sustainability roadmap.

Starting a business means monitoring all the big and little details, for example: Where is the coconut oil coming from? and What is the digital impact of the emailing list? 

Here are the decisions we've made, and why we've made them:

Started small: When starting out, instead of making huge bulk inventories, small sample batches were made in order to minimize pre- and post-production waste.  This also allowed us to determine interest level.  As we've been getting started in the local craft fair circuit, inventories are made leading into the event, in order to minimize over production.  Our goal is to continue to make our items in small handmade batches, no matter how we grow.  

Molds: Many of our present (and future) products are cured in forms.  The forms we've chosen are silicone, which is the best alternative to plastic.  Silicone can be used any number of times, and the integrity of shape and quality does not falter.  (Julia uses silicone muffin cups in her kitchen, and they have held up after 3+ years.)  Though we may be able to up our production rates by using larger, sturdier plastic forms, we trust the integrity of silicone and have found that the details from these forms are spectacular.  

Protective equipment: All of our products are safe for skin and waterways; however, in large quantities, they aren't safe to inhale (such as citric acid), or can case reactions to skin.  At the moment, as the most sustainable thing to do is to use what you have, we are using plastic gloves that we had in bulk from COVID.  When these are finished, we will be researching and investing in a better solution that still maintains hygiene standards.  Regarding breathing and ventilation, we are using disposable masks, which again will be replaced when our stock of them runs out, as well as a better alternative is found.

Fragrance oils vs. essential oils: At this time, our products are made with fragrance oils.  This decision was made by looking at the production rates of each product.  For example, in order to create one drop of rose essential oil, all of the petals from 30-50 roses are needed (Andrea Butje, The Heart of Aromatherapy).  In our case, as we use quite a bit of lavender scents, it would be unsustainable to use lavender essential oil as it requires roughly three pounds of lavender to create 5 oz (150mL) of oil.  Looking at those numbers, essential oils are not the sustainable option.  We stand by the principle that a "natural" product might not always be the best option in terms of sustainability and may require some investigation and/or research.  You can find more of our thoughts on this conversation here. 

 Reusable packaging: The long-term goal is to be a circular company, meaning using in- house resources. This may look like developing a re-fill system with the containers your products come in, or even sourcing old candle jars to use as product containers. As working towards that goal requires processes and systems not yet in place within this business, our packaging at this point is the best sustainable option available to us. Now, you may be asking about the packaging your steamers and bath salts come in -- "It's not glass; how does that work with this?" -- Good question! Those canvas bags were chosen for two reasons: firstly, they are easily cleaned and can be reused for small items (Julia has used similar bags in the past for small "on the go" make-up items.), and secondly, as those products contain baking soda, the canvas material allows the products to breathe, which reduces the (rare) possibility of the products exploding in high heat and humidity.

 Logo'd items: We want you to be able to recognize our products easily, and this requires labels, stickers, packing tape, business cards, etc.  At the moment, based on what we have available to us, we've aimed to have these items printed on recycled paper, water activated tape, or even printed matte or without a coating.  We are continuing to investigate better options for this.