At Condor, we are working to reduce our plastic waste. We champion a circular economy in which we reuse items rather than throw away.
Below we have set out what we are doing as a business. We are always looking to do more.
If you have any feedback or processes you have implemented at home or in your workplace, please email us and we will consider those processes at Condor.
Plastic Bags
We last ordered plastic carrier bags in 2012 and have not ordered any since, nor do we plan to. Our plastic bags have reinforced handles and are made from recycled plastic, we have replaced the majority of our plastic bags with recycled paper bags. Both are very strong and can be used multiple times at home. Our staff only provide a bag when asked.
Mail Parcels and Packaging
80% of our online orders are shipped using mail bags made from recycled materials, and the bags can be recycled. The remaining 20% of orders are shipped in reused cardboard boxes we have received into the business. If you put our mail bags into your domestic recycling, they can be recycled and turned into something else.
Our aim is to replace the recycled mail bags with a biodegradable or compostable solution in the long-term.
Our bicycles are shipped in cardboard boxes, which have specially designed cardboard supports inside, so that we do not need to use any plastic packaging.
When we ship out online orders, our focus is to use as little packaging as possible. We do not purchase plastic packaging such as air pillows, bubble wrap, or polystyrene. We re-purpose the materials we receive into the business. Since 2017, we have used corrugated card to protect products in mail bags rather than bubble wrap where possible.
We often re-use zip-lock and plastic bags that we have received into the business from brands, distributors, and manufacturers. The zip-lock bags are used to protect clothing and products from being marked or damaged when shipping an order.
We ask our suppliers not to send us products in plastic, but sometimes this is just the way they arrive, and sending it back would increase our carbon footprint unnecessarily and we do not know if the items will be properly recycled. Therefore we would rather re-use it in the business.
We have recently switched to paper packing tape, and will not reorder plastic tape again.
Workshop and Warehouse
Our workshop mechanics clean components using environmentally-friendly chemicals supplied by Rozone.
Zip-ties are extremely useful for securing paperwork, but are similar to plastic straws. Therefore we flip zip ties round and attach them so that they can be detached and reused rather than being cut off. This means we do not need to use much sticky tape, which can also damage your products when removed.
Soap, oils and cleaners are put into refillable containers. We do not use wet wipes or disposable cloths in our workshops. Our mechanics use recycled cloth and clothing that is collected, cleaned, and re-purposed.
If you are upgrading your components and do not want older products, we clean them and use them for spares where possible. Components that are damaged or worn out are sent to metal recycling and not landfill, where possible.