How partnering with rePurpose enables us to remove and recycle ten pieces of plastic from the environment for every plastic packet of Hot Chocolate and Chocolate Buttons sold
Did you know that globally, 91% of plastic waste is NOT recycled?
At Choc Affair, we are well aware of the ‘plastic problem’ and have always used 95% recyclable at the kerbside packaging for our products. But when we made the business-led decision to switch to plastic packaging for our Hot Chocolate and Chocolate Buttons, we started looking into WHY plastics go unrecycled.
Why isn’t plastic recycled?
In the next ten minutes, about 5 million single-use plastic bottles will be discarded. So, why isn’t flexible plastic like this getting recycled?
According to the United Nations, 3 billion people worldwide lack access to controlled waste disposal. Within the global community, we already have the technology to solve the plastic waste problem, but there is a lack of governmental encouragement and enforcement when it comes to recycling. More pressure should also be placed on the companies producing the plastic to manage the entire lifecycle of their products, including recycling.
Answering the call
We’re doing our best to ensure we are preserving all that is entrusted to us, and our aim has always been to do all we could to reduce the use of plastic across our entire product range wherever possible. Ultimately though, some of our chocolate products require plastic covering in order to preserve their quality and aesthetic appearance for retail purposes. If the products don’t sell, the resources that have gone into them are wasted.
Partnering with rePurpose Global
We have partnered with plastic action platform, rePurpose Global, pledging the sales of each of our plastic packaged Hot Chocolate and Chocolate Buttons products to remove ten pieces of plastic from the environment.
rePurpose Global’s mission is to use pledges from more than 300 global brands to provide impactful solutions to address the financing gaps within the current plastic waste management process. Their aim is to reduce waste, revive lives that have been long-impacted by the negative effects of unrecycled plastic waste, and restore the global environment to its previous beauty.
A special focus on Colombia
In order to focus our support and make a meaningful impact, from amongst the various important projects rePurpose run, we have chosen to support Project Nuevo Ciclo in Medellín, Colombia.
For years, we have enjoyed a close knit relationship with our sole supplier of cocoa beans, Luker Chocolate. With cocoa farms in Urabá, Huila and Casanare in Colombia, we have visited Luker many times to gain a deeper understanding of the cocoa production process, and the support they need to continue their farming communities. As a close partner, we have chosen to pay an additional 5% per kilo of cocoa beans in order to fund tree planting, school access programmes, cocoa tree planting and more.
Project Nuevo Ciclo
Despite a comprehensive waste management system that includes the collection, sorting, and disposal of certain plastics, such as PET in Medellín, less than 2% of flexible plastics are estimated to be collected and properly recycled. Instead, this type of plastic ends up in landfills or is incinerated in rural areas. Historically, the collection of flexible plastics in Colombia (and globally) has been unprofitable due to the lack of recycling industries for this specific kind of plastic.
In response to this, rePurpose has launched Project Nuevo Ciclo, which aims to establish a waste management value chain. This initiative enables the transformation of flexible plastics into recycled plastic lumber (RPL), also known as plastic wood or eco-wood. The recycled material is then used to build schools, homes and provide furniture for the local community. To support Project Nuevo Ciclo, we have pledged the sales of our Hot Chocolate and Chocolate Buttons to this initiative, ensuring the continued development and success of their waste management and recycling efforts.
In addition to this, there has been a wider positive impact, including boosting environmental awareness and community engagement via the training the local community has received via school and other institutions. The project has also created more jobs owing to the collection, sorting, plant operations, sales and marketing, design and innovation needed to run it successfully.
Our shared duty
We’re passionate about the products we produce and responsible sourcing of the ingredients used to make them, and we want to play our role in minimising our impact on the environment wherever possible. We will keep you up to date with the news of Project Nuevo Ciclo as it continues to grow.
Explore our range of sustainably produced – and delicious – chocolate products here!
FAQs
Who are rePurpose?
Repurpose Global is a social enterprise focused on reducing plastic waste by partnering with companies to offset their plastic footprint, promoting sustainable practices, and supporting waste management projects in countries particularly at risk from plastic pollution.
What is Project Nuevo Ciclo?
Project Nuevo Ciclo is a sustainability initiative set up by Repurpose Global. It is aimed at creating circular economies in Colombia, focusing on waste reduction, recycling, and empowering local communities through sustainable waste management practices.
What has Choc Affair pledged?
Choc Affair has pledged the sales of every plastic packaged Hot Chocolate and Chocolate Buttons product sold to remove ten pieces of plastic from the environment.
Why is plastic waste reduction so important to Choc Affair?
Since opening our doors, we set out to bring high quality, sustainably sourced chocolate products to our highly valued customers and trade partners. Reducing, removing and recycling plastic waste plays an important role in that commitment. We know that each decision we make has an impact on others and the world around us, and so we strive to minimise our environmental impact and contribute to a healthier planet for future generations.