At Claire's Amazeballs, I'm passionate about creating delicious, healthy treats whilst caring for our planet. As a mother of three and small business owner in Marlow, I believe we all have a responsibility to make sustainable choices that protect the environment for future generations.
Running my business with a 'planet conscious' mindset isn't just important to me—it's important to my customers too. Whilst sustainable choices aren't always the most cost-effective, they align with my values and the ethos of Claire's Amazeballs. Here's how I'm working to minimise our environmental impact:
1. How We Make Our Energy Balls
Plant-Powered Ingredients All Claire's Amazeballs are made using 100% plant-based, organic ingredients wherever possible. Research shows that plant-based diets are one of the most impactful choices we can make for the environment, significantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions compared to animal agriculture.
Responsible Sourcing I source ingredients from suppliers who are certified organic by Organic Farmers and Growers and who have achieved 100% carbon neutral certification. We're currently working towards Soil Association certification to further demonstrate our commitment to sustainable agriculture.
Minimise Waste Production I work with local production methods that minimise waste sent to landfill. All food waste from my kitchen, including date stones and organic matter, is composted through local authority containers. Any packaging waste from ingredients is properly recycled in relevant waste streams.
2. Sustainable Packaging Solutions
Choosing the right packaging is crucial—we need to protect our energy balls whilst being kind to the environment. Getting this balance wrong creates food waste, which is actually one of the biggest contributors to global greenhouse gas emissions.
What We Currently Use:
Cardboard Boxes: Our main packaging is made from FSC certified cardboard that's fully recyclable. I actively encourage customers (especially my loyal Marlow locals!) to return used boxes, which I gladly reuse for repeat orders.
Parchment Paper: Made from natural base paper with no bleach or wax added. It's 100% recyclable and biodegradable.
Individual Wrappers: To keep our energy balls fresh and maintain their quality until they reach your home, we use thin protective wrapping. As we grow, we're exploring the most sustainable options available, which may include recyclable plastics where appropriate.
Understanding Packaging Choices Choosing sustainable packaging is more complex than it might first appear. Some materials sound environmentally friendly but don't work in practice. For example, many "compostable" materials can't actually break down in home compost bins—they require industrial composting facilities with high heat and humidity that simply aren't widely available in the UK. When these materials accidentally enter the regular recycling stream, they can contaminate genuinely recyclable materials and cause them to be sent to landfill instead.
There's also confusion around plastic. Not all plastic is bad—some types are actually better for the environment than alternatives like glass because they're lightweight (reducing carbon emissions during transport) and easily recyclable through household recycling. Examples include HDPE (High Density Polyethylene) which can be recycled at most recycling centres and front-of-store collection points.
Our Approach We're committed to using the most appropriate packaging to prevent food waste whilst minimising environmental impact. This means:
- Prioritising packaging that can be recycled through household recycling systems
- Avoiding materials that sound good but don't work in practice
- Using protective materials only when necessary to prevent food waste (which itself is a major contributor to greenhouse gases)
- Being transparent about our choices and the trade-offs involved
As commercially available sustainable materials improve, we'll be among the first to adopt them. We focus on practical sustainability—packaging that genuinely works in the real world—rather than just sounding good on paper.
3. Conscious Delivery & Distribution
Transportation plays a significant role in our environmental impact, so we've developed efficient systems to minimise our carbon footprint:
Efficient Transportation: From ingredients arriving at our kitchen to products reaching your door, we work to minimise the miles travelled. We combine journeys wherever possible and always pack efficiently to reduce packaging materials whilst ensuring your energy balls arrive in perfect condition.
Supplier Relationships: I actively choose suppliers and service providers who adopt sustainable approaches to their business operations, including local suppliers wherever possible to reduce transport miles.
Maximising Efficiency: We ensure deliveries are as efficient as possible by consolidating shipments and working with partners who share our commitment to reducing environmental impact.
Our Ongoing Commitment
I recognise the current climate crisis and am continually implementing methods to work towards the Net Zero by 2050 goals. As a small business, we can't engineer new packaging solutions ourselves, but we're committed to being early adopters of sustainable materials as they become commercially available.
Looking Ahead We're always exploring new ways to reduce our environmental impact whilst maintaining the quality and freshness our customers love. This includes investigating emerging sustainable packaging technologies and continuing to optimise our local delivery systems.
Get Involved If you have suggestions for sustainable practices or know of innovative packaging solutions, I'd love to hear from you! As part of our community-focused approach, customer input helps shape how we can become even more sustainable.
Together, we're proving that delicious, healthy treats and environmental responsibility can go hand in hand. Every small choice we make adds up to a bigger impact for our planet and future generations.
Questions about our sustainability practices? Please feel free to get in touch!
~ Claire