We, at Phoenix Import, make sustainable management choices when packaging and shipping your order, because we care about the environment and feel a responsibility towards sustainable entrepreneurship.
Biodegradable chips from Flo-Pak® The Bio One
To fill the boxes of your order, we use 100% biodegradable Flo-Pak® chips. The Bio One. These Bio-chips are certified by DIN CERTCO in accordance with EN 13432. The Bio-chips contain only compostable materials: air, water and vegetable starch. They completely break down into usable compost that further provides valuable nutrients to the soil and are thus a truly sustainable packaging solution.
The odourless, green-coloured chips form an impenetrable barrier around the products, preventing them from sinking to the bottom of the box. The chips provide high-level shock protection for your goods, minimising the risk of any breakage. Made only from non-GM raw materials, coloured with natural food colouring.
Opus Bio Air cushions
Also, we use biodegradable air cushions that can be re-used or recycled in the appropriate waste disposal or through composting. Opus Bio uses a special additive that causes the film to completely break down as measured by ASTM D6954-04. Opus Bio completely biodegrades in 12 to 24 months when in the presence of moisture, micro-organisms and oxygen, leaving no toxic or heavy metal residues.
Biodegradable plastic bags
For the protection of some of our larger products, like meditation cushions and yoga bolsters, we use biodegradable plastic bags. You can give these a second life too, and after dispose of them in the green waste container or through composting.
Recycling of cardboard boxes
Whenever possible, we re-use the cardboard boxes we get from our suppliers. In that way, existing materials are recycled, and less waste is produced.
Waste materials
We ask our manufacturers and suppliers to use the least possible materials that cannot be recycled suitably. However, you will still find some products that are packed in plastic or being steadied against damaging with polystyrene, like our crystal singing bowls and fragile statues.
The materials our suppliers use to pack their goods, is of course not entirely in our hands and/or sometimes there is presently no suitable alternative available.
We ongoingly communicate with our suppliers and encourage them to use less plastics and think with us about how to improve the use of sustainable materials in packaging and how to diminish waste materials in general.
Extended producer responsibility (UPV)
As producer and importer, Mani Bhadra BV - Phoenix Import has the responsibility to pay annual contributions for the packaging materials we bring to the European market. We meet these obligations by submitting the required data such as quantity of paper/cardboard, glass, plastic, metal and natural materials annually to the relevant authorities. The proceeds are used to pay for waste processing and recycling in the various European countries.
What can you do?
If you have a web shop, we advise you to re-use as much as possible the packaging materials that you received from us. Let your customers know why you follow this sustainable packaging principles, they will certainly appreciate it.
Shipping within Europe with DPD: Climate-neutral parcel delivery
We prefer to ship with DPD because they take responsibility for both the environment and society in their business operations. A spearhead in their sustainability strategy is climate-neutral parcel delivery, without extra cost to senders or recipients. DPD limits any greenhouse gases emitted, for instance by increasing the use of electric vehicles and transport bicycles. DPD compensates for any unavoidable emissions by investing in clean and renewable energy projects. For full transparency of their efforts in this area, they are ISO9001 and ISO14001 certified.
We use genuine green energy
Because sustainability is close to our hearts, we generate electricity with our own solar panels.
For the remaining energy we need, we use real green electricity from Dutch power supplier “Pure Energie”. “Pure Energie” is awarded as the 'Best Energy Supplier 2023' by gaslicht.com, a Dutch independent platform for comparing energy companies in the Netherlands.
"Pure Energie" only sells solar and wind energy that they have generated themselves, in the Netherlands. And that, strangely enough, is quite unique in the energy market.
But... the greenest electricity is of course the energy that you do not consume; hence, “Pure Energie” also advises on energy-saving measures. Working together towards a sustainable economy.
