WCM&A launch plastic free packaging and highlight their eco credentials

There are millions of name and promotional badges supplied in the UK every year from either UK or overseas manufacturers and everyone poly bags them and uses vast amounts of plastic packaging to protect badges in transit. All of the plastic packaging ends up in landfill and is unnecessary.

As a UK manufacturer, we decided to take a lead in designing and implementing a plastics free packaging system that we could use for all our UK manufactured products, not only to do our bit but also hopefully to inspire other companies that there was a better way. A management team was put together with specific responsibilities for finding the best way forward and we met frequently to share our thoughts and accelerate progress.

We researched so called eco plastic bagging and packaging alternatives, some of whose environmental claims were fundamentally flawed and potentially actually worse for wildlife, and chose card as it is the only packing material any company can easily recycle and by using recycled card we can minimize the environmental impact even further. We’ve also been able to do all this at no additional cost to distributors and our new solutions also look great, so much better than a jumble of poly bags in a box. The card is 100% recycled card with FSC recycled certification and is made without the use of harmful optical brightening agents.Combine that with recycled paper and card packing rather than bubble wrap, plastics free padded envelopes, new box dimensions to minimize waste and even plastics free packing tape – WCM&A really are offering the industry an eco-solution.

But that’s not all…

• All moulded components used on WCM&A’s reusable name badges and button badges are made from 100% recycled plastic – and have been for many many years.
• All our hardwoods for badges, merchandise and awards come from the same supplier who has full FSC and PEFC certification to prove a responsible supply chain.
• Production of our metal name badges, clutch pin badges, button badges, all wood products etc is completely waste free. All our metals come from part recycled material and the production excess has a commercial value so is easy to have recycled responsibly.  Wood waste is either used in heating or the shavings are used by local farmers.

The WCMA factory is being as sustainable as possible, assessed every year through our ISO14001 accreditation. Recycling is paramount, all heating comes from a biomass boiler in which we only use pellets made from waste material from the UK pallet industry.

For more information contact WCMA and visit ecopacksolutions.co.uk