Kite Packaging

How ethical is Kite Packaging?

Kite Packaging is a packaging company which has achieved The GOOD Shopping Guide’s ethical benchmark on our Ethical Packaging Ratings Table. With a score of 73 out of 100, Kite Packaging meets the benchmark threshold, though consumers should be aware that this represents the minimum qualifying score and that stronger alternatives exist within the sector.

However, Kite Packaging has not yet obtained The GOOD Shopping Guide’s Ethical Accreditation. Achieving accreditation would provide independent verification of the brand’s ethical practices and help consumers easily identify Kite Packaging as a certified ethical choice within the packaging sector.

What does Kite Packaging do?

Kite Packaging was founded in 2001 and is headquartered in Coventry, operating as an employee-owned private limited company. The company operates seven sites across the UK, including locations in Rotherham, Portsmouth, Sittingbourne, Swindon, and Letchworth, with warehousing capacity for over 5,000 pallet spaces. Kite supplies a broad range of packaging products including bubble wrap, cardboard boxes, pallet wrap, bespoke packaging, and paper-based packaging to businesses of all sizes. The company holds ISO 14001:2015 environmental management and ISO 9001:2015 quality management accreditations, as well as BRC certification. Kite also operates Kite Environmental Solutions, a compliance scheme for the UK Packaging Waste Regulations.

Why does Kite Packaging perform well ethically?

Kite Packaging achieves good ratings across the majority of criteria assessed by The GOOD Shopping Guide. The brand receives good ratings for pollution prevention and toxic chemicals policy, demonstrating strong commitments to chemical management in its operations. Kite achieves a good rating for eco certifications, consistent with its ISO 14001:2015 environmental management accreditation. The brand maintains good standards for animal welfare, responsible marketing, and political donations, and has no documented public record criticisms. Kite also receives a good rating for armaments, confirming no involvement in defence or weapons-related sectors.

What could improve Kite Packaging’s ethical positioning?

Despite its strong performance across many individual criteria, Kite Packaging carries three poor ratings that weigh significantly on its overall score. Most notably, the company receives a poor rating for its environmental report. This is a significant gap for a company that holds ISO 14001:2015 environmental management certification and operates a dedicated environmental compliance service. Publishing a comprehensive, transparent environmental report would provide stakeholders with meaningful disclosure of the company’s sustainability performance and bring this rating in line with the strong environmental credentials demonstrated elsewhere.

Kite Packaging also receives a poor rating for vegan options, indicating limited focus on plant-based or vegan-certified packaging solutions within its product range. Expanding its offering to include certified vegan or plant-based alternatives would help address this gap and broaden its appeal to consumers and businesses with specific ethical requirements.

Most importantly, obtaining The GOOD Shopping Guide’s Ethical Accreditation would strengthen consumer confidence in Kite Packaging’s ethical practices. Accreditation would provide independent third-party verification of the brand’s commitments, complementing its existing ISO and BRC certifications and making it easier for consumers to identify Kite Packaging as a certified ethical choice.

Given that Kite Packaging scores at the minimum threshold, consumers seeking packaging solutions are encouraged to consult The GOOD Shopping Guide’s Ethical Packaging Ratings Table to identify higher-ranking brands with stronger overall ethical credentials. Our how we rate page explains the criteria used to assess all brands in this sector.