These days we're all concerned with how much we consume and how much we waste so I wanted to say something about Hatsukoi's packaging.
It’s great to receive parcels in the post and part of that special feeling is knowing that some effort and attention has gone into making sure that your items have been carefully packaged.
Part of my goal as a small business is to make sure that you are delighted to receive your order.
To achieve this, I pick each item of your order individually from stock and check it myself to make sure the quality is good. Then each item is wrapped in white tissue and sealed with a Hatsukoi sticker to make everything look lovely and feel like you are receiving a gift!
However, despite my desire to reduce plastic waste and not use excess packaging, it's difficult to ship delicate items, like ceramics, without using plastic bubble wrap. To avoid damage it’s imperative to make sure the items don’t move around in the box they are shipped in so all the spaces need to be filled.
When I receive consignments from Japan, inevitably the boxes are filled with packing materials to keep the goods inside safe. It’s all perfectly clean, in good condition and I cannot bring myself to throw it away.
Therefore as part of my effort to reduce waste, apart from the tissue paper which is new, all the packaging I use inside each box is recycled from what I receive when new stock is delivered – that could be large plastic bubbles, bubble wrap, cardboard, packing paper and even Japanese newspaper!
When packing your order, I try to make the packaging look as good as possible but sometimes you might see that it's torn a little or maybe has a bit of old tape attached. But essentially it does the job and keeps your items safe from being bumped around in the post.
I also try not to use excessive amounts of brown tape around the boxes but, again, I have to weigh up preventing the goods from getting damaged with making it difficult to recycle the boxes. I have tested it myself and don’t think it is too difficult the remove the parcel tape from each box, making it safe to put in the recycling bin.
In our efforts to improve the way we live, I hope that you will also try to re-use the plastic wrapping and definitely recycle the paper and cardboard!
