Return Your Packaging
In order to get our meat to you safely and securely does require packaging and we know many of you are not able to recycle as much of it as you would like.
If you can’t compost or recycle our packaging through your local council you can send some of it back to us and we will reuse, recycle or compost it for you.
Currently we can accept the following packaging back:
- Wool pouches
- Ice packs
- Green branded plastic bags that your meat arrives in (please ensure these are clean and fit to return)
All you need to do is collect a minimum of 5 orders worth of packaging and send it back to us in 1 box (please use a suitable sized box, even if it is not one of our own, to return the packaging).
Our packaging returns scheme has been carefully thought about to be as convenient for you and as environmentally friendly as possible, it is uneconomical to send back any less than 5 wool pouches.
Please ensure that all packaging is as clean as possible when returning it, so we have the best chance of reusing or recycling it.
Ready to Send Back Your Packaging?
To return your packaging to us using Collect+, you will need to print off and attach a shipping label to your box. Once your box has been labelled and sealed you will need to drop it off at one of the 7000 Collect+ stores around the country.
Locate your nearest drop off point here
Packaging Recycling Guide
Wool Pouch
Our pouches are made from all natural, 100% British sheep's wool, housed inside a completely home compostable bag.
Our wool pouches are 100% home compostable and biodegradable. This means that once you have used the wool pouch it can be put on your compost heap where it will naturally break down and release a whole host of lovely nutrients such as nitrogen which can fertilise your plants.
You can put our wool pouch on your compost heap, in with your green waste or you can return it back to us and we will reuse it or compost it for you.
If you do place your wool pouch into your landfill bin, it will still degrade within 12 months and fully compost in up to 3 years.
All our wool pouches are:
- Fully home compostable
- Made from 100% British sheep's wool
- Manufactured in the UK by a family owned British company
- Made from a natural byproduct
- Fully breakdown, even in landfill
Branded Cardboard Box
Our cardboard boxes are biodegradable, and 100% recyclable. Our boxes are made from a material that is FSC certified, sustainably sourced, made from recycled materials, 100% biodegradable. Once you have finished using your box it can be recycled or composted.
Brown Paper Tape
Our paper tape is biodegradable and 100% recyclable, it doesn’t need to be removed from boxes before recycling.
Card & Paper Material
All the card and paper material found inside your box is 100% biodegradable, compostable and recyclable as well as sustainably sourced and made from FSC certified materials.
Green Branded Plastic Bags
Our green bags are made using virgin LDPE which means they are completely recyclable. We have specifically designed them to be used as part of a circular economy. Please recycle them responsibly and they will be used again and again and turned into all manner of other products in the future.
Ice Packs
Our ice packs are completely recyclable. Simply allow them to defrost, snip the end and pour the filling down the sink. The outer wrapper can then be placed in with your plastic recycling if you have it in your area, or taken to a suitable soft plastics recycling outlet.
Our Packaging Promise
Over 30 years ago we founded Pipers Farm with one mission, to produce food we as a family could eat with complete confidence. As part of our mission, we knew we had to produce food in harmony with nature. We wanted to create a company that has a totally open door policy to every part of our process and a company that is ethically and environmentally responsible.
We think long term, balancing the issues of climate change, pollution, and food waste.
Our mission is to: Remove, Reduce, Re-love and Recycle all our packaging.
Right now, the most important change we can make is to recycle at home, and to put pressure on local councils and recycling centres to improve their services.
We will continue to strive to reduce and improve all areas of packaging and waste because just like you we believe in reducing our environmental impact to ensure we create an incredible landscape for future generations to enjoy.
Food Waste
Globally, a third of all food produced is never eaten. When food is wasted, so is all the energy used to grow, transport and package it, contributing to at least 8% of global emissions. Packaging plays a vital role in reducing food waste.
We’re fighting food waste by:
- Using nature’s best preservative - freezing
- Having a nose to tail philosophy
- Inspiring you with seasonal recipes that use up your leftovers
- Turning waste byproducts into things you love (tallow soap, sheep's wool packaging, beeswax candles)
- Using the right packaging to keep your food fresh, without the need for chemicals
Reduce Plastic
Durable, flexible, recyclable, with a lower carbon footprint than paper and infinite uses when disposed of responsibly, in many ways, plastics are brilliant. It’s no wonder that globally we have become increasingly reliant on them.
Unfortunately, carbon footprint isn’t the only environmental issue to be considered when it comes to plastic. Large amounts of plastic are ending up in our oceans and are not being widely recycled as part of a circular economy.
We’ve removed as much packaging as possible, you won’t find any plastic lurking in our boxes where it isn’t absolutely necessary. For any plastic we use we ensure that we use the lowest grade plastic possible in order to reduce our usage. Unfortunately, we can’t do without plastic-like material completely; without it, your food would not be able to be stored in the freezer leading to an increased rate of it going ‘off’ and being wasted, resulting in massive food waste.
As we only work with whole carcass butchery, there is minimal plastic used at the beginning of our supply chain. Our carcasses are delivered from the abattoir to our butchery completely plastic free, it is only when we cut and wrap our meat do we add plastic to our products in order to meet food safety protocols and get the food to you safely.
It is important to consider this and make the distinction, as in many other retail environments, such as butcher's shops and supermarkets, meat is repackaged multiple times during the long supply chain process, which means far greater amounts of plastic are used. It may be finally wrapped in paper by the butcher over the counter of a supermarket or in a butcher's shop, however that does not guarantee a reduced plastic supply chain and often masks the true story of how that product has arrived from farm to table.
At the moment, recyclable plastic is the most sustainable material to use for many of our products. We’re constantly researching and testing new packaging options that will help achieve our mission.
We’re balancing long-term environmental impact with protecting and preserving your food, reducing food waste.
Whilst we are on a mission to reduce our use of plastic, unfortunately, there are still limited sustainable options available. In the meantime, we’re happy to take back as much of your packaging as possible.