Is U-Konserve a Sustainable Company? An Eco-Friendly Review

U-Konserve is an American Brand, founded in 2008 by two friends who believed that small changes can have a huge impact on the global movement to protect our planet. Concerned about the amount of single-use packaging, they created reusable lunch kits for schools, long before zero-waste hit the headlines.

They offer a range of  reusable stainless steel containers and lunchboxes that are durable and user friendly with see through silicone lids. They are not just perfect for children's school lunches, but for takeaways, leftovers, office lunch, picnics, bulk shopping and use in the home. At Green Tulip, we only work with ethical brands and we started to stock U-Konserve back in 2011! After a period of business change, we were delighted to welcome them back into the range in 2023. Kate, our in-house values coordinator, thoroughly vets each brand we stock, ensuring they meet our high standards for ethical sourcing and environmental responsibility. Here’s what she says about U-Konserve:

Is U-Konserve an Ethical Company? Examining Their Values:

1. Labour Practices:

U-Konserve are committed to fair labour practices, ethical sourcing, and worker well-being. Their products are designed in California and responsibly made in China in facilities that are working toward green practices, supportive of their mission to reduce waste and adhere to their own supplier code of conduct.

2. Production:

U-Konserve stainless steel products are made in China. Now, the label 'Made in China' has long been associated with poor quality, mass production, questionable worker conditions, poor environmental controls and pollution.
 
Our view is that China is one of the countries best placed to produce high quality stainless steel products efficiently and cost effectively, for a few reasons:
 
Firstly China has an extensive network of factories equipped with the highly advanced technology and machinery required to make a precision, stainless steel products, allowing for efficient and cost effective production.
 
China has huge quantities of iron ore and other raw materials required in the manufacturing process in their own country ensuring a reliable supply without transportation or reliance on another country.
 
Finally, because they have been honing their expertise for over 20 years and continuously improving quality and efficiency, their products are simply the best you can buy. Reliable quality is an important factor in reducing waste and also persuading consumers to swap to a reusable and stick with it for many years.

3. Materials:

U-Konserve offer non-toxic, safe products that are tested by CPSIA-accredited independent labs (The Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act) to ensure that they are free of BPA, phthalates and lead. All products are designed to be durable and long lasting, and to minimise waste throughout each product's life cycle.

Stainless Steel Containers are made from 18/8 (304) stainless steel which is durable, food safe and free of BPA, BPS, phthalates and lead. This is stainless steel with 18% chromium and 8% nickel, which guarantees stainless steel products of very high food quality and great resistance.

Lids  are made from platinum-grade, food-grade silicone that pass strict EU LFGB standards.

Why platinum-grade silicone? The global movement to reduce single-use plastic is hitting mainstream, and many people are trying to reduce plastic altogether. The new food-grade platinum silicone lids meet FDA standards, as well as strict European LFGB standards prohibiting fillers.

The silicone lids fit all U-Konserve stainless steel containers and are a perfect choice for a completely plastic-free lunchbox. The benefits are many: plastic free, leak proof/ airtight, durable/crack free, flexible  & easy for little hands to open, dishwasher safe, resilient in high temperatures & and in the freezer and clear as glass.

Insulated Lunch Totes and Ice Pack Covers are made from PET #1 recycled plastic bottles. This reduces the need for virgin plastic and diverts a huge source of existing single use plastic waste away from the waste stream.

Gel pack inserts are made from non-toxic sodium polymer. 

U-Konserve's Environmental Impact:

1. Sustainable Product Lifecycle:

U-Konserve design high-quality, long-lasting products sustainably designed to minimise waste throughout each product's life cycle. The longer the products last, the fewer resources are used to reach their collective goal: to reduce food-packaging waste. Their products are reusable and waste-free and designed to reduce the staggering amount of trash that ends up in landfills and oceans every year because of food packaging.

2. Spare Parts:

They offer replacement lids to increase the life span of their containers and lunchboxes, By developing improved, silicone lids that fit all of their older lunchboxes and containers, they ensure their older products continue to be used and improve their function and sustainability.

3. Packaging:

U-Konserve do not use unnecessary packaging for their products, what they do use is plastic free and easily recyclable.

4. Company Initiatives:

U-Konserve give back with every purchase and believe that organisations working hard to protect the planet need support which is why they're a proud member of 1% for the Planet and give back with every purchase.

They offer a discount and advice for schools and have done so since their company's inception. Through the Waste-Free Challenge they donate 20-30% of sales back to schools that help promote waste-free lunch packing and offer their products.

They are also founders of campaigns such as Waste-Free Mini and Switch the straw, aimed at reducing single use packaging and preventing plastic waste. You can read about their campaigns and achievements on their Responsibility page.

Transparency: How Open Are U-Konserve About Their Practices?

1. Certifications:

U-Konserve are committed to fair labour practices, ethical sourcing, and worker well-being, to this end, their factories submit to an audit by Amfori. Amfori BSCI is one of the most commonly used social audit programmes in the world. Formerly known only as Business Social Compliance Initiatives (BSCI), with a focus on social compliance improvement in supply chains across its 2,400 member companies globally. 

BSCI measures 13 audit performance areas as below to ensure a good working environment for employees, and ethical retail and supply chain practices:

• Social management systems and the cascade effect
• Worker involvement and protection
• The rights of freedom of association and collective bargaining
• No discrimination
• Fair remuneration
• Decent working hours
• Occupational health and safety
• No child labor
• Special protection for young workers
• No precarious employment
• No bonded labor
• Protection of the environment
• Ethical behavior

U-Konserve scored top marks in 11/13 of these social metrics and were awarded an overall rating of C which is considered acceptable. 

U-Konserve believe in balancing purpose and profit and In 2015 they earned certification as a B Corporation.
As a Certified B Corporation, they meet rigorous social and environmental standards, and stay true to their mission to operate with integrity and responsibility.

B Corp Certification is a designation that a business is meeting high standards of verified performance, accountability, and transparency on factors from employee benefits and charitable giving to supply chain practices and input materials. In order to achieve certification, a company must

• Demonstrate high social and environmental performance by achieving a B Impact Assessment score of 80 or above and passing our risk review. Multinational corporations must also meet baseline requirement standards.
• Make a legal commitment by changing their corporate governance structure to be accountable to all stakeholders, not just shareholders, and achieve benefit corporation status if available in their jurisdiction.
• Exhibit transparency by allowing information about their performance measured against B Lab’s standards to be publicly available on their B Corp profile on B Lab’s website.  

2. Communication:

U- Konserve are transparent about their values and practices. They have a dedicated sustainability page on their website that outlines their commitment to their set of Values known as their Responsibilities. They actively share their environmental initiatives and achievements on their website as well as other channels of media. Their website features a comprehensive  Resources page for anyone interested in sustainability, health, plastic free living and waste reduction. They also publish healthy recipes and a blog about sustainability.

Kate's Conclusion

After more than a decade of growth and transition, the same goals that helped launch their message of reuse still guide the company today. As a Certified B Corporation and member of 1% for the Planet, the company is using business for good by creating a positive impact for employees, communities and the environment. The initial mission to protect the planet has grown into a lifestyle of reusing more, wasting less, and raising awareness about the exciting and growing movement to reduce single-use plastic.

On a personal note, I have been using my U-Konserve lunch box and containers for years - 9 I think! I have found them to be be extremely useful and obviously very durable. I recently upgraded the lids on a couple as the new silicone lids are much more flexible and it's handy to be able to see through them. It is a bit like having a new container, without the cost and without the waste. This is product sustainability at its finest - no inbuilt obsolescence with U-Konserve!

U-Konserve's dedication to ethical sourcing, sustainable materials, responsible consumption and community engagement perfectly aligns with our values at Green Tulip. Their high-quality, reusable lunch boxes and food containers are a fantastic choice for anyone looking to reduce their environmental footprint and make a positive impact.

Ready to ditch single-use plastic and embrace a more sustainable lifestyle? Explore the range of U-Konserve lunch boxes and food containers available at Green Tulip and join us in making a difference!

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