We started Halen Môn in 1997 because we love the area where we live. It makes sense then that we care deeply about the environment.
Our packaging is an absolute priority for us and we are actively looking into alternatives to our current plastic pouches. It is sadly not as straightforward as a simple instant swap, as the material must of course be food safe to the strictest standards, and sea salt is a corrosive, moist product so a lot of materials simply will not work.
We are regularly audited for extensive food safety and the packaging suppliers quite rightly must meet a huge number of regulations. Finding an alternative is a difficult task, though of course this does not mean impossible.
FUTURE PACKAGING
We are currently doing shelf-life trials with a paper pouch, which would be fully recyclable and UK-made. Look out for our next newsletter as we will be looking for customers to trial this new packaging for us. There is also the possibility of using vegetable-based inks.
CURRENT PACKAGING
Pouches
– Currently our sea salt pouches come with a cardboard header, which is of course recyclable.
– At present, the material we use for the pouches themselves, PET, is recyclable only where facilities exist, which is sadly not everywhere.
Inner bags of Clamp-Top Jars
– The bags we use to line our clamp-top jars are at present made from LDPE, which can be recycled in most supermarkets along with plastic bags.
OTHER WAYS WE’RE GETTING BETTER
We were very proud to win the Queen’s award for sustainability in 2017 – a recognition that we reduce our carbon footprint every single year and will continue to do so as long as we exist. We have recently invested in some Terracycle boxes, meaning that hairnets and gloves worn by salt-makers are collected and recycled.