Home / Sustainability

AM-Sustainable Charlie

We define sustainability as the ability of the current generation to meet its needs without compromising future generations.

For us, it’s important that the ingredients we choose and the way we produce our food is sustainable for both your health and our environment. 

FOOD PRODUCTION
We ensure that any food waste made during production is composted and that recyclables are directed towards individual recycling streams.

PACKAGING

Econic®Clear™ Compostable Vacuum Bags
We are New Zealand's first vegan, chilled-food products company to launch our products in compostable plastic vacuum bags – Econic®Clear™. We are sourcing Econic®Clear™ from Hamilton, New Zealand based company – Convex Packaging Ltd.

Econic®Clear™ bag is made from compostable films that help to lock in the freshness, taste and flavour of Amino Mantra Plant Patties. These films are certified to the European and American com­postability standards (EN 13432 and ASTM6400). Econic®Clear™ bag will break down when disposed off in a composting environment containing heat, water, oxygen, soil and micro-organisms. Find out more about Econic®Clear™ here.
 
NOTE: For customers who do not have access to composting facilities, you could drop off used Econic®Clear™ compostable packaging to either of our farmers’ market stalls on weekends. Farmers' Market location and timing details are here.
 
Paper Boxes
Our outer packaging boxes have won Gold Award in Pride in Print Awards 2019, New Zealand. They are made from mixed paper (combination of recycled & virgin pulp). The virgin pulp is sourced from sustainably managed forests and processed without using elemental chlorine bleaching. The paper board is produced under ISO 14001 – an international standard that specifies requirements for an effective environmental management system (EMS).

Vegetable based inks
The inks that we use on our packaging boxes are mineral oil free and are manufactured from vegetable oils and fatty acid alkyl-esters (vegetable oils) which are all derived from renewable resources.
They all conform to the EuPIA (European Printing Ink Association) exclusion list so do not contain any carcinogenic, mutagenic, or toxic substances according to the Dangerous substances directive 67/548/EEC. They therefore are biodegradable and will break down when disposed of in suitable waste-streams.
   
We incorporate zero-waste principles into every aspect of our business, helping to minimise our production impact on the landfill. Having said that, we acknowledge that there is always room for improvement. We believe that practice of zero-waste philosophy is not a destination but a journey – full of opportunities, challenges and constant learning.  

If you have new ideas or suggestions, we would love to hear your feedback here.

Tamper-proof stickers 
The tamper-proof stickers on top lid of the pack are made from PLA clear film sourced from renewable materials. Both the film and the adhesive comply with EN13432 and are commercially compostable. 

 

Home Delivery Packing Material

For your online order, we will dispatched it by wrapping it with reusable Thermogard Ice gel packs and packed in recyclable cardboard box and recyclable insulated foil to keep the temperature cool. 

Return You can return these packing materials back to us at our Farmers' Market stalls here.

Recycle:The outer cardboard box and insulated foil can be recycled in paper recycling stream.  

For the Thermogard Ice gel: People are concerned that putting the gel down the drain will clog it up, or the gel will flow into the ocean and damage the environment. Others want to know if they can recycle the plastic casing, as more people are wanting to reduce their carbon footprint. Our Thermogard ice gel is non-toxic, which can be reused for different purposes or disposed in three simple steps.

Reuse: there are always other uses for your Thermogard gel ice packs and you may not have to throw these away! Thermogard gel ice packs can be used over and over again -  we recommend reusing these for picnics, camping trips, sports events, or whenever you need to keep something cool. Ice packs last twice as long as bags of ice and are far less messy, with no water leakage or damage to your chilled items.

Dispose:
- Step number one: once you are done with your gel ice packs, defrost them and cut open with scissors.
 - Step number two: empty the gel into the trash, you don’t need to worry if the contents touch your skin as this is a non-toxic substance. The gel is made with a SAP (super absorbent polymer) and it is an inert media so does not release harmful gases when in landfill. 
 - Step number three: once the gel has been removed from the bag, give it a good rinse and your plastic casing can be placed in a flexible plastic recycling bin!
    Cut open Thermogard   
    NB: If in doubt about whether Thermogard plastic casing can go in your recycling bin, you can check the Thermogard recycling code against your bin requirements. The Thermogard recycling code is Number 7. The ingredients in Thermogard Gel have actually been used for many years in nurseries as a moisture retention method that absorb water and release it slowly as required. It is a chemically inert product which means it will have no mineral effect to the soil.
    https://www.thermogard.com/blogs/news/how-to-dispose-of-thermogard-gel-ice-packs