Say No to Plastic Bags
The biggest change has been getting rid of individual plastic bags that comes from the factory. Each Nappy or Wet bag is wrapped for protection during shipment, but we noticed that it was taking considerable time to open each individual bag and generating bags and bags of trash. Which then in turn creates an issue for us to dispose of.
Living so close to the beautiful beaches of Byron Bay and Ballina, we want to protect our way of life and the ocean as it is such an inspiration to my brand. We want to keep our operations as clean as possible.
The problem with plastic bags is that they are placed in a landfill and over time, they release toxic chemicals. They eventually break down into the soil but that can take hundreds of years.
We have learnt from past experiences and have asked the factory not to use any plastic on our products during the shipping process and to bundle the products all together instead and place into a box for shipment. This is not very common in our industry, but felt it was the right move forward for our business and to help reduce our impact.
Why we Use Hemp and Bamboo Fabric in our Inserts
Every Bottoms Up Junior Cloth Nappy comes with an insert set. This set is made from 2 layers of Organic Hemp Fabric and 1 layer of Organic Bamboo fleece. Hemp has natural benefits of the fibre.” Aside from being super soft, hemp fabric is incredibly strong. It is made from cannabis sativa fibres, an herbaceous flowering plant native to Asia. Hemp, much like the other fabrics listed on here, absorbs moisture well and is highly breathable. In addition, hemp is naturally anti-microbial and is resistant to mould and mildew, which is important in the use of cloth nappies.
Bamboo is 40% more absorbent than even the finest organic cotton, wicking moisture away from the skin much faster and keeping you dry and comfortable easier. Bamboo can take in three times more water than its weight which once made into a fabric, means that it also is able to get rid of moisture faster.
These benefits were exactly why we wanted to use 100% natural, organic fibres on our insert set
We also use TPU instead of PUL for the waterproof backing of our nappies so that the fabric is more pliable, and the manufacturing process is more earth friendly, as well as less harmful to the factory workers.
Compostable Packaging
As an online business, shipping packages is what we do every day. Thinking of the hundreds of packages we sent to our customers in poly-mailers made us cringe. So I decided it was time for a change. Eventually I came across a new Australian/ New Zealand Company, The Better Packaging Co. they had created the solution I was searching for. Making compostable mailers that bio-degrade in 180 days, or 6 months. This is a product and company I am proud to support and being a home grown company makes it even better!
Minimal Product Packaging
BUJ also prides itself in using minimal packaging by posting your goods in compostable "poly" mailer bags.. What you see in the picture above is exactly what you'll receive in the mail. Your amazing brand new nappies, a card for wash/fit guide made locally in my town out of recycled paper. We believe that although packaging can be fun for the customer, we pride ourselves on being minimally impactive to the environment as possible. Less packaging= less waste!
