This guide walks you through:
✔️ What each packaging material is
✔️ Why it is considered eco-friendly
✔️ Exactly how to dispose of it properly
✔️ Common mistakes to avoid
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Short cut summary: Disposal Guide
After you finish your herbal tea blend, here's what to do with the packaging:
✔ Empty the pouch or sample bag of any herbs
✔ Place the sample bags with labels on in your home compost
✔ If you do not have compost, check your council rules for the green organics bin
✔ As for the tea pouch, place the tea pouch along with the front and back labels in general waste until better options become available
Read more if you are interested in what packaging materials we use.
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At ORΔ-FLŌ, we do not just craft blends that help you rest more and feel calmer to keep burnout away. We also care about what happens after your ritual ends.
We are not perfect, but we are doing our best to build habits that support all of us and the land that holds us.
In the spirit of encouraging tiny habits, we are committing to make one tiny change at a time which we hope will make a real difference in the future.
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1. Our Sample Bags
Home compostable, biodegradable, plant based and made in Australia.
They provide a natural moisture barrier to keep your tea fresh.
Our sample bags may look like clear plastic, but they are actually made from renewable cellulose fibre which comes from plants. They meet the Australian Standard AS5810 which means they safely break down in your home compost.
Why They Are Eco Friendly
✔️ Biodegradable
✔️ Compostable
✔️ Home compostable
✖️ Not recyclable
Break down in about 15 weeks in normal composting conditions
How to Dispose of Them
Option 1: Home Compost Best option
Empty out any tea crumbs and place the bag straight into your compost.
It will naturally break down over a few months.
Option 2: Green Organic Bin
Some councils allow compostable packaging in the green bin. Check your local guidelines.
Do NOT:
✖️ Put it in kerbside recycling
✖️ Place it in soft plastic recycling
The material is plastic free and does not belong in either system.
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2. Front Labels on the Sample Bags
Plastic free, made in Australia and fully compostable.
These labels are made from unbleached sugarcane fibres. They are vegan, non GMO, BPA free and food safe. Both the paper face and the adhesive are industrially compostable which means the entire label breaks down fully in composting conditions.
How to Dispose
Place the entire label in your home compost or in your green bin if your council accepts compostable packaging.
Do NOT:
✖️ Put stickers in kerbside paper recycling
Paper recycling cannot process adhesives even when the label looks like paper.
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3. Back Labels on the Sample Bags
Compostable labels made from bagasse, the soft fibre left over from sugarcane.
These labels turn sugarcane waste into something useful and earth friendly.
Credentials
✔️ 100 percent plastic free
✔️ Made in Australia
✔️ FSC certified thermal paper
✔️ Industrially compostable EN13432
✔️ Compostable adhesive
✔️ Food grade
✔️ Coloured with water based inks
✖️ Not recyclable
How to Dispose
Compost the whole label including the adhesive.
Place it in your home compost or your green bin if accepted by your council.
Do NOT:
✖️ Put stickers in kerbside paper recycling
Adhesives cannot be processed in paper recycling.
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4. Our Main Stand Up Tea Pouches
Strong, food safe and designed to keep your herbs fresh, but not recyclable or compostable.
These pouches are made from multi layer barrier materials that protect your blends from light, moisture and oxygen. The labels on the pouch are also neither compostable nor recyclable.
How to Dispose
✔ Empty the pouch
✔ Place the entire pouch along with the labels in general waste
We know this is not the most earth friendly option and we are committed to improving it. As new barrier materials become available that can protect herbs while being fully compostable or recyclable, we will make the switch.
For now, transparency matters. You deserve to know exactly what to do with every part of your packaging.
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Why We Choose Compostable Over Recyclable
Recycling systems in Australia struggle with mixed materials, stickers, coatings and small items. Compostable packaging gives materials the chance to return to the soil naturally without needing large industrial processes.
It is one simple way we honour the planet while supporting your daily rituals of calm.
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Little Choices, Big Impact
Every time you compost your ORΔ-FLŌ packaging you help reduce landfill and support a healthier waste cycle.
A tiny ritual of care for yourself.
A tiny ritual of care for the earth.
Both matter.
With love,
ORΔ-FLŌ | Botanicals and Chinese Medicine
