Planglow: our sustainability story

What is your packaging made of?

We use plant-based materials which can be divided into two camps:

PLA - polylactic acid - is a biobased plastic derived from corn starch. We use PLA for the windows of our grab and go packaging, to make our clear bags and some of our lids, as well as to line some of our cups and pots.

Wood Pulp - comes from trees and other plant matter. It used to make the paper / card parts of our products, as well as our bio laminate cellulose film. Cellulose is found in the walls of plant cells (in this case trees) giving the plant its rigidity and strength.

We also use an aqueous coating in our bowls, cups, pots and compostable sandwich packs. This is water-based derived from a fossil-based polymer; however, it is certified home and industrially compostable.

Why plant-based beats plastic

We use certified home and / or industrially compostable plant-based materials wherever possible. We believe these are more sustainable than oil-based plastics, finite materials that do long-term damage to our ecosystem.

Our paper, PLA and cellulose coating use raw materials from renewably managed plantations and forests. This means the plants and trees they come from are carefully harvested and replanted to ensure ongoing growth.

How to dispose of Planglow's packaging

Compostable packaging

We've partnered with Zap Waste Systems to make composting simple. Zap connects you with local waste providers who collect your compostable packaging alongside food waste and transport it to certified composting facilities, where it's turned into nutrient-rich compost.

Recyclable packaging

Many of our products are recyclable to On-Pack Recycling Label (OPRL) standards. Simply place them in the correct paper, card or plastic recycling stream. Packaging with baked-on or soaked-in food can't be recycled, but light food residue is fine.

On-site disposal

For businesses looking to process waste on-site, our partner PRM Waste Systems offers the Bio-Processor. This aerobic digester breaks down food and suitable packaging waste by up to 80%, helping reduce waste disposal costs while converting waste into a soil enricher.

Our product certifications

OPRL (On-Pack Recycling Label) is the UK's leading packaging recycling labelling scheme. It provides clear disposal instructions, such as Recycle, Don't Recycle, or Recycle at Large Supermarkets, helping consumers dispose of packaging correctly and reducing contamination in recycling streams.

TÜV Rheinland DIN CERTCO is an independent certification body that verifies packaging meets EN 13432 industrial compostability requirements. Certified products have been independently tested to confirm they biodegrade, disintegrate, and compost safely in approved industrial composting facilities.

DIN Geprüft Home Compostable certification confirms a product has been independently tested to break down in home compost conditions. It verifies the material biodegrades safely without harmful residues, providing confidence it is suitable for composting in a domestic compost heap.