Delicious jam tarts. We sometimes buy Duchy Originals products if we fancy a low-guilt treat, and this time we splashed out on some jam tarts.

What would you expect jam tarts to be packed in? Maybe a box, and some cellophane and alternately lined up to separate the jam from the next tart. Or perhaps some foil bases, alternated the same way. After all, this is HRH The Prince Of Wales’ business, that “embodies HRH The Prince of Wales’s commitment to what he calls a ‘virtuous circle’ of providing natural, high-quality organic and premium products, while helping to protect and sustain the countryside and wildlife.”

I would certainly expect any packaging to be made from recycled materials, especially the tin foil bases, which require a great deal of energy to make from mined ore.

But look at the picture above, and you can see four types of packaging : a cardboard box, cellophane wrapping, tin foil bases and hard plastic moulded dividers. Quite frankly, this is pathetic. A company that are supposed to support the protection of the environment are just creating a waste mountain and consuming excessive resources at the same time.

None of the packaging is made from recycled materials.

Hypocracy?

Royal hypocracy.