Recycling
All of the manufactured materials we use are fully recyclable. We carefully collect and reprocess all plastic scrap, swarf and dust from the engraving process to ensure both microplastics and macroplastics are kept out of landfill and the natural environment. We use specialist recycling facilities where both plastics and metals can be reprocessed efficiently and without harmful by-products. Our acrylic materials are usually ground down to create pellets which can be repurposed into new products. We encourage our customers to return labels and stems at the end of their useful life in order that we can recycle them properly.
Resources
Materials used in our engraving and laser etching include laminate acrylic and anodised aluminium. In terms of sustainability, each material presents its own positive and negative considerations. On balance, we consider our anodised aluminium to have the most favourable environmental credentials, given its durability (20+ year life span) and resistance to erosion/abrasion); stability (retains integrity in extreme temperature and weather conditions over time - no leaching of chemicals into soils or air); the availability of the resources used in manufacture and the relatively low energy and resource requirements over the entire production life-cycle. When carried out properly, the material can be fully recycled without harmful by-products. Laminate acrylic has very similar attributes and we are very careful to collect and re-process all swarf and microplastics associated with the manufacturing process.
Materials are sourced from European manufacturers with strong ethical and environmental credentials. We welcome your questions concerning material choice. Data sheets for our plastic and metal products are available on request.
Production
Our design and engraving facilities, including our machinery, are powered and heated from 100% renewable energy.
WINTERLING Sustainability Policy
WINTERLING designs and manufactures botanical labels in Cheshire, U.K. We recognise our responsibility to reduce environmental impact, conserve resources, and continually improve how we design, source, manufacture, package, and deliver our products, as well as the way we select our suppliers of utilities, business and financial services.
This policy sets out our sustainability commitments and the way we will work towards measurable improvements over time.
1) Our approach: continuous improvement across every aspect of business activities
We review our sustainability practices regularly and pursue year-on-year improvements that are realistic for a small business. We will:
prioritise actions that reduce material use, waste, and emissions,
ensure staff follow efficient production practices,
use customer feedback to improve packaging and product durability where possible,
work with suppliers and partners to strengthen responsible practices over time.
2) Responsible materials sourcing (tiered approach)
We source all materials from suppliers with strong environmental credentials. Where possible, we prioritise sourcing in the following order of preference:
within our local community,
then our region,
then across the wider UK,
then European suppliers.
Within each tier, we will prefer suppliers that can demonstrate responsible sourcing and environmental management (for example credible certifications, transparency on material origins, and evidence of continuous improvement).
We will only make sustainability claims that we can support with supplier documentation. If information is incomplete or changes, we will update our approach and our claims accordingly.
3) Product durability and re-orderability
Our products are made to be highly durable and fit for purpose. We aim to:
design labels, stakes, fixings and associated products to withstand normal use in their intended settings,
support small repeat orders (so customers can replace labels rather than discard whole arrangements),
provide clear product and care guidance where relevant to extend service life.
4) Laser engraving (anodised aluminium) — waste and efficiency
For our laser engraving work, we will reduce environmental impact by:
optimising layout and batch planning to minimise scrap,
calibrating equipment to reduce defects and rework,
maintaining machines to extend operating life and avoid premature replacement,
using the minimum necessary energy per job through good operating practice.
Where fumes/exhaust handling is required, we ensure extraction and filtration is operated correctly and maintained according to manufacturer guidance.
5) Rotary engraving (laminate acrylic) — waste and efficiency
For rotary engraving on laminate acrylic, we will reduce environmental impact by:
optimising cutting/layout where applicable to minimise offcuts,
keeping tolerances and tooling in good condition to reduce mistakes and scrap,
using preventive maintenance to prolong equipment life,
managing any acrylic residues and offcuts responsibly to avoid plastic waste (for example, reuse where feasible, otherwise specialist recycling).
6) Energy use and emissions
Our machinery, heating and lighting is powered by 100% renewable energy. We will also:
monitor and manage energy use in our production routines,
seek operational improvements that reduce electricity consumption and waste over time.
7) Waste reduction, re-use, and responsible disposal
We will reduce waste at the point of production and manage any waste we generate responsibly by:
separating waste streams where facilities exist,
storing and handling offcuts and waste to avoid unnecessary disposal,
re-using packaging and protective materials wherever feasible, including plastic void-fill received from suppliers/shipments where it can be safely reused for outgoing orders,
using appropriate recycling or disposal routes for any materials that cannot be reused.
8) Packaging and delivery (UK-made, plastic-free, FSC)
We aim to reduce the environmental impact of packaging and delivery through the following practices:
our packaging materials are manufactured in the UK from 100% FSC-accredited paper, are plastic-free, and are recyclable,
we re-use packaging wherever feasible, including protective materials such as plastic void-fill that we receive when it can be reused appropriately,
we use Royal Mail postal services wherever feasible,
we right-size packaging to reduce wasted space and material.
Where feasible, we include clear disposal/recycling information on packaging and ensure that our packaging choices remain appropriate for product protection.
9) End-of-life recycling and take-back
Our labels and stakes are designed to be recycled at the end of their useful life. We ask customers to:
use local specialist recycling services where available; and/or
return goods to us for recycling—please contact us for instructions.
We will support customers with recycling information where we can, and we will review our end-of-life approach to improve responsible handling over time.
10) Ethical considerations for banking, utilities, insurance, and partners
We consider sustainability to include ethical and responsible business conduct. We choose key partners—such as our banking, utilities, phone/broadband supplier, insurance provider, and other service providers—after careful consideration of their ethical and environmental credentials, as well as their proximity to our local community.
We aim to work with partners that demonstrate responsible practices, including (where relevant to their role) strong environmental management, fair and ethical business conduct, and transparency about their responsibilities and improvements. We prioritise suppliers who are based in – or contribute to - our local community through investment and employment.
11) Supplier engagement
We will engage with suppliers to strengthen responsible practices by:
requesting evidence of environmental credentials relevant to materials we buy,
sharing our sustainability expectations where appropriate,
prioritising improvements over time and maintaining documentation for any sustainability claims we make.
12) Compliance and responsible sustainability claims
We will comply with UK and relevant consumer and environmental requirements that apply to our business. We will ensure that any sustainability information presented to customers is accurate, not misleading, and based on evidence we can substantiate.
13) Transparency, monitoring, and review
We will review this policy at least annually and update it when we improve sourcing, production efficiency, packaging, waste management, delivery practices, or partner selection. We will track practical indicators such as:
packaging changes and improvements,
waste reduction and re-use activity,
equipment maintenance and efficiency measures,
availability of improved material options from our suppliers,
improvements in the ethical and environmental performance of key partners where we have influence.
Updated August 2026