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Today, 85% of Lima packaging is recyclable or compostable. Lima works to improve its packaging every day because sustainability and ecology are very important to us. We always strive to use the most ecological materials, as long as the preservation of the product is guaranteed.

EXCITING!

In 2020, we will also switch to a greener variant for our Tetra Pak packaging. This switch will proceed systematically, because we will use up our existing stock of packaging first. The new packaging has a cap made from 100% sugar cane, and consists of 88% renewable vegetable materials. Compared to standard Tetra Brik® Aseptic 1000 Edge packaging, the plastic ensures a reduction of CO2emissions by 20%. Renewable materials are better for the climate: they absorb CO2 from the atmosphere. Our Tetra Pak is made from wood fibers and plant-based plastic from sugarcane, both renewable materials. The cap is made entirely from sugar cane. The origins of these materials are all traceable. The cardboard via FSC™ and the cap via Bonsucro (www.bonsucro.com). The packaging is also produced almost entirely with renewable energy, which means a further CO2 reduction compared to fossil alternatives.

WHAT DO WE DO ALREADY?

Our vegetable drinks and creamers come in Tetra Pak packaging. Tetra Pak packaging is also recyclable and consists of 70% (paper) renewable vegetable materials. You can recognize this packaging by the round Tetra Pak logo that is always displayed on the packaging. The packaging consists of a number of layers that become separated by water during recycling. The cardboard fibers are reused to make cardboard boxes, stationery or shopping bags, for example.

The plastic and aluminum layers are also reused for making crates, planters or in industrial applications in construction, for example. We also started to work creatively with our packaging, for example, incorrectly printed packaging was recycled and carrier bags were made with it.

Compostable packaging at home: our rice packaging, as well as our Shiitake, Sea spaghetti, Nori and Wakame packaging are compostable at home. You can simply compost this packaging in your own garden with fruit and vegetable waste. Our tea also comes in compostable packaging. The foil around the box and the tea bag (without staple) are compostable at home, and they protect the aroma of the tea. The cardboard box is of course also recyclable.
Our rice syrup is in a bottle made from 100% vegetable HDPE, which provides a lower CO2 imprint than when using fossil HDPE (almost 90% difference). This packaging is recyclable.

The bags for our coffee substitutes (Chicory 250 g & 500 g, Yannoh filter 500 g & 1 kg) are partly (60%) made of renewable vegetable materials. This packaging is also recyclable.

We use recycled cardboard for all our cartons, but not for product packaging. Recycled cardboard contains mineral oils from inks, glue and other elements. These mineral oils can migrate into the product. Recycled cardboard can only be used if the product is sufficiently protected against a migration, for example, if it is wrapped in aluminum foil.

The products wrapped in foil (rice cakes, grains and noodles, for example), are made from PP polypropylene or PE polyethylene, two neutral materials chosen for their moisture barrier and good preservation of products. These bags and foils are also always available in recyclable form.

Our glass bottles and jars are also recyclable. You should make sure you sort out the colored and non-colored glass first though. After all, non-colored glass can be remade into non-colored glass, while colored glass stays colored. Sometimes, the production of glass requires 25% less energy when recycled glass is used. We often opt for glass due to storage and ecological reasons.

Our sea salt packaging will be available soon, and it will be industrially compostable. You can recognize industrial compostable foil by the seedling logo or OK compost logo. Material that is industrially-compostable can be degraded by up to 90% within 6 weeks in an industrial composting installation.

PARTNERSHIPS

Here at Lima, we are also a member of Fost Plus, which means we contribute to the collection, sorting and recycling of packaging. You can recognize this by the green point that is organized for each European country.

The FSC quality mark guarantees a responsible origin from sustainably-managed forests and/or recycling. Moreover, wood and wood-derived products or other forest products can only bear the FSC mark if the processing chain from forest to end product can be checked for traceability. The strict requirements of the FSC label and its credibility are widely recognized. The FSC label is the only label of its kind supported by environmental organizations such as WWF and Greenpeace, as well as by social and economic bodies.

Biogarantie, founded in 1987, is the Belgian private label for organic farming. The label can be found on food products. Biogarantie guarantees ecological, social and economic sustainability. The label stands for fair price, care for water, energy, biodiversity, transport, packaging and waste. The check is carried out by independent control bodies that are recognized by the Belgian government.

COLLECTIBIO is a French initiative. This initiative consists of organic shops where customers can take their plastic packaging. With Lima, we finance the program and TerraCycle®, who organizes the recycling of collected waste. Everything is organized by Synabio, the union of organic companies. More info.

SYMBOLS ON OUR PACKAGING

What do the material symbols on our plastic packaging mean? They refer to the composition of the packaging and are mainly used on bottles and cups. You will find number 7 on the bottle of our Rice drink, Natural and Calcium, and this is because this is a multilayer bottle that still consists entirely of PE. It is therefore recyclable. Number 7 is also used for “other materials” such as vegetable components like PLA, cellophane from starch. These are completely vegetable and biodegradable. Number 7 does not always mean bad, sometimes it can be a good thing! More information about the other numbers can be found here: https://learn.eartheasy.com/articles/plastics-by-the-numbers/