5 Sustainable Facts About Hamama 1. No Single-Use Plastic Shipping or Packaging Materials We have removed our single-use plastic and have now incorporated more compostable products! We did this by making the change to paper packaging methods which can be recycled and are easily biodegradable compared to plastics. Even our Seed Quilts are now packaged in paper envelopes instead of single use plastic wrapping. That was the last step to achieve this milestone! Hamama is now proud to use no plastic packaging or shipping materials - we even use water-activated paper tape! Our new paper Seed Quilt packaging is biodegradable, compostable, or recyclable. And so cute too, right?! 2. Offsetting our Carbon Footprint Hamama has partnered with Pachama to protect against deforestation! Pachama uses remote sensing (LiDAR - Light Detection and Ranging, hyperspectral satellite images) to verify carbon sequestration and to continuously monitor the forests and natural ecosystems under the care of their forest management partners. Lidar image of a forest, courtesy of Pachama Hamama supports several conservation projects focused on the Amazon Rainforest. Not only does the Amazon Rainforest absorb 20% of the world’s carbon, it also is home to 10% of the world’s known species and 40,000 plant species! Each of the projects that we are funding are at risk from things such as illegal timber harvesting, and slash & burn agricultural practices. Hamama’s contributions make it possible to deploy and increase ranger patrols in these conservation areas to combat illegal harvesting and harmful practices! Some of the programs we are currently involved in include Brazil Nuts Concession, the Manoa Forest Conservation, and Jari Para! Photos courtesy of Manoa REDD+ Project. 3. Recycled, Recyclable and Compostable Materials Many people are familiar with the concept “Reduce-Reuse-Recycle”. We must first reduce our intake of single use items, reuse any items that can be reused and lastly - if neither of the other two steps are applicable - you recycle! The cardboard we use to send and package your greens has either been recycled already, can be recycled, or both! The Seed Quilt is compostable in your industrial municipal composting! The paper Seed Quilt cover is biodegradable, compostable, or recyclable - if going into recycling, it would be with your regular paper recycling! Our coco mats made of coco fibers make for great browns for your composting or can be reused for a large variety of things! You can check out some ideas from a fellow Hamama grower on this great blog post: Upcycling your Coco Mats! 4. Clever Packaging A popular packaging technique is to use bubble wrap or plastic air bags to minimize damage that can be caused when a large box is used in packaging for something of a smaller size. Not only does this method use single-use plastics, it also creates unnecessary waste of space. Hamama not only uses recyclable paper as a filler instead of plastic, but in an effort to cut down waste even further, we have incorporated a perfect box sizing protocol to reduce the overall amount of packing paper necessary! You will notice that most of your Hamama packages will arrive in a custom mailer perfectly sized for your order. When shipping fragile ceramic trays, we use a cardboard origami design that hugs and cushions the tray to protect it from shock during travel. This design was developed as a sustainable alternative to styrofoam and bubble wrap! 5. Larger Seed Quilt Bundle and Ceramic Tray Options We offer an annual seed quilt bundle (among other bulk options) that not only decreases the amount of shipping materials used, it also reduces the overall shipments needed! Consider switching from monthly to annual shipments to reduce CO2 emissions caused by transportation. Everything is sent in one box every year so the amount of packaging material required is greatly reduced compared to monthly shipments. Plus, you save on Seed Quilts. It’s a win-win! The best part is that our ungrown Seed Quilts can be stored well over a year so you can have them on hand when needed! The best way to store them is in a cool, dark place like your pantry. Thanks for popping by to learn more!
