The other day, I got a survey from Beauty Packaging Magazine about how sustainable packaging factors into our packaging decisions (you may remember our coverage in Beauty Packaging Magazine a few months ago... I sure do). The survey asked questions about how much sustainability factors into our packaging purchase decisions.
From the very beginning of our business, we have been committed to using sustainable, recyclable, and post-consumer products whenever it makes practical sense, which is nearly always.
We don't talk about our sustainable packaging a lot, just because there are so many other things to talk about, but our first packaging choices were biodegradable shrink film for our bar soaps. You can watch me working on that packaging in this video from 2013 (our entry for the Martha Stewart American Made contest).
Sustainability has driven our business decisions from day 1.
It's not just for marketing (or else we'd do a better job of talking about it, right?). This is a real lifestyle decision for us.
Our soap and solid cologne boxes are made by Guided, which specializes in recycled and recyclable packaging.
Our plastic containers are all recyclable.
Our solid cologne comes in recyclable and reusable tins (they make great pill containers!).
Whenever possible, we use glass for liquid because glass is easier to recycle than plastic, and plastic is contributing to the eternal waste of our society.
The only exception to our sustainable packaging is in our labels. Most of our labels are made of White BOPP, which is resistant to water and oil. We use these for durability reasons... we don't want you standing in the shower and holding your body wash, and meanwhile the label crumbles into a degraded goo in your hand (not cool).
This doesn't address the Plastic Problem of our culture, but that's because glass containers aren't suitable for the shower. We have to make compromises sometimes, and our compromises err on the side of recyclability and safety. But know that as more eco-friendly containers come along, we'll actively investigate those for our products too.
Sustainability isn't a trend for us, it's a way of doing business.
Thanks for being part of our little company and for asking about these things from time to time.
