Posted: 18th September 2024 | Back to news feed
The piece of the puzzle to creating 100% sustainable, compostable, zero waste packaging
Postal worm egg count specialists Westgate Labs are celebrating a momentous breakthrough in the pursuit of their eco-credentials. In partnership with a leading UK plastics manufacturer, they are thrilled to solve one of the biggest challenges of their sustainability journey to date, that of eliminating single use plastic from their test kits. Through autumn 2024, they will replace the sample pots in their packs with a new container made from a cutting-edge biomaterial.
“It was a Goldilocks moment!” commented Marketing Director Claire Shand. “One that’s been a long time coming after many dead ends. It looks like plastic; it behaves like plastic but it’s completely compostable. This is the final piece of the puzzle to making our range of test kits 100% sustainable, compostable and zero waste. We took a big risk on the investment, but we couldn’t be happier with the result.”
Once processed through their laboratory, the spent sample pots can now be composted on the farm muck heap in Northumberland, along with the returned pouches, envelopes and letterbox packs that went compostable in 2020. Meanwhile cardboard and paperwork are recycled by a local confidential waste company. It’s estimated that this combined effort will reduce the firm’s waste to landfill by a total of 90%.
“The climate crisis, the decline of wildlife in our countryside, the devastating impact of marine plastic pollution, these are all things we care deeply about” continued Claire. As a business we feel we have a responsibility to mitigate our environmental impact as much as possible, and this is certainly a win! It’s not about being perfect but doing what we can. Reusing, recycling, buying from ethical companies where there is a choice, it doesn't have to cost the earth, but each one makes a difference.”
Why has it been so hard to source a container?
“The faecal samples must be in a rigid, airtight container to go through the postal service and to preserve the integrity of the sample for testing” explained Operations Director Kristy Hodgson. Finding a material robust enough to stand up to these rigours, while also breaking down quickly in the correct conditions has been a challenge. Add to this the need for it to be uniform, easily replicable and cost effective and you can understand how tough it’s been.”
Westgate Labs’ customers appreciate it too with equestrian coach and ambassador Miri Hackett commenting: “This is such an exciting development. I’m so grateful to be partnered with such an environmentally friendly organisation that not only puts the health of the horses we love so much at the heart of their work but also the environment and the world we live in.”
https://www.westgatelabs.co.uk/
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