Plastic Free Efforts

Here's an ever growing list of the ways in which I strive to go plastic free. 

Product Wrapping and Containers:

- Shampoo Bars are wrapped in parchment paper (compostable). Then placed inside a kraft box (recyclable and compostable). The Labels are printed on 100% recycled paper, but are not compostable due to the glue and should be place in the bin (sad face). 

- Conditioner Bars- Wrapped in SOY wax coated paper (compostable). Placed inside a kraft box (compostable and recyclable). The labels are printed on 100% recycled paper but should be tossed in the bin.

- Bath Bombs (a personal favorite) are wrapped in 100% compostable Biolefin. This stuff looks and feels like shrink wrap. Depending on the weather your bath bomb may be wrapped twice, as it is not as thick as plastic shrink wrap. It will biodegrade in 18 months. It not only breaks down to millions of tiny pieces, it can be digested by microorganisms in the dirt and have a zero net impact on the soil. If you live in a city that has its own commercial composter, call and see if you can toss the wrap into the green bin.

- Soaps are wrapped in Biolefin (mentioned above), or a coffee filter (Both compostable). The label on the soap is not and should be placed in the bin. It was printed on recycled paper but due to the glue, I wouldn’t put it in the compost. 

- Facial/Shaving Oils: I package in glass dropper bottles. These are glass and can be recycled. If you use some hot soapy water you can clean the dropper and bottle and repurpose the bottle. 

- Face Masks/Oil Cleansers are packaged in glass jars. The glass bottom and plastic top can be recycled. But I encourage you to find another use for these jars.

- Deodorant/Lotion Bar/Shampoo/Conditioner Tins/ lip balm: Aluminum tins are a remarkable thing. We as Americans have been conditioned to recycle aluminum SO MUCH (since the 1940s) that the likelihood of tossing aluminum into the recycle bin is extremely high. In fact, nearly 75% of aluminum ever produced in the US is still in rotation today. So I have no problem using tins for my products. Aluminum is so easy to reuse and remake, it’s very close to being a closed loop system.

- Body Butter: Yup these are plastic containers. They are BPA free and you might be able to recycle based on your municipality. I just don’t want to have a glass jar break in transit, or a glass jar break in the bathroom. If you are local to me, I’m always happy to put these products in glass jars.

Packaging:

1) Packaging tape is biodegradable. I found a new supplier of cellulous tape. It is clear enough that I can use it on my labels and the scan still read. I am currently working my way through the last of my conventional packaging tape supplies and then will transition to the biodegradable one.

2) Cardboard box and tissue paper- recyclable and compostable

3) Packaging peanuts- dissolve in warm water- it’s made out of corn starch- safe pour down the drain. OR dab them in water until sticky and let your children (or YOU) create art out of them. 

4) Bubble Wrap- Believe it or not this stuff is like a rarity these days. All my suppliers are going away from plastic packaging (which is great). When I do get some, I save it. I use it to line the boxes that I carry my bath bombs in to and from events. THEN after that use I save it again and use it to pad outgoing shipments of bath bombs. So if you get a shipment with bubble wrap- please know it has at least been used 3 (THREE) times. And I encourage you to find a use for it before tossing it in the bin. 

5) My business card is recyclable and compostable. It's printed on 100% recycled paper. Just add water and it turns to mush. But instead of turning it to mush you could give it to a friend;)