About Flickering Feline's Packaging Materials (hint: they're ecofriendly!)

Peanuts and paper and packing tape…oh my!

When deciding on packaging, Flickering Feline Candle Co. had a lot to consider. How expensive are different packaging options? What materials can be used to ship a candle efficiently and securely so it arrives at its destination intact? What’s the deal with customizable tissue paper…and do we really need it to make a good impression? In this post, we’ll tell you all about:

1. our current packaging materials and how we decided on them

2. how to dispose of our packaging materials

What packaging do we use, and why?

When it comes to packaging, we had two concerns. On one hand, we wanted to have unique packaging that showcased our brand and made opening your order an exciting experience. On the other hand, we wanted to avoid using unnecessary materials. After all, ‘reduce’ is the first step in ‘reduce, reuse, recycle.’ Therefore, we settled on packaging that is ecofriendly and still captures our aesthetic.

All of our packaging materials are biodegradable, with the exception of the packing tape used to secure boxes for shipping (in the future, we plan to switch from a regular packing tape to a more sustainable option, but in the meantime we’re 'sticking' with a tried and true option, pun intended). We use honeycomb paper to wrap the candles, dissolvable packing peanuts made of plant starches to cushion them, and cardboard boxes to ship them. For our in-person sales at local markets, we use paper kraft bags to package the candles. To add some flair, we use a stamp with soy-based ink to customize our bags and boxes.

How to dispose of the packaging

If you cannot reuse the packaging or give it away to someone who can, you can dispose of it by:

- Recycling the cardboard box, honeycomb paper, and/or kraft bag your order came in

- Composting the peanuts OR dissolving the peanuts in warm water to wash down the drain (yes, this is safe to do!)

The best of both worlds: ecofriendly and aesthetic!

Although this packaging isn’t very fancy or elaborate, we believe it still looks good enough and gets the job done. Most importantly, it does what it needs to do without potentially harming wildlife or ocean ecosystems.