Within our packaging you may have seen us use a number of icons or terms such as bio-degradable. We have chosen to use these words and definitions in order to communicate things that are important to us as individuals and as a business. They’re also at the heart of every decision we make when it comes to our products and production.

HAND-MADE:

All our Caley Brother kits and products are hand-made, by either ourselves or by a small team of people we choose to work with. Hand-made means making each and every kit by hand; from mixing and packaging the substrate, checking kits, products and produce daily, to packing, labeling and posting out the final items. This ensures you received the freshest products that in turn gives you the best results. However, when working with natural products there’s always a small chance that something could go wrong during transit - if you do find that one anomaly, make sure you get in tough so we can get it sorted for you.

SUSTAINABLE SOURCED:

Within our mushroom Grow-at-Home kits, our project kits, at our workshops or within our mushroom displays - we make sure all the materials we use have been sustainably sourced.

Most of our substrates consist of materials that are infact by-products from local industries. For example, our coffee grounds are locally sourced and collected from cafes within the village in which our mushroom farm is based. Our sawdust and logs come from our local sawmill, and the straw we use is grown, harvested and dried in the fields behind our flint barn.

This is important to us and one of the reasons why we started growing. Many mushrooms found in supermarkets are grown outside of the UK and travel many miles before reaching our plates.

RECYCLE & COMPOST:

We aim to recycle or compost as much of our waste as possible, and we’ve deliberately designed our Ready-to-Grow kits so you can do the same. From the used substrate in your mushroom kits, to spent logs, mushroom beds, and even the mycelium ornaments on your tree - these can all be composted at home, buried in your garden, or added to your food waste when growing native varieties. They’re 100% biodegradable and will naturally break down, feeding your worms and enriching your soil.

For any non-native varieties, we recommend allowing the kit to fully dry before disposing of it with your household waste. Don’t worry - all of our products are clearly labelled to guide you.

Our packaging is made from paper and card and can be widely recycled. The plastic grow bags and dowel packaging can also be recycled with soft plastics (like bread bags) at many larger supermarkets.

Helping us move ever closer to zero waste.

BIO-DEGRADABLE:

Bio-degradable is the perfect word for many of our native mushroom growing projects and products. Once the packaging is removed, what remains can return naturally to the environment. Within a year, there will be no visible trace of your kit, bauble, or used substrate - while the mycelium continues to support your soil and plants.

For non-native varieties, simply follow the disposal guidance included with your kit.

ZERO WASTE:

This is our objective with every event we host or display we create. What ZERO WASTE means to us, is nothing to landfill. It’s also one of the questions we’re asked when we exhibiting at the RHS and Gardener’s World shows. We carefully design and curate our displays, so nothing goes to waste, this includes working with like-minded organisations and means sometimes we have to forgo some design ideas because they don’t meet this criteria. But it also means we’re able to donate many of our materials, such as our mosses, substrate and ornaments - allowing them to live on in someone else’s care.

If you have any questions about any of our products or processes feel free to drop us a message below. 

Mush love