Zero waste sandwiches for food on the go
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Now I know we should all be making our own food from scratch, but sometimes a gal likes a bit of convenience.
What’s more, seven year old girls like to buy things in pretty packaging when out and about.
I’ve just come across a company called Fresh! Organics Who sell organic ‘fast food’ such as sandwiches, salads, wraps and yogurts for healthy food on the go. They cater for allergies too with their wheat free range of rye bread sandwiches.
For tiny tots, they have just launched a range of mini sandwiches which are half the size of adult portions. This is great for kids who’s eyes tend to be bigger than their tummies and it cuts down on food waste. They have an exciting range of flavours which includes carrot and humous as well as more traditional varieties like free range egg mayo and tuna and sweetcorn.
Now me being me, I’m more interested in the packaging. I want my cake (or sandwiches) AND to eat it, with healthy, organic food, convenience and decent packaging. So do Fresh get the zero waste thumbs up from us?
I’m happy to report that all of their sandwiches and most of their salads are packed in cardboard that comes from FSC certified forests. This board is recyclable, but because they use a special water based coating on the inside of the board (instead of a plastic coating which some manufacturers use), it’s also compostable. Yay!
The film window on the sandwich boxes and the material used to make 99% of their salad boxes is made from cornstarch and is also compostable and bio-degradable. Woohoo!
The labels on the packaging is also bio-degradable and they use vegetable inks in the printing process.
According to their website, around 1.5 tonnes of packaging is thrown away every second in England alone.
Fresh! pride themselves on using as little packaging as possible, reusing as much paper, plastic and glass as they can and delivering quality products in compostable packaging.
So there you have it, you can have convenience, a quality product AND zero waste. Fresh! have won lots of awards for their products including Best New Chilled Convenience Food Product 2008.
You can find fresh! naturally organic products in hundreds of stores across the UK. You’ll find them in in Boots stores nationwide, Asda, Tesco and Sainsbury’s stores within the M25 and they even sell their sandwiches on the Eurostar!
Let’s hope they expand so that the rest of the country can take advantage of their great business practise.
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Tags: food packaging
Hi Mrs Green,
Truly a ZeroWastePackaging product from Fresh! Organics. This surely must catch on with other producers. Consumers, as usual, have to push the pace of change by their purchasing choices.
I hope they do cakes as well. Black Forest Gateau and Raspberry Pavlova are my Christmas favourites every year.
I think I’ve seen these sandwiches as the carrot and hoummous has tempted me 🙂
John – you sound a very competent baker, have you tried making the favourites mentioned above? If you don’t like to do meringue, that can be sourced at Cheltenham Farmers Market.
Thank you Mrs G – Now I know what to do with Mr A on my days off! I can’t wait to see his face when he asks me what’s for lunch and I tell him to get Fresh! What a great concept though and is ideal for when you’re out and about. ;-D
Hi Kris,
Home baking is a hobby of mine but with family round for Christmas, Boxing Day and New Year, I prefer to leave these to the experts. Christmas Pudding is a different matter in that most come in non-recyclable plastic bowls, so I will be doing that myself.
Meringues from Cheltenham is an idea, as the filling is easier to make. I could make a Pavlova before year end as a trial.
How is your own home baking?
I love these sandwiches – and they are a bargain at Boots as they are part of the meal deal (the option I go for if I am being too lazy to make a lunch!)
I am pretty sure that all Boots own brand sandwiches are now in recyclable/compostable packaging too which is good news!
My younger daughter loves ‘packed sandwiches’ so I shall have to look out for these when we are next in town. The compostable packaging is genius but it does rely on consumers taking it home and putting it in their compost bins, instead of chucking it in the nearest litter bin.
John,
This was Mr Green’s comment too when I told him the story – if one manufacturer can do it, then why can’t all the rest. I expect it comes down to economics. But on the day we start to realise that ‘cost’ isn’t all about money, things will change.
Kris I find meringue is a great way to ensure no food waste – on the days I make ice cream, the whites get used for meringue.
Mrs A; it’s great to be able to highlight companies that are making such a change. I wonder what Mr A will say LOL!
Good to get a tried and tested opinion, Flippa – thank you! and we’ll have to investigate the Boots own brand of sandwiches. I know you can get them in cardboard in Waitrose, but whether it is lined and what the plastic window is made from, I don’t know.
Just Gai, you are right about the need for the consumer to be conscious about the packaging too. I wonder how many just get thrown out?
I didn’t answer John’s question about my own baking skills – well… the answer is I’m capable but get so flustered following recipes that I don’t do it very often at all.
I can apply circular logic to give me an excuse though. If I don’t make lovely biscuits and cakes – I can’t eat them 🙂 And I’ve also tried turning this on its head – I *can* have cake – if I make it. Which I don’t so it’s a very successful healthy eating plan 🙂
I absolutly have to try that out! so, one more reason to come to england again!!
Hi Esther – how often do you visit? Do you have family or friends over here?
Hi Mrs Green, Well, I don’t come that often, may be once every two years, just for a weekend or so with a friend of mine; I was there this summer, and had a great time, since London is also great for vegetariens (which I am )….
Glad you enjoyed London, Esther. I read a story about a man who strapped himself to a contraption he had made and got to France in 22 minutes! Perhaps you could make one: take a look at his picture:
http://www.stuff.co.nz/images/723729.jpg
hihihi, I’ll ask the man to lend it to me!!
oh my goodness, tagged again…and i had to return the favor, feel like a school-yard loser, sorry you were on my mind and i had to grab the thought before i lost my green think.
oh well, visit me when you can, between blogging and living.
nadine cold and tired, or vice-versa.
Nice to see a company leading the way especially when convenience is such a factor for so many. I come from a solid 20 yrs of scratch cooking so I am not one to lean towards the packaged anything. I am sure my kids have grumbled along the way, and I have often set them apart as health geeks, yet in the end I am glad I took that route. A friend just had a baby and gave me a nice assortment of baby food jars, they are perfect for touting nuts and seeds and somehow my daughter thinks they are cute – who knew
Karen – did you say thank you, but why are you using these??
😉
Oh Nadine, I did love reading your 7 things about Nadine tag. And pleased to find another TV-free person; as are we 🙂
Mother Earth – welcome! What a joy to have you here at our site. Thank you for visiting. Scratch cooking is the way to go and I’m glad you are pleased with your decision. I know I feel better when I scratch cook rather than give in to convenience. What is it with kids and small jars? LMG loves them too (for storing fairy food 😉 )