Description:

WoolStem is an innovative wool and flax-based packaging range designed specifically for consumer gardening equipment and seed packets. Utilising locally sourced animal and plant fibres, the packaging provides a compostable and sustainable option which has the added benefit of nourishing the garden.

Typically gardening equipment packaging is made from cardboard, plastic, and gloss paper cards and is designed solely to transport goods from stores to consumers' homes, after which it is discarded. WoolStem encourages a shift towards more sustainable practices by considering the entire packaging life cycle and creating a product that matches its application. Once consumers bring home gardening products packaged in WoolStem, they can tear up the packaging and deposit it into their soil, transforming the packaging into a slow-release fertilizer. This process delivers satisfaction and enjoyment, giving back to the environment and improving garden conditions due to the nutrients within the composite material.

Eco-friendly packaging is not new. However, WoolStem stands out by using locally sourced natural materials. Wool and flax fibres are combined with tissue pulp and starch, to create a foundation that makes the gardening packaging 100% compostable. Specifically, the wool component is New Zealand strong wool, which, as a natural fibre, releases essential nutrients as a slow-release fertilizer while decomposing in the soil.

The foundation material is laser-cut into precise packaging forms. This process optimizes the amount of packaging produced from each sheet, and off-cuts are shredded, and placed back into the material making process. Laser-etching is also used to provide necessary information for gardening products, branding, and labelling, ensuring that the product's decomposing quality is not affected.

This closed-loop system is unique and beneficial for the gardening community, as it allows packaging with materials from the land to return minerals and nutrients (nitrogen, potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, and calcium) which is crucial for soil health and plant growth, providing a supportive, sustainable gardening practices for users.

Flax and wool fibres are natural raw materials that are of significant cultural importance in New Zealand. Combined, they provide strength to the packaging. Harvesting and sourcing these materials within the country reduces the carbon footprint and ensures that the fibres are harvested safely and traditionally. This local sourcing supports the sustainable production of WoolStem packaging aligning with environmental and cultural values.

With a deep consideration of the life cycle and application of packaging, WoolStem offers an easy, sustainable, and soil-enriching alternative to traditional packaging. Switching from cardboard and plastic packaging to WoolStem’s unique wool and flax composite packaging offers the same scale and form, suitable for replacing existing packaging of gardening products in retail environments. WoolStem encourages customers to adopt sustainable processes and offers a practical and eco-friendly solution that benefits both the consumer and the environment.