How Valley Northern supplies environmentally responsible products

Posted in: Case Studies 19th April 2023

Legislative focus on reducing both consumer and commercial use of plastic continues to diminish the use of single-use plastic carrier bags. Finding a packaging supplier offering a quality range of environmentally-conscious consumable products is now paramount. With the help of Environmental Policy ISO 14001-accredited packaging supplier Valley Northern, businesses can pack their products responsibly and demonstrate compliance with new regulations on plastic.

A Northamptonshire-based Dental Distributor specialising in designing and dispensing Oral Health Education campaigns in the UK has used Valley Northern as their sustainable packaging supplier for the last 18 months. 

The company, which makes and distributes targeted tooth brushing packs to schools in deprived areas of the UK with dental health issues, approached Valley Northern when they sighted a need to source eco-friendly packaging.

The company has a proven record of releasing pressure on the NHS and improving dental hygiene within the areas in which it operates. The requirement for environmentally-friendly packaging came from a bid to move away from using plastics and to implement reusable materials instead.

An environmentally-conscious bag was required which would be strong enough to hold heavy toothpaste and toothbrushes, as well as to withstand being packaged and sent to schools. The bags would also need to be printed on with the individual branding and desired messaging of the hospitals local to the destination schools. Paper prescription bags seemed to be the most appropriate solution, in terms of durability, sustainability and obtaining a crisp, professional print finish.

“We have done extensive research into plastic alternatives for our popular bag ranges and have discovered a great many advantages to the different sustainable bagging options available,” said Adrian Pittock, Quality Assurance Officer at Valley Northern. “The ability to custom print these bags means that manufacturers can take a more bespoke approach to their sustainable packaging.”

 “We have supplied The Honest Tooth with their bespoke printed bags for some time now and find it truly satisfying to be able to help in a small way towards their campaigns,” Gemma, Sales Executive at Valley Northern, explained. “We are impressed with their quirky, fun designs – which really appeals to their target market of young schoolchildren.”

Further to simply supplying the bags, Valley Northern have been working with the Buyer within the Dental Distributor company to understand more about their projects. After gaining useful insights into the business’ requirements, we worked together to look at alternative options for some smaller campaigns, where the print runs are very small as they are tailored for a particular target audience.

The need for flexibility is paramount to being able to obtain these smaller print runs. Valley Northern explored the relevant eco-friendly bag options available. These included both compostable and biodegradable corn starch alternatives; which have flexible print run quantities and do not have an adverse effect on the environment as the production cycle consumes so little energy.

Valley Northern is committed to providing its customers with quality, cost effective sustainable packaging that can be personalised just as effectively as plastic. It will not only call for a great deal of collaboration to find your perfect sustainable solution, but innovation as well.

Browse our sustainable packaging range here.