New Foodservice Packaging

It's all in the name - at Good & Proper, we are constantly working to do things properly. It's our core ethos. A way of working. From sourcing to our company culture, partners to merch - it's a standard we hold ourselves to. Read on to find out how we approached finding a new packaging solution to keep our Good & Proper teas tasting fresh and delicious, whilst working to reduce the impact we leave behind.

Over a year in the making, we are transitioning all of our foodservice packaging (loose leaf and tea bags) from a Kraft, multi-layer composite packaging that is non-recyclable, to a new, lower impact alternative: recyclable LDPE4 made from 65% post-consumer recycled content.

With a brand new design identity, these bags will look even more impactful on your back bar and shelves - signalling to your customers that you're serving tea as it should be. The white bags with the black ampersand house loose leaf tea and the black bags with white ampersand contain tea bags - both of which are labelled with our signature-style brewing instructions, flavour description and origin information.

This overall packaging change aligns with our goal of reducing our environmental impact while continuing to ensure that the quality and freshness of our tea is maintained from farm to cup.

What does it mean for our customers?

When developing our new packaging, we surveyed over 50 of our wholesale customers, not just to gather information on their preferences around pack size and format, but also to understand the waste disposal streams available to them and identify the materials used by their coffee suppliers for packaging - helping us to avoid introducing an additional material they would need to dispose of separately.

That said, we know that disposal options vary significantly depending on local council policies and waste collection providers. Therefore, we have also included a QR code on the back of pack that customers can use to find out the recycling instructions for the bag in their jurisdiction. Visit Recycle Now and type in 'coffee pouch' for recycling instructions in your area.

The selection process

In selecting the most appropriate packaging solution, we evaluated several key factors:

• Product protection and freshness – Maintaining moisture and oxygen barrier properties as well as protecting the integrity of the leaf to ensure tea quality and shelf life.
• Recyclability and end-of-life impact – Ensuring the packaging could be effectively recycled through existing and expanding UK infrastructure, minimising landfill and incineration waste.
• Carbon footprint and lifecycle analysis – Reducing the emissions associated with material sourcing, production, transportation, and disposal.
• Material composition and sustainability – Prioritising the use of post-consumer recycled content to reduce reliance on virgin fossil fuels.
• Consumer usability and disposal – Selecting a material that aligns with our customer’s recycling behaviours and available collection points. 
• Regulatory and market trends – Monitoring developments in UK regulations, with potential changes that could expand flexible plastic recycling.
• Comparative environmental impact – Reviewing compostable alternatives, understanding their infrastructure limitations and higher carbon intensity.
  

Why LDPE4 was chosen

Recyclability and end-of-life considerations

• LDPE4 (65% PCR) can be recycled at supermarket collection points for plastic bags. Whilst far from perfect, this offers the best available end-of-life option at this point in time.
• Unlike compostable packaging, which often ends up in landfill due to inadequate industrial composting facilities, LDPE4 contributes to a more circular economy.
• LDPE4 reduces the amount of waste sent to landfill/incineration by approximately 170 kg per 10,000 units compared to current packaging.

Carbon intensity & lifecycle impact

• Lower footprint compared to compostables and virgin plastics:
  • Post consumer recycled content reduces demand for new fossil fuel-based plastics
  • Compostable plastics often require agricultural feedstocks, adding emissions from farming, processing, and industrial composting
• Total carbon footprint of LDPE4 is 28% lower than the current packaging and 58% lower than compostable packaging.
• Reduced transport emissions: Lightweight material minimises carbon footprint during distribution.

Product protection & shelf life

• Ensuring the integrity and freshness of tea leaves from the farm to the end user is a key priority.
• LDPE4 provides a strong moisture and oxygen barrier, compostable materials may degrade faster or require additional protective layers. Our teas have a 2 year shelf life so ensuring protection over the long term was key.

Other packaging options considered:
Current packaging (Kraft/VMPET/LDPE – Recycling #9)

• Material Composition: Multi-layer composite (Kraft/VMPET/LDPE)
• Recyclability: Not recyclable or compostable so typically ends up in landfill or incineration
• Carbon Intensity: Higher due to virgin plastic content and non-recyclable waste
• Performance: Strong barrier properties for moisture and oxygen protection
• Total Carbon Footprint: 2,883 kg CO2 per 10,000 units - information provided by Grounded Packaging

New packaging (LDPE4 – 65% post consumer recycled material – Recycling #4)

• Material composition: LDPE4 (low-density polyethylene) with 65% post-consumer recycled content
• Recyclability: Not widely recyclable through household collections, but can be recycled at supermarket collection points for plastic bags. However, with growing investment in flexible plastic recycling, the UK government and industry initiatives are working towards expanding kerbside collection for soft plastics. As infrastructure improves, LDPE4 could become more widely accepted through household recycling schemes in the future.
• Carbon intensity: Lower due to recycled content, reducing reliance on virgin plastic
• Performance: Maintains required barrier properties to preserve tea freshness
• Total carbon footprint: 2,059 kg CO2 per 10,000 units (28% lower than current packaging) - information provided by Grounded Packaging

Compostable packaging (Compostable laminate - certified Industrially Compostable)

• Material composition: Typically PLA, PBAT, or other biopolymers
• Recyclability: Requires industrial composting; not widely supported and often ends up in landfill
• Carbon intensity: Highest of the three options due to energy-intensive composting and raw material sourcing
• Performance: Not a huge amount of testing information available but could lack necessary moisture and oxygen barrier properties, compromising product integrity in the long term
• Total carbon footprint: 4,896 kg CO2 per 10,000 units (138% higher than LDPE4 and 70% higher than current packaging). Compostable packaging tends to have a higher carbon intensity than plastic alternatives due to several key factors:
  • Resource-intensive raw materials – Made from crops like corn or sugarcane, requiring land, water, fertilisers, and energy-intensive processing.
  • High energy manufacturing – Specialised production processes and additional additives increase energy use compared to recycled plastics.
  • Transport emissions – Often heavier and bulkier, with longer supply chains leading to higher carbon emissions.
  • Energy-intensive end-of-life – Requires industrial composting facilities that consume energy, and if landfilled, it can release methane.
  • Limited circularity – Unlike recycled plastics, compostables break down into biomass, requiring constant new material production.
    

In summary

While LDPE4 is a significant improvement over our previous packaging, we acknowledge that no perfect solution currently exists. Compostable options lack sufficient infrastructure, and fully eliminating plastic is not yet feasible without compromising product quality. However, this transition represents the “least-worst option”, balancing sustainability with the need for food safety and product longevity. With the climate crisis being the most urgent global challenge, reducing carbon emissions is a top priority. By choosing a lower-carbon packaging solution, we are taking a meaningful step toward minimising our impact while continuing to seek better alternatives. We remain committed to continuous improvement as better materials, recycling systems, infrastructure, and government policies evolve.

Grounded Packaging

Our friends at Grounded Packaging helped source and develop the new bags. Grounded Packaging is a Certified B Corp, specialising in sustainable flexible packaging. They provide data-driven insights to help businesses reduce plastic waste without compromising quality. With a focus on compostable, recyclable, and low-impact materials, Grounded is leading the way in making packaging more transparent, measurable, and sustainable.

Need any help pulling together your tea offering, training your team or finding the right teaware? We'd love to help - just get in touch with the team at wholesale@goodandpropertea.com and we'll arrange a call.