Sustainable packaging
When sourcing packaging, we approach it with our core sustainability principles of reduce, reuse & recycle at the front of our minds:
Reduce
No products are over-packaged.
Reuse
We use high levels of PCR and our packaging can be repurposed for other things.
Recycle
Packaging must be readily recyclable in curbside recycling.
100% ocean prevented plastic in our bottles
It is projected that by 2050, our oceans will contain more plastic by weight than fish – therefore it is essential that we do everything to prevent plastic entering our oceans.
The sun and the salt water degrade the plastic within a few days, making it largely unusable for recycling. This makes it a clean-up effort, not a recycling effort. This is why we all need to act to prevent this plastic ever reaching our oceans.
Ocean bound plastic is plastic collected from areas where it would likely end up in the oceans if not collected for this scheme. Ocean bound plastic is defined as:
- Plastic collected from within a 50km distance of an ocean coastline or major waterway that feeds into the ocean.
- The country or region where it is collected from lacks waste management infrastructure or collection incentives.
- The infrastructure is being overwhelmed by population growth or tourism.
- There is a significant risk to wildlife if the plastic contaminated the ecosystem.
We source our ocean bound plastic from Prevented Ocean Plastic (POP).
POP is the largest programme of its type – which means they are preventing ocean plastic at scale. The programme which we are part of:
- Is responsible for preventing over 1,000 tonnes of plastic from entering the ocean every month.
- Spends $100,000 a day to bottle collection & recycling infrastructure in developing communities.
So, how does it work?
- Discarded plastic bottles are picked up by plastic collectors from areas at risk of ocean plastic pollution. The bottles are then taken to local collection centres for immediate payment.
- The plastic bottles are sorted and then pressed before being transported to plastic recycling factories.
- At the factory, the plastic is washed, sanitised and processed into raw material flakes or pellets.
- The recycled plastic, which has certified traceability from coastline collection, is then made into our bottles!
The bulk our PCR comes from Indonesia, whose island population is over 220 million with no centralised waste management & is heavily reliant on bottled water. By using POP we work with them make a difference to the local community, environment and you!
Social impact:
- We help to create employment for the local community.
Environmental impact:
- Ocean plastic pollution is prevented at scale, reducing harm to marine life and ecosystems.
- Choosing recycled plastic over virgin plastic mitigates greenhouse gas emissions by 80%.
- Supports the circular economy by reusing the plastic collected.
Consumer:
- The bottles are made from PET which is readily recyclable via curbside schemes in the UK.
With 80% of ocean plastic coming from land-based sources in developing coastal communities, we are helping to reduce this significantly.
70% PCR in our tubes
- Our tubes are made of HDPE which is readily recycled in UK curbside collection schemes.
- We want to make these easily recyclable as the more tubes that get recycled the better it is for the circular economy to ensure we can continue to, and can increase the amount of PCR in our tubes.
- Our tubes are made of 70% PCR which is recycled plastic and is giving plastic another life. This means we are reducing the amount of virgin material we use, instead working with material that already exists and preventing it from going to waste.
- Our goal is to continue to increase the amount of recycled plastic in our tubes as the market continually innovates. Currently 100% PCR isn't possible due to technical difficulties it creates when sealing the tube and ensuring it works with formulations. We are always looking to improve as new options become available.
Smaller caps
- Reducing the size of our caps on our bottles has meant a staggering reduction of 52 tonnes of plastic used for 2021 v 2020!
- For some of our range we have also removed the pump and replaced this with a cap, saving 6.7 tonnes of plastic a year.
Larger refill bottles
- Our 2.5L refill bottle uses 52% less plastic compared to 10 x 250ml bottles.
- Our 5L uses 57% less plastic compared to 20 x 250ml bottles.
Recyclable pump
- Traditional Pumps used within the cosmetic industry are made of multiple materials they generally contain different types of plastic polymers and metal spring – this means that they are not easy to recycle.
- We have sourced a pump made of a single polymer plastic with a plastic spring –meaning the pump can be recycled.
Paper and card
We only use card and paper that is recycled or from an approved FSC source. This means that we are either using non-virgin material to give it another life or by sourcing from an approved FSC (Forestry Stewardships Council) scheme means the trees from these forests must be managed in an environmentally appropriate, socially beneficial and economically viable manner.