Here at Babipur reducing waste and minimising packaging has always come naturally to us. We invest time and effort into reusing as much as we possibly can and minimising our packaging impact and carbon footprint. This is something we have done right from the beginning back in 2007 before the damaging impacts of waste and plastic became so well highlighted by the mainstream media. Here is a little information about what we do;

Reusing

We believe that re-using is one of the best ways to reduce our packaging impact. One major way we do this is by up-cycling and re-using all of the packaging, boxes, pallets, fill, bubble wrap etc that come into our warehouse from our suppliers.  Regular customers to  Babipur will have received a few of our 'wonky boxes' with our paper based elephant decorated tape keeping it together.  Team Babipur are experts in making boxes to fit all sorts of shapes. Customers are often surprised that all of their items fit into our little handmade box.  In fact some customers say that opening a Babipur order is like opening Mary Poppins’ handbag! We’ve always done this and as we’ve grown new processes and special storage areas for upcycled packaging have had to be created. Buying in all new packaging material would be more time and cost effective but we are committed to continuing our policy of reusing as much as possible.

If you receive an order from Babipur that appears to have plastic fill or padding please be assured that we have not bought this material, it has been reused from another source. Please re-use or recycle if you can or dispose of responsibly. 

Reusing packaging in this way reduces the amount of new material that has to be produced and therefore minimises our impact on the environment

New Packaging Materials

To ensure parcels reach our customers in perfect condition we must also buy in new packing materials such as boxes, mail bags, padding and tapes. All new carboard mail boxes are made from recycled and FSC paper sources. All parcel fill is recycled paper kraft roll. Our parcel tape is paper based and can be recycled. 

Mailer bags: We use a variety of mailer bags, some paper based and some made from plastic that has been recycled in the UK. We often get asked about our recycled grey mail bags that are used to send small items. We have investigated a number of options and after careful consideration these mail bags offer a good balance of protection and minimal carbon footprint due to their robustness and small form factor. We know they’re not particularly pretty but they do the job well, they’re light and strong and they make use of a waste material.

Some of our items come from our suppliers in protective plastic covers, usually clothing. Clothing must reach our customers in perfect condition to ensure returns are kept to a minimum and this is why our brands use these protective covers, at the moment it is standard practice across the fashion industry. This is often something we discuss with brands, experiments have been done in the past with alternative materials but they have degraded too quickly. We only work with clothing brands that ensure social responsibility and organic standards certified by GOTS, this is something we passionately believe in. Please don’t let the protective film detract from the amazing work that these brands are doing in forcing change within the fashion industry. We’ll continue to engage in discussions about the use of plastic protective film.

What you will never get from Babipur is a giant box with a tiny item inside filled out with air bags which if you shop online you’ll know is common practice.

Waste and Recycling

Everything we can’t reuse again is sorted and recycled where local facilities allow. Our confidential waste is collected by a local recycling firm, a social enterprise who offer employment and training for people with learning disabilities.

Marketing Material

We don’t produce very much paper based marketing material. For that which we do such as cards included with your order we use recycled paper and choose an eco-friendly printing firm as used by Greenpeace.

Longevity

Here at Babipur we sell high quality products that are made to last. Longevity and reusable products are important because they reduce the need to buy again and thus reduce manufacturing, packaging and transport lessening your environmental impact. We actively encourage pre-loved sales within our customer community which further demonstrates the reputation and quality of the products we sell. We’re strong believers in the philosophy of “buy less, buy better”. When you buy from Babipur you can be sure that the items on our website have been carefully chosen for their social responsibility, quality and care for the planet.

Finally

We’ve always made considered decisions when it comes to everything we do including our packaging. We work really hard to ensure our packaging creates minimal impact and we’re confident we are one of the best in the industry. We take it seriously, we’re continually reviewing, looking for new ideas and ways to improve.