Sustainability

Sustainable practices in action

We’re not perfect, but we strive to do better

We recognise that by making products, we will always have an impact on the environment. We are constantly striving to do better in all areas of our company, from ingredient sourcing, to packaging, to the restorative organisations we support.

We’re constantly looking to make more sustainable choices, from considered ingredient sourcing, to conserving resources and reducing waste. We offset carbon emissions locally by regenerating native forests through the Climate Action Company, which incentivises farmers to restore and plant native trees.

Our practices

B Corp Certified

Our B Corp certification reflects our commitment to caring for people and the planet. From the ingredients we source to the packaging we use, and through the work we do in our community, every choice is made with responsibility. We’re not perfect, but we’re always striving to do better.

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Packaging

Every type of packaging has its pros and cons. There’s always room for improvement. So we're committed to finding the best packaging that protects our products, protects you and minimises our impact on the environment. And we are constantly looking for more sustainable packaging options as they become available.

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Sustainability Practices

B Corp

Being a B Corp aligns seamlessly with our core values at Two Islands. We've always been committed to creating products that are not only good for you but also good for the planet. This certification is a testament to our dedication to conducting business responsibly and ethically.

For our customers, this certification is a promise. A promise that when you choose Two Islands, you're choosing a brand that cares deeply about the impact it has on the world. From the ingredients we source to the packaging we use, every decision is made with careful consideration for its environmental and social implications.

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Climate Action Company

We are thrilled to announce our collaboration as a launch partner with Climate Action Company, a groundbreaking initiative that marks New Zealand's first voluntary carbon credit marketplace specialising in traceable native carbon credits. Through Climate Action Company, individuals and businesses alike have the unique opportunity to engage directly with landowners, fostering a relationship that not only creates a new income stream for landholders but also facilitates the acquisition of high-integrity carbon offsets.

These offsets play a pivotal role in the regeneration of our native forests, contributing significantly to environmental sustainability and conservation efforts. Join us in this venture as we strive to make a positive impact on both local economies and the preservation of our natural ecosystems.

Most recently we have partnered with Climate Action Company as they launch the country’s first publicly available biodiversity action credit to protect and enhance Aotearoa’s native species. The biodiversity credits provide financial backing for conservationists and landowners who are taking steps to make the environment safer for native species, but who currently lack funding to achieve their goals.

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Living Wage

Living Wage Aotearoa engages with employers, communities, and the government to encourage the adoption of living wages. They work towards creating awareness about the importance of fair remuneration and its positive impact on the overall well-being of individuals and communities. At Two Islands we are committed to paying a living wage to all employees and aim to foster a more equitable and inclusive economy in New Zealand.

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Local Recycling

Unfortunately, there is no perfect solution when it comes to packaging within our category. In Australia, mixed material containers like food tubs with a cardboard exterior and foil lining can’t be recycled through kerbside bins. Because the layers of cardboard and foil can’t be separated by consumers, they’re treated as contamination in the recycling system. Unless your local council has a specific program for composite materials, these items should go in your general waste bin.

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Recycling

At Two Islands, we’re committed to doing our part towards a healthier future not only for ourselves, but also our planet – not just today, but every day.

By partnering with TerraCycle we can be confident that all components of our packaging are correctly broken down into their separate elements. These are then repurposed into usable new items such as outdoor furniture and children’s playgrounds, guaranteeing that our products are kept in circulation, instead of contributing to landfill.

TerraCycle is an eco-friendly recycling company that has become a global leader in recycling typically non-recyclable waste.

How it works

  • 01

    Getting involved is easy. Simply create a free TerraCycle account via their website here.

  • 02

    Collect your used Two Islands packaging at home using any available box. The larger the box and the more you collect, the more efficient the programme!

    By collecting more Two Islands packaging before sending your shipment in, we can reduce the environmental impact even further.

  • 03

    When you are ready to send in a shipment, download a shipping label from your TerraCycle account, tape it securely onto your box, and drop it off at your nearby post office.

  • 04

    Your Two Islands packaging will now be repurposed into products such as outdoor furniture and children’s playgrounds, closing the loop and keeping our products in circularity and out of landfill.

Packaging

New Zealand is considered a clean and green country, and although traditional plastic packaging is widely accepted by nearly all local government recycling schemes, we know that approximately 40% of recyclable plastic, and 58% of packaging, still ends up in a landfill. Even if plastic is recycled, the same piece of plastic can only be recycled roughly 2-3 times before it’s quality decreases to the point where it can no longer be used.

It’s no secret that a lot of products that we think are recyclable and put into our recycling bins, actually end up in a landfill. While the media has waged a war against plastic and is in favour of products that are perceived as more environmentally friendly, e.g compostable packaging, in some cases, this is just adding to the problem, further highlighting that all packaging options have their pros and cons.

Why do we need packagaging?

Packaging’s primary role is to protect the integrity of the product. Two Islands originally started with plastic packaging, but due to customer feedback to be plastic free, we changed our tubs to recycled paper lined with aluminium foil to keep the product fresh and free from moisture. Paper alone is porous and doesn’t perform as well at maintaining the quality of our products. Other measures we took were converting to using mineral-oil-free vegetable based inks, water-based adhesive, and plant-based stickers to seal the lid and using Forest Stewardship Council certified paper, meaning it is from sustainably managed forests and controlled sources.

Packaging’s primary role is to protect the integrity of the product.

Our packaging journey

In 2022, we've made progress in sourcing and using more sustainable packaging. Our tubs are now produced in NZ along with our jar labels and boxes. While our tubs still require mixed materials of paper and foil to protect the integrity of the product, once disassembled the paper and the metal tops are recyclable through community recycling programmes. We encourage customers to remove the foil lining from the tub and then place the tub in the recycle bin. Our glass jars, labels and boxes are all kerbside recyclable. Our protein sachets are now soft plastic - empty, clean, dry sachets can be dropped off at soft plastic recycling bins at select NZ supermarkets. We're committed to finding the best packaging that protects our products, protects you and protects the environment, and there's always room for improvement.

It's clear that there are pros and cons to all packaging options. Let’s take a closer look at the most common types and why we chose our packaging solutions.

A new and exciting industry that is promising, but still overcoming a number of challenges. In NZ there are still no standards for biodegradable or compostable packaging.

Pros


  • Packaging is made from plants making it 100% plastic free

  • It’s compostable so it avoids going into landfill.

  • Home compostable versions are starting to become available making it easier for consumers.


Cons


  • Home composting isn’t widely practiced (especially in cities) and if consumers do not have a home compost and home compostable packaging ends up in landfill, it could release methane - a much more potent greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide - in the same way food waste does.

  • Commercially compostable packaging only breaks down in commercial facilities under a constant set temperature of 55℃ or higher.

  • There are only 12 industrial and three community composting facilities in New Zealand making it hard for consumers to easily use.

  • Compostable packaging is often thicker and heavier than plastic equivalents which increases a company's carbon footprint as it uses more energy to transport.

  • The packets are single use and not recyclable, so unless used properly by the consumer, any packets that are incorrectly placed in recycling cause contamination and result in large volumes of plastic being dumped to landfill.

  • The structures used to enable home compostable packaging to break down in home compost can start to degrade after 6 months compromising the shelf life of products.

  • Compostable packaging is around 3 to 4 times more expensive than conventional packaging, a cost which most businesses are not able to absorb and will need to pass on a portion to the end user.

The general thought is that paper is more environmentally friendly as it can be recycled and will eventually break down due to its basic elements. But, the environmental impacts of this material are widely misunderstood.

Pros


  • If sourced properly paper can be made from sustainably farmed forestry.

  • Most paper packaging can be recycled kerbside which makes it easy for people to dispose of.



Cons


  • The energy used to create paper is more than 4x that of plastic.

  • The process to recycle paper is extensive as you need to collect it, sort it, wash it, purify, flatten, dry, colour and bleach it before the paper can be packaged and sent out again.

Although it may seem that plastic is on its way out with many companies using other packaging alternatives, plastic products are still everywhere. There is a lot of information currently circulating about plastic, but what is the truth behind this staple of modern life?

Pros


  • It takes 91% less energy to recycle a plastic bag than it does a paper bag.

  • A plastic bag can carry 2,500x its own weight and is resistant to changes in the weather. Hot, cold, wet and dry temperatures won’t damage plastic as much as it will paper or cardboard.

  • The use of plastic packaging can help improve the life cycle of food. Individually packaged products can mean less food is wasted and as a result a reduced carbon footprint for that product. Plastic is still the best way to reduce food wastage.

  • Plastic products are often more re-usable than their paper alternatives.

  • Plastic is lightweight – meaning less energy to transport.

  • Soft plastic can be recycled at select NZ supermarkets.



Cons


  • Single use bags are used for an average of 12 minutes but can take up to 1000 years to degrade.

  • Plastic is made using chemicals produced in the process of making fuel which further contributes to CO2 emissions.

  • Often plastics may be degradable but all that means is that smaller bits of plastic are left in the environment.

  • Some plastics can be quite difficult to recycle in New Zealand and as a result most end up in landfill.

Glass can be reused, recycled and repurposed. We use it to package almost all of our dietary supplements, using a plastic lid which is fully recyclable. However, we are aware that this isn’t a perfect solution as glass is heavier than paper and plastic, meaning it requires more energy to produce and ship, raising our carbon footprint. We also use FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) paper for our capsule and liquid format dietary supplements as opposed to virgin paper. What does that mean? FSC is an organisation that works to promote the practice of sustainable forestry worldwide by giving customers the option to choose forest products like paper and wood that have been sourced in an environmentally friendly, socially responsible and economically viable manner.

Pros


  • Glass has an almost zero rate of chemical interaction meaning it keeps the aroma, flavour, and strength intact.

  • It’s nonporous and impermeable, ensuring your product doesn’t spoil.

  • For this same reason, glass packaging keeps your food safe from mould.

  • Glass is 100% recyclable.

  • The same glass bottles can be used for the same products again and again after industrial cleaning.



Cons


  • Though glass is a strong material, it’s also fragile and hazardous.

  • Glass packaging is comparatively heavy compared to other packaging which increases a company's carbon footprint when it comes to shipping.

  • Glass packaging is comparatively expensive.

The outcome


As you can see, it’s challenging to find a balance with choosing the right packaging when it comes to protecting the product as well as offering customers user-friendly options.

Despite the limitations of our recycling systems and infrastructure, we are continually trying to minimise waste across all areas of our company, from ingredient sourcing, to packaging. Unfortunately there is no perfect solution, but we strive to do better, make more sustainable choices and lower our impact.

Carbonz Biodiversity Action Credits

Aotearoa has the highest proportion of threatened endemic species on the planet, these species don’t live anywhere else. Therefore, we need to dedicate significant resources to conserve them.

Carbonz biodiversity action credits aim to enable people from all corners of the motu to get involved in preserving local wildlife and strengthening native forests. 40% of New Zealand’s landmass is sheep and beef farms. This credit is designed so it can be scaled up to support biodiversity on private land around the country which has been chronically underfunded. The credit is for pest control action, designed for an impact lead, pragmatic way to get results on the ground.

Where are our biodiversity action credits going?

Eastern Whio Link is a hunter and fishermen-led conservation project situated in the upper reaches of the Waioeka Gorge (between Opotiki and Gisborne) with the goal to protect Whio (blue duck).

Whio is a true taonga (treasured) species of New Zealand. They are our only endemic mountain duck and one of three true riverine duck species worldwide, making them rarer than some species of Kiwi. They are nationally vulnerable with less than 3,000 left.

Eastern Whio Link was established to protect the remaining population of this nationally vulnerable species. By aiding in their recovery, we are helping enable a breeding population to establish in the area and disperse into surrounding watersheds.

Hamiora Gibson, also known as Sam the Trap Man, leads the Whio Link project. He says when the project first started there was a population of just four breeding pairs in the project area.

“Whio are a taonga species, meaning they are treasured and need to be protected. So, we took it upon ourselves to put mechanisms in place to protect them”