Our Commitment to Packaging & Shipping Sustainability
Shipping live plants is no joke. They’re fragile, they’re fussy, sometimes they are really heavy, and they’re literally living plants! As you can imagine, there’s a lot involved with figuring out how we can ship live plants - efficiently, sustainably, and safely - all around the country.
Here's how we do it.
Plastic-free Shipping
Meet Our Mindful Shipping Materials
We've always shipped with plastic-free, plantable pots. But earlier this year, we committed to using only plant-based, plastic-free, biodegradable, compostable and recyclable packing materials in our entire nationwide shipping process.
This was a huge investment for us and sometimes it makes the shipping process take a little bit longer, but it also makes shipping live plants way safer. We definitely think it's worth it.
Meet our eco-friendly shipping supplies that make our sustainable shipping practices possible.
Plant-Based Moisture Holding Bags
As an alternative to wrapping plants with plastic, each plant from Sow Exotic ships in a plant-based biodegradable bag to lock in moisture and keep soil in place during transit.
We currently use two types of moisture-holding spill proof bags. Both are certified Compostable by BPI and meet ASTM D6400 and European Standard EN 13432 for compostability.
For Small & Medium Plants
Eucalyptus Bags
Cellophane packaging is an eco-friendly alternative to petroleum-based plastic packaging. Cellophane is 100% compostable and easily biodegrades in soil, just like plants and leaves.
Our cellophane bags are made from eucalyptus cellulose fibers sourced exclusively with sustainable forestry principles. The manufacturing process that produces them is "carbon zero' and causes no increase in carbon released into the atmosphere.
For Large & Extra Large Plants
Compostable Bio Bags
Made entirely from plant-based materials, these bioplastic bags biodegrade naturally in your home compost bin, leaving no harmful residues behind. Strong enough to reuse to line the compost bin, these versatile bags can also go right into the compost heap along with kitchen scraps.
The translucent mint green bioplastic is an industry standard to show these bags are biodegradable. Bio Bags contain NO polyethylene or chemical additives, are verified by the Non-GMO project. Soy-based inks and dyes are CEN certified. DEBIO certified for use in organic agriculture.
Boxes & Tape
Cardboard Boxes
Made in the USA from recycled materials. Cardboard boxes are biodegradable and can be composted, recycled, or reused in a million different ways.
Our 200 lb. corrugated test boxes are made with heavier paper and have 60% greater bursting strength than 32 ECT boxes. Greater bursting strength means fewer damaged boxes during shipping.
Reinforced Paper Tape
We use water-activated reinforced kraft paper tape that is completely biodegradable, recyclable, and repulpable. Our paper tape is an amazing alternative to petroleum-based acrylic tape made from non-renewable resources.
Using reinforced paper tape with strong starch-based adhesive allows us to use LESS consumable packaging. Water-activated paper tape is incredibly strong and holds it’s seal through extreme temperature, light, and humidity.
Plastic-Free Planters
Pots You Can Plant
We're committed to a greener way of growing. That's why we ditched the plastic nursery pot and ship almost all of our plants in plastic-free plantable pots. Plantable pots help support strong healthy root growth and happy, productive plants.
All of our plantable pots are made from plant-based materials. And since our plant sizes vary, so do our planter sizes and materials.
