Wood Pulp: what is it and why is it a great sustainable alternative to plastic?

At H!P, we want both people and planet to love our chocolate. The inner packaging of our chocolate bars may look just like plastic, but it's actually made from wood pulp, a cellulose film that is ethically-sourced, biodegradable and compostable industrially or at home. It's essentially a form of transparent paper, but made from a biodegradable raw material - wood chips. It's just as durable and strong as plastic, but a far more sustainable alternative. 

Being biodegradable means that the material will naturally break down over a period of time. A wood pulp film will only start the degradation process when it is in a compost environment, with oxygen, moisture and microorganisms, where it breaks down into CO2, water and biomass. It has no negative effects on the compost. 

So, when you've eaten your bar (if you're anything like us, this takes about five minutes), just pop it in a compost bin and feel good about giving back to the environment as well as having a belly full of delicious chocolate. 

Non-recyclable plastic packaging harms the environment because it is non-biodegradable. Single use plastic ends up in landfills and 8 million tons of plastic is dumped in the ocean every year. Plastic pollution endangers wildlife and ruins ecosystems. 

When plastic is recycled and repurposed, it isn't the devil: it can be durable, energy-saving and environmentally-safe. The problem is that a lot of plastic is designed for one use before it is thrown away, which is why we've opted to make our bars 100% plastic free. 

Check out the H!P x Kind Bag Reusable Shopper if you want to see an amazing example of how plastic bottles can be saved and reused in style.

Our wood pulp films have strong barriers to oxygen, moisture, oils and aromas to protect our bars, their wonderful taste and extend shelf life.

Curious? Watch how the wood pulp film that covers our chocolate burns like paper, not like plastic.