When it comes to ‘sustainable’ products, you hear a lot of buzzwords thrown around. Think ‘sustainable’, ‘ethical’, ‘biodegradable’, ‘eco-friendly’ – the list goes on. However, without certification or independent verification, how can one verify that the claim is true and not just greenwashing (intentional or not)? Greenwashing has consequences: individuals and organisations cannot make informed decisions about the products they want to buy. This is where certifications come in.
How do certifications help?
Certifications demonstrate a company’s commitment to quality, safety and sustainability. It affirms that a company’s claims regarding the products, processes and social impacts have passed specific performance, sustainability and quality assurance tests. Where regulated, robust standards back up claims of environmental impact, it can help consumers and business owners to shop (and sell) responsibly.
What certifications do BioPak have?
Their plant-based compostable food service packaging is certified to Australian (AS4736) and European (EN13432) standards for collection and processing in industrial and home composting conditions.
Environmental manufacturing
The majority of BioPak’s suppliers’ manufacturing facilities are certified to ISO 14001 Environmental Management Systems, and two are in the process of achieving certifications. This standard provides a framework that an organisation can implement to ensure the environmental impacts are considered and managed during the manufacturing process.
Food safety certification
HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point) is an internationally recognised standard that defines the requirements for effective food safety control. It should be applied while manufacturing food, ingredients and beverages and is a key element of the CODEX General Principles of Food Hygiene (SGS, 2023).
Sustainably sourced paper
BioPak packaging is made from responsibly-sourced and rapidly-renewable plant-based materials. All their paper products are made from Elemental Chlorine Free (ECF) bleached fibre, and many are made with FSC™-certified paper.
B Corp certification
As a certified B Corporation, BioPak have met verified higher levels of social and environmental performance, transparency and accountability. B Corporations, or B Corps, make decisions that make a positive impact for their workers, customers, suppliers, community, and the environment (B Corp, 2023).
