From Innocent to decent

What's this about? We'll fill you in. A decade ago, Tony Small set up Innocent Packaging in New Zealand, operating from his parent's garage and delivering the orders himself out of his Suzuki Swift.

Earlier this month, aligning with the business's 10th anniversary, Innocent Packaging announced the rebrand to decent packaging, to join the UK team and become one global brand. 

We've created a series of conversations with Tony, around the rebrand, the reasons why we do what we do, and the aim to have more of a global impact. Have a read of the first interview with Tony below.

In a nutshell, what does decent packaging do? 

We simplify sustainability by producing compostable products we can unmake. We simplify packaging by making it easy for our customers to place orders via our ordering platform, and back it up with amazing service, while offsetting our carbon footprint in the process.  

How did it all start? 

Originally, we started producing and selling reusable cups, but after talking with family and friends it didn’t feel like they were having much of an impact. I believe we need to simplify sustainability if we’re going to have real change. 

What does it look like today?

• Nuts & Bolts: We’re a New Zealand owned company with offices in Auckland, Christchurch, London, and Edinburgh. 
• People and places: 23 in the team split between Auckland, Christchurch, London and Edinburgh.
• Customers: We supply schools, stadiums, events, cafés, gyms and restaurants. 
• Impact: Everything we do is carbon neutral. We then work closely with our customers to come up with solutions to divert their waste away from landfill, and into compost. 

Why did you start out as ‘Innocent Packaging’? 

I chose the name Innocent as I wanted to have elegance with sustainability. 10 years ago, every brand in sustainability seemed to have eco at the front of it, with a green logo, and we wanted to be a bit different. 

Why are you called ‘decent packaging’ now? 

We opened in the UK under the name decent packaging and it reflects our progression and personality well. We’re always aiming to simplify things for our customers and add value where we can. By aligning our global brands under the one name, decent packaging, we’re able to reduce our production costs at a time when costs seem to be going up monthly. And, we’re able to pass those savings on to our customers. 

What are you fighting for, your why? 

We’re fighting to rid the world of single-use plastic by producing products which have a low carbon footprint, and can be unmade by either composting, or recycling. We offset our carbon footprint and work closely with waste management companies, and our customers, to simplify waste streams where we can. We’ve worked with the London Coffee Festival for 3 years now, and have been able to create a zero-waste event. We’ve also worked closely with Spark Arena to help them create New Zealand’s first zero-waste stadium. 

Are you still a challenger brand? 

I believe so. While we’re turning 10, we’re still a nimble company making changes which align with our customers’ needs.  

What do you want to be known for? 

We’re known for producing sustainable packaging, amazing customer service, and keeping things simple. Everything from our account form, to our ordering platform, has been designed to save our customers time, and make doing business with us an easy, and hopefully an enjoyable experience. 

decent packaging, the single-use, compostable packaging supplier, has grown from a tiny start-up to a global company with offices in Auckland, Christchurch, London, and Edinburgh.

decent packaging manages supply and logistics for schools, stadiums, events, cafés, gyms, and restaurants, and offers an extensive product range including containers, cutlery, bags, napkins, straws, and carriers. All decent packaging products are made from, and printed with, sustainably grown non-toxic plant-based materials. Every product can be home or commercially composted, in just 12-weeks.