FAQ's

WHAT IS HDPE PLASTIC?

HDPE, or High Density Poly Ethylene, is a type of plastic most commonly used for bottle caps, shampoo bottles and other cleaning products. It can be identified by a small triangle with the number '2' in the centre. Sometimes this little symbol will include 'HDPE' or 'PEHD' below it. This classification symbol can be found on the underside of the bottle or lid.

WHY USE HDPE PLASTIC?

HDPE plastic is a 'thermo plastic'. This means it can be heated up and moulded into different shapes. Some plastics release harmful and toxic fumes when heated/ melted, but HDPE releases no harmful fumes, thus making it a safe plastic to work with. It can be reheated, remoulded and recycled repeatedly. It is also unfortunately one of the most plentiful forms of plastic waste.

Whilst this plastic is recycled often, gaining new life in the form of more bottle caps and detergent bottles, it remains trapped in this cycle of single use products. It is also not always recycled next time around, so while it stays in this cycle, it still has the opportunity to end up in places it should not be- nature. It has also been proven that recycling plastics to be used again for single use items actually causes an increase in production of virgin plastics, as it encourages the need of this material. CURA jewellery aims to reduce pollution by sourcing waste HDPE from communities with recycling challenges, and give this plastic a new, longer life in the form of cherished jewellery

OUR PACKAGING

All CURA jewellery is packaged in a beautiful luxury black box. We use a manufacturer that uses recycled paper and box board, who shares our passion for sustainability & earth friendly products.

Is our packaging compostable or biodegradable? Plant-based biodegradable packaging i.e paper is similar to compostable packaging, and the only big difference is the time it takes for the packaging to break down. Certified compostable packaging  breaks down in about six months, while biodegradable packaging takes longer, typically well over a year. Unlike your food waste, compostable packaging  can only degrade if it's taken to a special treatment facility and processed for a minimum of 12 weeks, at 58 C. This ensures it's reduced to just carbon dioxide, water and biomass. Not everyone has access to these facilities, which means the packaging will not be disposed of correctly. Incorrect disposal could mean the packaging ends up in a landfill, where it will release methane as it degrades. Methane is 25 time more potent then carbon dioxide.  Whilst paper is regarded as biodegradable, its better to recycle it, so we can reduce the impact of deforestation.