The move led them to create Avirida, the world’s first compostable timber skincare packaging. The material they use for the pots is a weed species, along with salvaged logs. As they to create their pots, they plant native Australian trees in their place. The pair manage every process from milling to drying and machining the timber, even using a solar-powered kiln to dry timber in the most sustainable way possible.
Even their shipping boxes are made from upcycled supermarket boxes. They do this using a laser cutter. They print postage labels on scrap paper, make their own compostable glue, and tie everything together with jute thread. Compostable from start to finish. Bec and Jack sat down with us to share a few of their tips to keep in mind when trying to live more sustainably:
- 2 tablespoon corn starch
- 1 tablespoon glucose syrup
Add enough water to cover the ingredients and heat until thickened. Add a few drops of tea tree oil to prevent moulding. Fill up an existing glue stick for easier application.
Very often people starting their zero-waste journey are overwhelmed by the huge range of new sustainable products available to them. Often, however, the lowest-impact thing to do is to use what you already own. There is no point getting rid of all the shampoos, lotions and make-up you have in plastic containers – use them up (better yet, donate them!), and make more informed purchasing decisions next time.
When you buy local, you reduce your footprint as there is no shipping and transport required for your individual purchase. Not to mention you support a local business! Win-win.
Often it is lack of availability of options that leads to innovation. When Avirida’s creators were looking for packaging options that did not require high amounts of energy to produce (eg. Aluminium) and had a closed loop system that did not require recycling (unlike glass & plastic), they were stumped.
There was nothing available on the market that was made from truly renewable materials and compostable at the end of its life. This was the reason they decided to design & manufacture their own packaging, and ensure every step was sustainable and ethically produced, right here in Australia. This way of thinking can apply to many items we already own – eg. can you bring cutlery from home instead of buying a portable cutlery set? Repurposing is so important.
Avirida’s motto is to put the environment before profits and always take the most ethical and sustainable path. Every little action has an impact - we can choose to make it a positive one.