A material can be called a “bioplastic” if it contains a minimum of 25% plant-based material. When we say “plant-based”, it means that it comes from renewable, plant-based sources. Plant sources currently used for bioplastics are often corn, sugarcane or cellulose, depending on what’s most readily available in the country of manufacture. There’s lots of development happening to expand the source of plant-based materials to include agricultural waste and even CO2 re-capture, which is pretty exciting stuff. The building blocks for our plant-based products and packaging can come from any of these emerging sources, and we intend to integrate the latest developments as they become commercially viable.
FAQs
Materials
What do you mean by plant-based plastic? Is it different than a bioplastic? And what's this PLA thing you keep mentioning?
There are lots of different terms used to describe bio-based materials and bioplastics. good natured® packaging and products are made using bioplastics, but we like to use the term “plant-based” to keep things real-world and easy to understand. We also add the exact percentage of plant-based material so you know exactly what you’re getting—for instance, our cupcake packaging is made from 99% plant-based material. This is slightly different than just saying it’s a bioplastic, which is a technical term meaning the material must contain a minimum of 25% plant-based ingredients. The other 75% can be anything really, which raises a few flags. PLA, known as polylactic acid or polylactide, is a biodegradable thermoplastic (in simple terms, a plastic that can be heated and cooled multiple times, and also will break down into natural elements) derived from renewable resources, most typically made today using cornstarch or sugarcane. Most plant-based packaging currently on the market is produced using a PLA base as it’s readily available and cost effective. If you want to learn more about the different iterations of plant-based plastics, check out our bioplastics page.
What is your material made of?
If it’s a bioplastic, we typically use either a PLA base or bio-PE to make most of our products and packaging. These materials are currently produced from either corn starch or sugarcane, although we expect this to continue to evolve quickly as technology advances. From the base material, our technical team adds additional “herbs and spices” to make the material perform at optimum levels. For our food packaging, we start with a base of “PLA” or polylactic acid. Our bins and totes are primarily I’m Green™ by Braskem and our desk accessories are made from a proprietary blend that our brainy scientists developed in-house. Our takeout packaging is made from bagasse (sugarcane) or SFI (Sustainable Forestry Initiative) paperboard.
What if i'm allergic to corn?
Are the plants that you use taking away from the food supply?
Do your products contain toxic chemicals like BPAs or phthalates?
Absolutely not! We are 100% committed to keeping BPAs, phthalates, fluorocarbons, phytoestrogens and all those other nasty chemicals out of our packaging and products. Check out the list of things you won’t find in our stuff here.
Do you sell resin?
We specialize in transforming plant-based ingredients into finished goods, which means we get to see a lot of the latest and greatest ingredients out there, including resin. Check out our polymer engineering page for more information and get in touch if you’re after something unique. Our CTO will love you for it!
How do you brand your products, so your customers know they are plant-based? How do you suggest communicating this to my customers?
If we’ve learned one thing, it’s that we’re all super confused about what all these environmental checklists, certifications and claims really mean! We got some really good guidance early on to “keep it simple, cupcake” and continue to recommend taking a “just the facts” approach to the messaging around sustainability. There’s a lot of greenwashing in this industry, and we’re committed to keeping on a path that doesn’t add to the muck!
You’ll see us consistently focused on delivering just a couple key facts about our plant-based products that we know matter most to consumers:
1. The % of plant-based content
2. What you can do with it when you’re done – recycling or compost symbols, as appropriate
You’ll notice there isn’t a ton of marketing messages all over our food packaging. We’ve heard you - the focus needs to be on your products, not us! 🤐😁
If you have more questions on how to let your customers know about your focus on sustainability, we’re here to help! Reach out to your account manager or please get in touch.
If your food packaging is made from 99% plant-based content, what’s the 1%?
You know that soap example where it’s 99.9% pure? We’ve got a little bit of that going on to make sure we stay in the “under promise, over deliver” camp. The majority of our food packages are USDA Certified Biobased Products made from 100% plant-based content.
In some cases, a specific customer might need an extra boost of durability or color, so we add an additive that may reduce the plant-based content closer to 99%. These additives are FDA approved and contain no chemicals of concern. We use the same thermoforming mold to produce all material variations of our food packaging, so you know you’re getting a minimum of 99% plant-based content.
All our food packaging labelled as 99% plant-based has also been tested according to ASTM D6400 to ensure it will break down within 180 days in an industrial compost facility.
End of Life Options
Long story short: “biodegradable” means a product will break down into elements found in nature over time. The biodegradation process and timeline is dependent on the surrounding environmental conditions (e.g. location or temperature), and there is no regulated timeline in which a material labelled as biodegradable must break down. “Compostable” means a product will break down in a commercial composting facility into elements found in nature and be usable as soil within 180 days. This regulated timeframe is what creates the big difference between a product that can be certified compostable and one that is biodegradable. There’s also a huge difference between saying something is biodegradable and saying that it’s “degradable”. There are no regulations about what a degradable product will break down into and over what period of time, meaning it could leach harmful elements into the environment. To add to the fun and excitement, not every biodegradable plastic is compostable, and not every plant-based plastic is biodegradable. This is a big topic with a lot of terms that get used interchangeably when they really shouldn’t, so if you’re still a little lost (totally fair), check out our compostable packaging page. Our goal is to lift the fog as best as possible and let you make an informed decision.
Can I compost bioplastics in my backyard?
The certification process for compostability is limited to commercial facilities where the exact temperature and mixing for optimum biodegradability can be regularly monitored. While compostable plastics may start to show signs of biodegradation in a home compost over time, they likely won’t disappear within a 180-day timeframe. The composting process is activated by a precise combination of heat, sunlight and moisture. This balance between “it’ll break down only under certain conditions” and “it’ll break down whenever, wherever” is actually what makes compostable packaging possible—it’ll stay intact on a store shelf or while holding your food, but it can be broken down and used again to grow more plants once sent to a composting facility.
Product Performance
Orders
What If I want to place a volume or wholesale order?
For volume and wholesale orders, please give us a call on 1-877-286-0617.
What if a product is out of stock?
Will I have to pay duties or taxes on my order?
When will my credit card be charged?
Where can I find my order number?
Why was my order cancelled?
Can I receive a sample of your packaging before purchasing a case?
Shipping
What are my shipping and delivery options?
Standard shipping is included on all orders, and you can expect your order to arrive in 7-10 business days from the time you place your order. If you need it to arrive more urgently, we also offer an Expedited Shipping service which will arrive in 2-5 business days after you receive your order confirmation.
Rates for Expedited Shipping, which will vary depending on order size and delivery location, will be displayed in your shopping cart and charged to you during checkout.
What If I am outside of the US? Do you ship internationally?
If you’re located in the US, please click here to visit our US store. If you’re outside of the US or Canada, please send us a note at shop@goodnaturedproducts.ca or give us a call on 1-877-286-0617 and we can discuss the available shipping options.
Can I ship to a PO Box?
How do I track my order?
What if my order is damaged?
Our return and exchange policy for home and office products lasts 30 days from the date of purchase. If more than 30 days have gone by since your purchase, unfortunately we can’t offer you a refund or exchange, so please make sure to let us know at shop@goodnaturedproducts.ca right away if your order is damaged.
For non-refundable goods, and more specifically packaging, we provide you with 48 hours after delivery to send us any applicable evidence of discrepancies in quantity, incorrect goods or damage to your order to shop@goodnaturedproducts.ca. In this case, we’ll remediate the discrepancy by replacing the goods or applying a credit to your method of payment. Except as outlined above, all packaging sales are made on a one-way basis and are not returnable or refundable.
My tracking information says my order was delivered, but I haven’t received it. What do I do?
We’re sorry your order hasn’t found its way all the way home yet! When the tracking information says that the package has been delivered, it means that it has been delivered to the shipping address provided when you checked out. You can try the following options to try to locate it:
- Double-check the shipping address you provided for your order to make sure it was correct.
- Check with your household members, colleagues or neighbours at that address in case someone else picked it up for you.
- Check with the security guard, mailroom or front desk.
- Contact your local post office to see if they are holding the package for you.
- Wait 24 – 48 hours for your package to arrive—on rare occasions, the carrier may mark the package as being delivered earlier than it actually is.
If you’re still not able to locate your package, send us a note at shop@goodnaturedproducts.ca with your order number and we’ll be happy to help.
What if I’m not present to receive my shipment?
Depending on the shipping provider, they may try to re-deliver on the next business day or they may send your shipment to a local pick-up point. Some carriers will also let you change the delivery address – you can access this option by clicking on the tracking number in your shipment emails and/or your account order detail page.
What happens if my order was returned to sender?
Where are you located?
Is there a minimum amount I have to spend to receive free shipping?
Returns & Exchanges
I’ve changed my mind about my purchase. How can I return or exchange it?
Our return and exchange policy for home and office products lasts 30 days from the date of purchase. If more than 30 days have gone by since your purchase, unfortunately we can’t offer you a refund or exchange.
Except if damaged, all packaging sales are made on a one-way basis and are not returnable or refundable.
Please contact us at shop@goodnaturedproducts.ca before returning any shipment to us. In some cases, we do not require items to be physically returned to us to be eligible for refund.
When will I receive my refund for my returned product?
If your order is eligible for a refund, we’ll process that back to your original method of payment. Keep in mind it may take several weeks or up to 2 billing cycles for the refund to appear on your statement.
Do you refund shipping charges?
We do not refund shipping charges.
For more information about our return policy, please click here.