RECYCLED PLASTIC VS GLASS
'It may seem surprising, but Brock's study found that plastic bottles are less environmentally damaging than glass bottles.'
- Notes on a study by Alice Brock, a PhD researcher at University of Southampton in the UK
OUR JARS ARE MADE FROM
100% recycled PLASTIC
In 2023, we made the decision to move to jars made from 100% foodsafe recycled plastic, which are also fully recyclable.
We source our packaging from a 100% New Zealand owned and operated EnviroMark Gold Awarded supplier, meaning they have demonstrated a commitment to environmental stewardship in all operational decision making, and have gone above and beyond these requirements to allow zero pellet, flake and powder loss, making them an official Operation Clean Sweep® Partner.
Why not glass?
We wanted to genuinely do what was best for the environment whilst working with the constraints we have, and after a lot of research we found that all evidence points to recycled plastic having less of an environmental impact than glass. According to a study published in the International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment, rPET is by far the best option, when comparing rPET, PET, returnable glass, and non-returnable glass.
‘Glass is the worst packaging option because of high energy demand in the bottle production and its weight and in the transport phase. Some improvements can be obtained with returnable glass, but even if we consider that a bottle could be reused eight times, results are not comparable to the PET or R-PET bottles used only once.’
The benefits of our new jars
BPA Free, to ensure safe consumption
Better for the environment than glass and non-recycled plastics
More durable than glass or standard PET jars
Fully recyclable - just pop in your recycling bin for collection
100% Foodsafe, according to strict New Zealand Guidelines
WHY WE LOVE
THE STRENGTH OF RPET
Lighter and more compact than glass, PET is far less likely to break during transport and requires very little protective packaging material that adds weight, bulk and additional waste. As a result, PET uses less fossil fuel and energy over the course of the product’s entire lifecycle, not just its production. At the end of the day, PET creates fewer greenhouse emissions and less solid waste when compared to glass. Overall, plastics are lighter and more efficient than many alternatives. Their lighter weight reduces their environmental footprint by decreasing waste, energy use and carbon emissions.
![](http://eu.steenshoney.com/cdn/shop/files/SteensHoney_Sustainability_UMF20_in_Bathroom_{width}x.webp?v=1710817358)
![](http://eu.steenshoney.com/cdn/shop/files/SteensHoney_Sustainability_Glass_on_Beach_{width}x.webp?v=1710492438)
WHY WE AVOID
THE WEAKNESS OF GLASS
Compared to PET, glass is incredibly fragile. Should it break or shatter, whole boxes or shipments can be spoiled as a result. Guarding against this requires bulky, costly protective packaging that not only increases weight and adds to fuel costs - it takes up space that could be used for product, driving transportation costs even higher. Furthermore, from its manufacture to shipping to recycling, glass creates far more greenhouse gasses than PET.
Extracting sand for glass production may also have contributed to the current global sand shortage. According to the UN, sand is currently being used faster than it can be replenished.
TOP PICKS
RAW Mānuka HONEY
A healing salve from the Creator
I had a severely inflamed area on my skin, and within 6 hours I noticed and felt a reduction in the inflammation from using the 20 UMF Steen's honey. It's now 3 days later and the skin is almost entirely healed. This honey is incredible.
- Tuffy, USA
Natural Topical Remedy
Bought this because my son had some rash on his lips that would not go away. We went to the doctor several times and they prescribed a few different things. One made it worse. Then I started to read up on natural methods. This kind of honey was one of the suggestions. After using this for 3-4 weeks as a topical ointment, the rash is completely gone.
- Vixen, USA
I learned about Manuka honey from Dr. Axe. It is being used more and more by healthcare professionals as its natural healing properties are further understood. I accidentally touched my forearm on a light fitting once. The contact was only a fraction of a second but I sure got burned. I remembered manuka honey was effective at treating burns and applied some. Awwww... sweet relief!
- Crunk, USA