FAQs

Made by Prodigi, Ecocaps are a sustainable packaging solution to plastic end caps. 

Composed entirely from recycled plant-based fibres, they’re compostable, biodegradable and recyclable.

Ecocaps are available to order in one size, measuring 3”/76mm in diameter to align with standard-issue cardboard postal tubes, ensuring a precise fit.

Our Ecocaps are water-resistant and have undergone testing to ensure they match the water-resistance levels of standard-issue cardboard postal tubes, providing an added layer of protection for your shipments.

Ecocaps are made from natural materials and are therefore inherently colourless by default. However, we do provide the option to customise Ecocaps with different colours upon request, including black and white.

Orders placed for customised Ecocaps will incur additional costs and minimum order quantities. If you’d like to discuss placing an order for Ecocaps in custom colourways, please get in touch.

Both recycling and composting are excellent options for sustainable waste management.

Generally speaking, though, if an item can be recycled or composted, it’s often better to opt to recycle it since recycling ensures a streamlined process where materials are reclaimed for the production of new items, promoting a shorter lifecycle and reducing contamination risk. 

However, it’s worth noting that both recycling and composting options for Ecocaps contribute positively to the environment, with composting offering the benefit of contributing to nutrient-rich soil and supporting a circular cycle of resource reuse.

For optimal disposal, we recommend following local waste management guidelines.

Plastic is the world’s most commonly used packaging material, accounting for approximately 44% of global packaging material consumption.

While all plastic is technically biodegradable, it can take anywhere from 20-500 years to decompose, before gradually breaking down into smaller and smaller pieces. In other words, plastic is forever. 

To date, 8.3 billion tonnes of plastic has been produced since its emergence in 1950. In contrast, reports show that only 9% of plastic waste is recycled annually around the world. 

Furthermore, with 85% of global plastic waste ending up in landfill and an estimated 5.25 trillion pieces of plastic polluting our oceans, both of which pose a significant threat to ecosystems and wildlife.

We enable businesses and suppliers to drastically reduce their plastic consumption by providing them with a compostable, zero-plastic alternative to single-use end caps.

What’s more, our international dropshipping network allows us to offer local fulfilment on a global scale, resulting in reduced carbon emissions associated with shipping and a more eco-friendly supply chain.

Designed to replace the plastic end caps on cardboard postal tubes, Ecocaps save two pieces/10g of plastic per shipment. If you ship 50 tubes a month, that’s the equivalent of 1,200 pieces/6,000g of plastic annually.

The environmental impact of cardboard production does pose challenges. For example, it can’t be recycled infinitely, as fibres become too short after 5-7 recycling cycles. The energy used to manufacture paper bags is also higher than that for plastic.

While these concerns are valid, it's essential to recognise the context. The carbon footprint of paper vs plastic is a complex comparison, and each material has its pros and cons. Cardboard, when efficiently utilised in products like our Ecocaps, is a more environmentally responsible choice with lower long-term ecological impacts. Ecocaps are biodegradable and can be composted, contributing to a more sustainable end-of-life cycle compared to plastic. Ecocaps are also 1g lighter than industry-standard plastic end caps and can be stacked for efficient storage, resulting in a lower logistics footprint.

Compostable packaging breaks down into nutrient-rich compost, benefitting the soil and contributing to a circular cycle where resources are reused and waste is minimised.

Biodegradable packaging, on the other hand, undergoes a natural decomposition process, breaking down into elements that reintegrate into the environment over time.

While both are environmentally friendly, compostable packaging specifically enriches the soil during decomposition.

Ecocaps are made from recycled moulded fibres and decompose completely in under one month, making them ideal for home composting. Home composting involves placing compostable materials in your home compost bin, where they typically break down within 90 days. In contrast, industrial composting relies on much higher temperatures generated by specialised composting units to accelerate the process, often taking longer than 90 days.

Home composting is generally preferable to industrial composting, as it eliminates the need for additional energy consumption.

Of course! You can purchase a sample pack on our website. Head to our sample pack page to place an order. We’ll even ship it for free worldwide!

Our Ecocaps sample pack costs £4 and includes five compostable end caps. We also offer free international shipping.

To integrate our eco-friendly end caps into your packaging solutions or to place a bulk order, please contact our sales team.

Yes, we can ship our Ecocaps anywhere in the world! We currently have fulfilment centres in the UK, with plans to extend fulfilment to the US in May/June 2024.

Sample pack orders are typically dispatched within 48 hours of being placed. Orders placed over a weekend or bank holiday will be processed the next working day. All UK orders are shipped using Royal Mail Tracked 24 service and should arrive within 1-2 working days. Please note that delivery will take approximately 5-7 working days to locations in the US and EU, and 10-14 days for the rest of the world.

Shipping is FREE, wherever you are in the world!

No, we currently only sell end caps, so you’ll need to source the cardboard postal tubes and paper tape elsewhere. If you’d like more information about sourcing compatible cardboard postal tubes and paper tape, feel free to contact us, and we'll be happy to provide guidance or recommendations.

Absolutely! We’d be very happy to arrange a special discount for bulk orders. Please get in touch with our sales team by visiting our contact page or emailing us at sales@prodigi.com.