How Recyclable is Grund's Packaging?
In the U.S., how much packaging is sent to
landfills versus recycling?
And how does this relate to Grund’s mission?
In 2018, according to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, landfills received 82.2 million tons of packaging material in their landfills. This equates to about 28.1 percent of total landfilling.Now, a lot of that packaging can be attributed to industrial distribution and large online marketplaces. However, even smaller scale retailers like ourselves contribute to this global problem of where does our trash really end up? Packaging that ends up in landfills takes months if not 10-20 years or more to break down. This, of course, depends on the packaging material; whether it’s plastic, cardboard or something harder to break down like styrofoam. Grund consciously chooses not to use styrofoam because of its problematic presence in our environment and because there are better alternatives in 2021. This all relates back to our mission.
Grund’s mission:
“Bring about conscious consumption for all through the use of high-quality
organic linens that can be trusted for years to come.”
We don’t just claim to be conscious consumers here at Grund, we are. And this identity establishment has been created through years of making our best effort possible to continue to provide sustainable and organic products for all. In fact, this has been over thirty years in the making since our start in 1990 in the Czech Republic. There, we began in a vacant bedroom where the garden served as a space for drying mats and yarn was stocked in the garage.We’ve come a long way since then, but we never let our growth alter our ultimate vision: “Inspire others to live clean and change the world.”
In the U.S., how much packaging is sent to
landfills versus recycling?
In 2021, there is a vast variety of environmentally friendly packaging to choose from. The kinds that are available range from recyclable material, all the way to compostable.
Why choose recyclable over compostable?
The term “compostable” is often used in greenwashing and allows companies to sell their products at a higher price than their competitors. However, these have one major catch in fine print.Their products are only compostable at a commercial facility. Compostable can have a wide range of meanings.
When a business says that their products and or packaging materials are compostable, oftentimes they don’t mean that you can do it in your own backyard. This creates confusion and items often aren’t disposed of properly.
Composting at a commercial facility is not available to everyone and recycling is more widely used by the general public. At Grund, we choose the greatest good for the greatest number of people, which means recycling is our go-to at the moment. However, as better alternatives are created, we are more than willing to reconsider our packaging.
How Recyclable is Grund’s packaging?
When we had the option to choose between plain and eco-friendly tissue paper versus the prettier, but
less eco-friendly paper, guess what we went with?
The decisions we make in terms of packaging never start with what looks best. We start with where we can make a difference. Why? Because the paper and the box that our products come with may only be used momentarily. Meanwhile, they may last in a landfill for significantly longer.
Where recycling was not plausible within our packaging, we looked for areas where reusing would be our next best choice. Because we owe it to you and our Earth to make decisions that represent the greater good.
How can you reuse our packaging?
Especially with the cardboard boxes that the majority of our products come in, we made sure to make them sturdy not only to survive shipping, but also to be reused by you. Whether reusing looks like using it to wrap your friend’s birthday gift or using it to store your old photos, we encourage it.
Here are some of the best ways to reuse cardboard packaging:
Use as a gift box
Storage
Cut to make cards
Use for crafts
Give it to your cat
Make a pet bed