We’re fundamentally built around the idea of fitting you and your ever-changing needs, and we’ve been working for a long time to do the same for the planet. Not moving towards sustainability is no longer optional—and we’re taking that literally in our newest effort:
We’re happy to announce the beginning of our shift towards PCR bottles for ALL 8 and 16 oz orders.
We’re so excited about this dramatic reduction in our production of plastic, and want to tell you all about it.
First of all, what is PCR?
It stands for post-consumer recycled material. Any material that’s been used and recycled can be repurposed to become PCR. It’s not made up of any ‘virgin plastics’, which are first-time processed petrochemicals (basically, making new plastic).
The double benefit
- PCR means not adding to the problem with new plastics
- It means subtracting from the problem by helping fewer recycled materials end up in landfills
+our carbon footprint
That, too. The process reduces energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions by about 44%. That’s an annual reduction of about 43 tons! Which is equivalent to:
- 106,700 miles driven by an average car
- 4,839 gallons of gasoline consumed
- 47,380 pounds of coal burned
YOU’RE involved, too
When you participate and recycle your function bottles after using them, you add to the sustainable cycle and create the materials we’ll use to make new future bottles.
“I’m focused on social justice initiatives right now.”
We are, too. ‘Intersectional environmentalism’ is a term that specifies the relationship between protecting both the planet and people, and how they go hand in hand. It links injustices towards the Earth with injustices towards marginalized groups and communities, who are often more vulnerable to the effects of climate change than higher-income neighborhoods. Read more about this important topic, written beautifully by Leah Thomas, here.
The goal
Our goal is to be fully transitioned to PCR for our 8 and 16oz bottles by the end of 2020. Why those bottles first? We can make the most impact starting with shampoo + conditioner. But we’re not stopping there– we’re working on being even more environmentally friendly every day.
Our other efforts
This launch is so exciting to us because it builds upon efforts we’ve already made towards being as sustainable as possible, like:
- Offering up the option of no-pump orders to save plastic (saving 18,000 pumps in the process this year)
- Switching to eco-friendly kraft boxes, that are 100% recyclable + made of 30% PCR
- Adding more box sizes, reducing unnecessary packaging waste
- Stopping using shrink wrap completely (saving 11,000 sq feet of plastic each day)
Learn more about our values and our commitment to improvement, here.
PS!
Another beautiful thing is, our premium PCR bottles don’t look very different than the ones we were using before the switch. That means your formula looks just as instagrammable as it did before, while helping save the earth.
