Plastic isn’t the problem, we are.
Let me clarify. There’s no doubt that plastic pollution is an actual problem. But, the bigger cause for concern is that the fingers pointed at this polymer overpower the irrefutable value of having a product with such diverse flexibility, durability, and contribution to consumer goods.
The discovery of the first synthetic plastic was revolutionary. Back in 1869, a guy by the name of John Wesley Hyatt, was in search of a solution to the growing demand of Ivory – resulting in the slaughtering of wild elephants.
As concerns for the extinction of elephants and other natural resources grew, the manufacturing of newer materials, like plastics, should have been considered the diamond of revolutionary discoveries.
Yet, as it seemed from the very beginning, the reputation of plastic fell dramatically - from a positive innovation to a cheap, overused and disposable polymer.
The reality is, there isn’t much incentive to clean up and recycle plastic. The process is labor intensive, time consuming, and inefficient. So rather than problem solve and explore ways of keeping waste out of our streets, environment, and oceans, we’ve come to make plastic so jaded, that it's now often worthy of only a one-time use.
In fact, approximately 10 million tons of plastic waste is dumped into our oceans, each year. The U.S. alone throws away enough plastic to circle the world 5 times, in just one week. And imagine, only 1-3% of that gets recycled.
Environmental sustainability and business don’t always go hand in hand, especially when it comes to product packaging. But, we’re here to change that.
As a socially responsible brand, we set out to cut plastics in our packaging in 2019 - we kicked things off by exploring glass alternatives to bottles and jars, in our face collection. And, the transition seemed pretty seamless, until we began venturing into our home and body care collections, which require larger volume and packaging options.
Glass is often thought of as one of the most valuable and sustainably conscious options for modern packaging, or so we thought. It turns out, glass is a great alternative, but not perfect.
One example of plastics taking the lead, is in the overall carbon footprint during transportation. Plastics are lighter, thinner, and less likely to break during transport, in comparison to glass. In return, this helps to reduce energy and fossil fuel consumption, while creating less emissions and waste.
In furthering our effort to produce products sustainably, we hope to collaborate with companies willing to adjust their practices to support this important cause. It is imperative for companies to research and take responsibility in manufacturing.
In the meantime, we aim to educate, both brands and consumers, to have their plastics reduced, reused, and recycled with brands like our own.
That's a brand with no bee.s.