Our guiding principles

We acknowledge that by making products, we impact our environment in some form. From the beginning, we've carefully considered packaging, food waste and sourcing practices and strive to reduce our environmental impact where possible.

Consciously curated products and accessories

We believe in the power of eating plants to save the planet! Our accessory range has been designed with sustainable lifestyles front of mind.

Plant-powdered ingredients

Moodi products, and therefore all ingredients we source, are 100% plant-based to help minimise the emissions and environmental impact of animal product use.

Reusable accessories

We have consciously chosen not to include a plastic scoop in each pouch to avoid wastage and instead offer a metal scoop-clip for purchase.

Our coconut bowls and spoons are made from renewable materials and treated to ensure longevity.

Finally, our re-usable straw sets allow you to slurp your smoothies in bliss without disposing your straws afterwards. These straw sets are packaged in linen sleeves rather than plastic.

Thoughtful packaging design

To find the best option for our customers and the environment, we have carefully researched the latest packaging innovations and collaborated with leading industry bodies.

Design process

Moodi partnered with Soft Plastics NZ to develop packaging with the lowest overall carbon footprint as measured by Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) principles across each stage of the product life cycle. For this reason, our blends are packaged in a stand-up, resealable pouch, primarily made of LDPE plastic.

When it comes to food packaging, there can be a lot of misinformation regarding sustainability. While there is no silver bullet, different solutions have clear benefits and downfalls. 

Plastic packaging is sometimes targeted as a “bad” choice. On closer inspection, it provides an efficient and lightweight solution with numerous advantages. Plastic packaging reduces carbon emissions during material extraction, production, transportation, and product use. Secondly, it better protects and preserves food products, reducing food waste.

Recycling guidelines

Moodi packaging is recyclable at appropriate collection centres across New Zealand through the Soft Plastic Recycling Scheme and through the REDcyle programme in Australia.

Careful selection of packaging materials

The materials chosen and the amount used in Moodi packaging have been closely evaluated to help reduce our overall carbon footprint.

Raw material origin

While using only non-virgin (i.e. recycled) materials is preferable, unfortunately this is not possible under food packaging requirements in New Zealand.

Therefore in evaluating other options, we have chosen plastic pouches. Plastic, alongside glass, generally has the lowest carbon footprint during production in most manufacturing processes.

Paper uses 4x more energy to make than plastic, and aluminium is even higher, meaning cardboard or paper packaging with aluminium lining is not ideal. Further, resources used to make paper are not always sourced in an environmentally and socially responsible manner.

Volume of material

The amount of material used to create plastic pouches is relatively minimal, reducing production footprint and downstream emissions.  Other forms of packaging
including tubs, cylinders or cartons, use more packaging material to hold the same volume of product.

A thinkstep-anz study confirmed plastic pouches have the highest product-to-packaging ratio of any packaging forms due to their lightweight and flexible nature. 

Minimising transport emissions

Our packaging is designed to minimise transportation emissions, both before the package is filled and when the final product is sent to customers.

Reduced volume of air

The volume of air inside the packaging before it is filled affects transport emissions:

• Plastic pouches minimise this, given they are packed flat when empty (and mould to the product once filled).

• Rigid packaging like tubs and cylinders cannot be compressed. Consequently, shipping the air inside them between the packaging place of origin and where the product is made takes up a lot of space.

Lightweight

The weight of packaging also affects transport emissions: 

• Plastic pouches are lightweight and have the lowest ratio of product-to-package.

• Other materials like glass weigh more or may require additional protective material during transit.

Optimised shape

Packaging shape also has a big impact on emissions during transportation: 

• Flexible plastic pouches and square-shaped packaging are most efficient as the air between items is minimised when packed for shipping.

• On the other hand, circle-based systems like cylinders are the least efficient.

Preventing food waste

Our packaging material and innovative manufacturing methods naturally enhance product longevity and meet the strictest regulatory standards.

Product protection

The primary purpose of food packaging is to enhance the longevity of the content while meeting relevant regulations. For this purpose, flexible soft plastic pouches provide a great option to protect Moodi blends. 

Unfortunately, current lifespans of solutions like compostable materials or BioPE made from sustainably sourced plants are generally no longer than six months. Moodi blends have a natural shelf life of two years (without preservatives or additives), meaning this solution would limit product life span and risk increased food waste. 

Air removal

We use a unique flushing technique during manufacturing to remove oxygen from the pouches and enhance shelf-life, further reducing potential food waste.

Accessible and low-emission end-of-life solutions

We have closely considered packaging options in relation to the environmental impact of end-of-life solutions.

Recycling plastic

Recycling is integral to reducing a product's carbon footprint. However, even if a product is ‘recyclable’, this does not mean recycling infrastructure is in place or the recycling process itself is sustainable. 

For example, paper is collected, sorted, washed, purified, flattened, dried, coloured and bleached before being re-used. Glass also requires an extensive process but is 100% recyclable and can be recycled endlessly without loss of quality, unlike plastic. 

When it comes to plastic recycling, not all plastics are the same. Generally, harder plastics like PET (1), HDPE (2) and PP (5) are the easiest to recycle.

Soft plastics are recyclable in New Zealand through the Soft Plastic Recycling Scheme and the REDcyle programme in Australia. These programmes give soft plastic a second life by turning it into fence posts, cable covers, garden edging and more! 

Reusable and compostable alternatives

Reusing: This is a great way to improve circularity. Glass is the leader when it comes to reusing due to its longevity – the same glass bottles can be used for the same products again and again after industrial cleaning. However, glass is not a viable, low-emissions option for Moodi blends packaging, given the reasons mentioned. 

Compostable packaging: This packaging cannot be recycled. Unless properly decomposed by the consumer, it often ends up in recycling systems, causing contamination and resulting in large volumes of plastic being dumped in landfills. 

Industrial facilities are needed for commercially compostable packaging and must have constant temperatures of 55℃+ to break down material. At-home composting is not widely practiced, meaning packaging often ends up in landfills, releasing methane in the same way food waste does.

Accessibility is the final barrier for most, as only 12 industrial and three community composting facilities are available in New Zealand.

    We welcome your thoughts and reflections on further reducing our environmental impact. Moodi is devoted to continuously improving sustainability, and we are grateful for your support and participation.

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