New U.K.-based Fair Trade chocolatier Plush Chocolates has launched its Luxury Fairtrade English and Belgian Chocolate collections in eco-friendly tray packaging made from Plantic Technologies’ (http://www.plantic.com.au) organic bioplastic film.

In selecting the packaging for its product, Plush says it wanted the materials to do three things: to reflect the high quality of the chocolates inside by being desirable, tasty, and good-looking; to show that chocolates made with Fair Trade ingredients can be just as exciting and dynamic as other products; and to be ethically sound.

Plush says it chose the Plantic® thermoform tray for its combination of functional and environmental benefits. Plantic trays are made from non-genetically modified high-amylose corn starch. They have a renewable-resource content of approximately 85%, and they are biodegradable, home-compostable, and compostable to European (EN 13432) and American (ASTM 6400) standards. Additionally, the trays offer anti-static and odor barrier solutions.

“We are so excited about our eco-friendly trays and proud to be among the first people in the U.K. to sell chocolates in trays made from Plantic,” says Plush joint founding director Sarah Hobbs. “What is particularly impressive about the packaging is that it can be disposed of in a home compost, and its energy requirement is approximately half that of petrochemical polymers.”

Now selling in Oxfam shops, Harvey Nichols, and Ethical Superstore, products from Plush Chocolates are made using 100% Fair Trade-certified ingredients.