Saying goodbye to POLLAST!C and hi to GECA Certified
Sustainability isn't a buzzword for us. It informs all of our choices - every day - in everything we do. So when we heard about GECA certification and the prospect of switching up our mailer bags, our ears pricked.
Throughout our 10 years of posting second-hand clothing to our community, we’ve gone through SO many different brands + makes to find the best ‘sustainable’ mailer bags that work for us.
Compostable, plastic, paper, recycled plastic - you name it, we’ve tried it.
It probably doesn’t surprise you that the mailing bag industry is not immune from greenwashing claims as we often see in the fashion industry.
We have trialled compostable bags as a business, and although they seem like a great solution - unfortunately through research we discovered that they’re not all they claim.
Many compostable mailers are only compostable in industrial facilities with high temperatures and controlled conditions. Unfortunately, most consumers don’t have access to these facilities - and home composting systems typically cannot break them down effectively.
Compostable mailer bags also have some nasty chemical additives that help break them down, and in turn, leave behind harmful residues in compost, affecting soil health and plant growth.
So, we made the switch. Currently, we’ve settled on Better Packaging POLLAST!C bags. POLLASTIC is made from recycled plastic pollution rescued from the environment in Southeast Asia. It is certified as potential Ocean Bound Plastic - plastic that meets the following criteria;
- Has been, or would be, abandoned
- In an area with no formal waste management infrastructure
- Is within 50km of the coast
And they come in fun colours! Sounds pretty good right?
Although this is great - and a huge step in the right direction of post-consumer waste recycling - we have just found something so so so much better.
Introducing GECA certified mailer bags!
But what is GECA?
Good Environmental Choice Australia (GECA) is a trusted third-party certification body that sets rigorous environmental and ethical standards for products and services. A GECA certification ensures that a product meets high benchmarks in sustainability, from resource efficiency and chemical safety to ethical labour practices and recyclability.
When you see a GECA label, you know that the product has been independently assessed to be better for the planet and people. This independence is the key thing for us – it’s not just the brand marketing to us that it’s eco - third-party auditors have assessed the supply chain and product against a pretty rigorous standard.
GECA-certified mailer bags are made from post-consumer waste recycled plastic. This comes from soft plastic waste collected from end-use products such as plastic shopping bags, cling wrap, bread bags, bin liners, online mailers, pallet wrap and many other plastic consumer products.
By creating a use for this waste, it is also providing a financial incentive for communities to clean up and collect waste for recycling – ultimately actively reducing the current global levels of post-consumer soft plastic waste.
The inner layer is also carbon black free (but virgin material 10%) - which makes the mailer recyclable in soft plastic recycling (when it eventually comes back to Australia!)
Unfortunately, our current POLLAST!C does not appear to be carbon black free and therefore not recyclable according to APCO’s official stance.
So - our new mailer bags are not as colourful, but they are pretty damn good in terms of being the most sustainable mailer bag on the market right now.
Check them out on your next order with us, and read more over on their website.
Curious what other products are GECA-certified in your life? You can search their Product database here https://geca.eco/product-finder/. Of particular interest to us laundry enthusiasts, they have a standard covering cleaning supplies from brands like Earthwise and Koh.
xoxo Mutual Muse