Hear directly from another one of our amazing customer's We Bar None, who combine nutrition, passion, and zero waste into the perfect energy bar for all.
We Bar None -
I had the idea for We Bar None in 2013 when I was living in Canada and was jealous of the range of healthy convenient snack options they had available. I started researching and testing my own recipes and went full-time with the business in 2015. My focus is on creating a range of snacks that fit into a wide range of dietary requirements and lifestyles to make it easy for people to make choices that are good for them and good for our planet! My whole range is zero waste, carbon neutral, plant based and gluten-free.
What made you change over to compostable material for your product?
I have always been very aware of my impact on the environment and the importance of living a sustainable lifestyle and looking after our planet. As soon as I started my business, I was looking for the most sustainable way to do things. I started by hand wrapping my energy bars in baking paper which was incredibly time consuming and also didn't keep the product fresh and caused them to dry out. I then switched to recyclable plastic pouches as they were all I could find that was suitable in a low minimum order quantity. I was over the moon when I came across CompostMe! In 2018, I became the first business in Victoria to use their ABA Certified home compostable, plant based packaging. I actually didn't realise I was the first, and only the third in Australia, until my launch night! Peter and his beautiful wife Karen had flown down from NSW to attend the launch and when he told me I almost burst into tears. I had been searching for a product like theirs for 3 years so I was so happy when my dream of plastic free packaging became a reality.
What made CompostMe’s product the right film for your company?
CompostMe's home compostable flow-wrap packaging is the perfect solution for my business. It keeps my energy bars fresh and extends their shelf life. My energy bars do not have a high moisture or oil content so I have never had any problems with the film or seals failing. I have tested the packaging myself by burying it and putting it in my compost and I have found that even in my cold Ballarat backyard it takes a maximum of 2 months to break down. It's just incredible to be able to offer customers a truly sustainable option and I have received so much positive feedback about the wrappers and how quickly they degrade in people's compost.
Have you noticed any difference between packaging with compostable film over plastic film?
I love the matte, papery feel of the CompostMe wrappers. I have never been a fan of glossy packaging, it feels fake to me. The CompostMe wrappers compliment my brand perfectly as they feel natural and unique. I often get customers commenting on how nice the packaging looks and feels! I also have a lot of customers who are parents and they love that the packaging is nice and easy to tear open so their kids can do it themselves. This is also a perk for all of my customers that love cycling or running, as they can tear it open easily on the go and also don't have to worry about the corner tearing off and flying away. All of my nature lover customers know that if their wrapper gets blown away from them it will safely degrade once wet or dirty. I haven't had any issues with the wrappers degrading prematurely, in fact I have found they last a lot longer than the 12 month shelf life if stored properly away from UV or moisture. I couldn't be happier with my CompostMe packaging!
