Why Ecoware?
We partner with internationally recognised organisations and leading manufacturers to ensure our packaging meets rigorous environmental and industry standards.
FSC® Chain of Custody Certification
Internationally recognised as the most rigorous environmental and social standard for responsible forest management, we hold the FSC® Chain of Custody Certification (FSC-C142978). Look for our FSC 100%, FSC Recycled and FSC Mix products.
Emissions accountability
With 12 years of reporting under Toitū, as a Climate Positive Organisation, we are committed to science-based targets focused on emissions reduction. Not simply offsetting. We also work within EcoVadis, supporting businesses to align packaging decisions with their sustainability goals.
Product certifications and testing
Certifications build on the credibility of our industry. We select suppliers who have obtained third-party verification to compostability and food safety standards, demonstrating the reliability of the products we put on the market. All compostability certificates and test reports are available on request.
Supply chain transparency
We actively monitor our supply chain to track product certifications, labour standards and environmental performance. This includes supplier verification beyond Tier 1 via third-party audits. We’ve also scrutinised our supply chain to prioritise FSC®, increasing the percentage of certified packaging.
Materials designed for
circular systems
We prioritise renewable materials such as paper, sugarcane and bamboo moulded fibre and PLA with packaging selected based on certification to recognised standards, performance and suitability for composting systems.
Improving understanding of these materials, certification standards and how compostable packaging is processed in real world environments is key to realising their role in circular material flows.
Our main raw materials
Polylactic Acid (PLA)
One of the first bioplastics, polylactic acid (PLA), is produced by bacterial fermentation under controlled conditions of a carbohydrate source like corn starch, cassava or sugarcane. We work with bioplastic pioneer NatureWorks, which manufactures the industry-leading bioplastic brand Ingeo™. Comparable to fossil-fuel plastic functionality and usefulness, PLA has the ability to be processed in different forms, retaining the functional properties of plastic, but in commercial compost environments will decompose back to its natural element—the material starting block, lactic acid.
Where you will find PLA: Cold clear cups, lining our coffee cups, coffee cup lids, clear bowls, and container lids.
Paper
There is an increasing pressure on paper and forestry to relieve the growing tension for takeaway convenience as we move away from fossil-fuel single-use plastic packaging. Paper and paperboard products provide mechanical strength and are biodegradable, home and industrially compostable, with excellent printability. Lamination with the biobased polymers PLA provides improved barrier properties such as insulation and greaseproofing. Look for our FSC®-certified products (FSC-C142978).
Where you will find paper: Coffee cups, paper bowls, noodle boxes, kraft tableware, coffee carrier trays, coffee cup sleeves, napkins, straws and paper bags.
Birchwood
When responsibly sourced from sustainably managed forests, wood products are useful in meeting current demands for convenience while replacing fossil fuel single-use plastic packaging. A fast-growing species native to parts of Europe, northern Asia, the Arctic and North America, birch wood is a renewable alternative to plastic cutlery banned throughout Aotearoa since 1 July 2023.
Where you will find birch wood: Cutlery.
Bamboo
One of the most prolific sources of biomass in the world, bamboo is a resistant plant with rapid growth and a consequent high carbon dioxide (CO2) uptake. Each growth cycle completion (and harvest) occurs between 120 and 150 days. Durable, heat-resistant, and functional, bamboo packaging also plays a crucial role in reducing our dependency on wood products. The carbon sequestration capacity of bamboo forests is estimated to be similar to or even larger than that of fast-growing timber plantations.
Where you will find bamboo: Select cutlery items. Bamboo food boxes and lids.
Sugarcane
A by-product of the sugarcane industry, bagasse is what remains after crushing sugarcane stalks to extract their juice. Mainly fibrous materials such as cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin, sugarcane bagasse is an agro-waste-based material solution that diverts this leafy biomass from incineration or landfilling on the fields. Mouldable and highly durable, sugarcane offers a wide range of product applications that work towards reducing the accumulation of plastic packaging waste without compromising any product features.
Where you will find sugarcane: Sugarcane tableware, sugarcane paper pulp coffee cup lids.
Aqueous linings
Functioning as a pigment that is absorbed into the fibres when applied to the paper, aqueous linings utilise a water-based dispersion system of polystyrene and polyacrylate polymers to create strong oxygen and oil barriers and insulation properties. Aqueous linings require fewer polymers (6 grams per square metre versus 30 grams of PLA or 15 grams of PE per square metre).
Where you will find aqueous linings: Aqueous cups.
Industry Partners
We partner with recognised organisations to ensure our products and
practices meet leading environmental and industry standards.
Toitū Climate Positive Organisation certified
As a certified Climate Positive Organisation, our emission reduction targets are assessed and aligned with internationally recognised standards, including Science Based Targets and Sustainable Development Goals. Our partnership with Toitū Envirocare ensures our efforts are audited and accurate.
Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC®)
We hold FSC® Chain of Custody certification (FSC-C142978), ensuring timber and non-timber materials are sourced from responsibly managed forests. FSC® is internationally recognised as the most rigorous environmental and social standard for responsible forest management.
NZ Specialty Coffee Association
As members of the NZSCA, we’re aligned with the industry’s focus on quality, innovation, and sustainability — supporting industry standards and working alongside leading coffee professionals across Aotearoa New Zealand.
Packaging decisions that support sustainability commitments, compliance and brand
If you're reviewing your packaging and material options,
we support your transition with certified, compliant solutions.