement: ‘Marketing and de...

"At Zepbrook, we've always prided ourselves on achieving our mission statement: ‘Marketing and delivering great products to our customers with exceptional service.’ In 2024, our commitment extends beyond just customer satisfaction—we are dedicated to working with our suppliers to help reduce, and where possible, eliminate non-environmentally sustainable products.

 

In a business where everything comes packaged to protect the product, this is not a straightforward task. However, we have made significant strides since 2019 and continue to strengthen our efforts. We are particularly focused on collaborating with BCorp, Social Enterprises, and other suppliers who adhere to sustainable practices. Over the past few years, we have introduced numerous sustainable products from these committed partners. Concurrently, we have phased out many of the least sustainable products from our offerings.

 

Our goal remains to serve our customers while aligning with our original mission statement. We appreciate the support from our customers in our journey to reduce our environmental impact and hope this page inspires you to implement similar changes within your company."

 

Gareth Abbott, Managing Director’

Simplifying Industry Terms: It's important to understand what is meant by recyclable, biodegradable, and compostable.

  • Recyclable

    Recycling is the process of converting waste materials into new materials and objects.

    UK recycling policy focuses on:
    Plastic, Paper, Glass & Tins / Cans

    Contamination is a huge problem in recycling. Bottles and cans need to be empty of all liquids, and food containers rinsed clean.

    PE or PLA lined paper cups need to be recycled in suitable sites. As of 2019 there are 17 separate UK sorting plants.

    Examples:

    • Plastic (anything made from): PP, PS, PET, PC
    • Uncoated paper
    • Cardboard boxes
    • Glass bottles
    • Drinks Cans
    • Food Tins

  • Biodegradable

    Capable of degradation through the action of living organisms.

    There are many biodegradation sites in the UK that can accept all manner of products. Please see DEFRA for more information and check with your local site.

    Biodegradable products all eventually biodegrade. However, it's important to realise this process could take years or even decades, depending on the product and where it ends up. This is where Compostable comes in.

    Examples:

    • 100% paper products such as paper straws
    • Wooden cutlery and other wooden products
    • Pulp paper products
    • PLA lined paper cups
    • PLA clear cups

  • Compostable

    Capable of breaking down in under 12 weeks in commercial composting conditions, and is therefore suitable for industrial composting.

    This is not a generic term and must be proven by certification. Just because something is biodegradable does not make it compostable. There are several certification schemes, including “Seedling Certified” and “BPI Certified”.

    Compostable packaging needs to be in compostable conditions in order to compost. Industrial composting creates the perfect balance of microbes, moisture and warmth to facilitate this.

    Examples:

    • PLA lined paper cups
    • PLA clear cups

Reducing Single-use Plastics

One of the easiest changes you can make is switching from plastic cups to paper cups

The production, use and disposal of plastic emits enormous amounts of greenhouse gasses into the ...

The production, use and disposal of plastic emits enormous amounts of greenhouse gasses into the environment. Not only this, but when plastic ends up in landfill or the ocean—as it often does—it could take anywhere from 100, up to 1,000 years to decompose.This is why we encourage our customers to make the switch from plastic cups to paper cups, containing little or no plastic.

Waste Collection & Recovery Schemes

To ensure waste is disposed of correctly, we recommend these Waste Management Companies

For typically hard-to-recycle items, you could try using a scheme like TerraCycleYou can even earn points which can be exchanged for donations to schools, charities or non-profit organisations of your choice

See below are some of our suppliers & partners deliver on environmental sustainability
See below are some of our suppliers & partners deliver on environmental sustainability

BELU

Belu are a carbon neutral Social Enterprise donating all profits to WaterAid, committed to sustainability (100% recyclable plastic bottles).

Shop Belu Water

4 Aces

If you are looking to transition from oil-based plastic products to a more environmentally friendly option, 4 Aces are here to help.

Shop Now

Want to find out more about our journey to being more sustainable? Contact us now!