From day 1, Ruby Violet has prioritised its environmental impact. Our ongoing efforts have most notably resulted in all of our take away/delivery packaging being recyclable and compostable. But it shouldn't end there, and it doesn't. Read on to find out more about some of the sustainable practices in our kitchen, office, and parlour. We welcome feedback and suggestions; please reach out to us!
PACKAGING & SHIPPING
Compostable Packing Chips
The eco-friendly packing chips are 100 percent compostable and EN13432-certified; they'll completely degrade in commercial composting plants - and in your home's compost heap - without leaving any toxic chemicals or other nasties behind,or just simply dissolve them in water in a matter of minutes
Made in the UK in a low energy, single-stage production process; our packing peanuts help save resources; they reduce waste, save energy and they help cut down on import miles and carbon footprints, all while supporting British jobs
Unscented, dust-free, abrasion-resistant, and non-toxic, our compostable void fill provides reliably outstanding product protection. In fact, independent tests by Brunel University and the University of Humberside show that our environmentally friendly packing peanuts provide better product migration and impact protection than ordinary polystyrene packing chips do!
Woolcool
“Woolcool insulation is made using 100% pure sheep’s wool... The Wool is both sustainable and compostable... At the end of the liner’s life, the Wool component can be returned to the soil, where it decomposes, releasing valuable nutrients into the ground. Regardless of where the liner ends up, even if ultimately this is in landfill, within 6-12 months, the Wool will have broken down, never to be seen again.
There are many resourceful ways to extend the wool's life if you don’t have a compost bin or simply just don’t want to throw it away!
Here are some of our suggestions:pet baskets, cushion stuffing, hanging baskets, donation to homeless or animal shelters, draught excluders, slug barrier for your garden.
Cardboard Boxes
Since cardboard is just a derivative of paper (which is a derivative of wood), it breaks down very well when exposed to proper environmental conditions and microorganisms. It’s easy for bacteria to consume and break down cardboard, greatly accelerating the process.
And since cardboard is broken down when exposed to rain, sun, and other environmental factors, it’s also easy to reduce the total area and increase the speed of bacterial consumption.
Tape
Our Ruby Violet branded tape is water-activated and the base material is kraft-paper. This tape is compostable, and the adhesive is starch based.
Tubs
All our takeaway scoop tubs are compostable biodegradable. Our pre packed ice cream tubs are compostable or recyclable.
The lids for our 125ml tubs are the only source of plastic still in use, as for a long time there simply was no plastic free alternative. We're happy to announce that we've found an eco-friendly alternative and these new lids will replace the plastic ones as soon as we use up the remaining stock.
Labels
Labels are printed on biodegradable Bagasse Cane Fibre paper, permanent adhesive.
Shipping
We ship orders once a week, so we keep our carbon footprint to a minimum.
PARLOUR
If you visit our parlour in King's Cross, you will notice all our ice cream cups, coffee cups, milkshake cups, straws, spoons, bags and stickers are all compostable and biodegradable. If you choose to eat in, your ice cream will be served in (lovely) china cups to reduce waste.
More than 90% of the cleaning products in our parlour are ecofriendly, including coconut scouring brushes.
Cone Sleeves
Paper, biodegradable, compostable.
Tasting spoons
Our tasting spoons are wooden or made out of starch which is compostable.
Cake/dessert boxes
All our boxes to pack cakes & desserts are either Kraft, kraft & PLA coated or fully compostable.
Too Good To Go
You can find us on Too Good To Go, a wonderful app that helps food businesses to sell any items that would otherwise be wasted at the end of each day.
KITCHEN
- We use EcoVer detergents for washing up and laundry. These products are plant based and the packaging is 100% recyclable.
- We wash the towels for the kitchen and the parlour in bulk so we have to use the washing machine less, reducing our energy consumption.
- Whenever we receive a delivery, we will strive to reuse any packaging where possible.
- We use reusable storage containers to freeze any excess fresh items and avoid waste.
- No products made get wasted, we will always use everything. For example, if a meringue doesn’t look cosmetically right for sale, we break it up and use it as a topping.
- Tubs nearing their sell by date are sold at a reduced price on our website: check out the "Age is just a number" product!
- Cones that are broken in transit when delivered to us get reused to make our crispy biscuits and crispy chocolate toppings.
- We buy our ingredients in bulk to help with our carbon footprint.
- We use durable stainless steel Napoli pans for our ice creams. All cake moulds are also reusable.
- We are an all electric kitchen, no gas used at all.
- We have minimal product wastage due to good stock control and good batch management from the kitchen.
- We maximise our freezer storage, especially in the winter, so we can turn off any freezer we don’t need on.
OFFICE
Ink Cartridges
We send all our used ink cartridges back to our suppliers to be recycled and used again.
General Recycling
We sort all of our rubbish into waste that cannot be recycled, recyclable waste and food waste. Any packages that we receive, if we can re-use the boxes we will break them down and keep them to use again.
Paper Free
We file everything electronically to be as paper free as we can be in the office, and do not print anything out unnecessarily. Scrap paper is reused where possible too.
Ordering
We order in bulk, where possible, to ensure we are using as little packaging as possible and as few deliveries as we can. When we receive orders on pallets, we either reuse the pallets or we look for a new home for them in the local community.
