our eco practices January 19 2021, 6 Comments
This is an updated version of a post published on Sept. 17, 2019.
A huge part of our mission and messaging at Wildcraft is to be as environmentally conscious and transparent as we can be. We all care deeply for this planet of ours and are constantly striving to do more to be sustainable and reduce waste in every aspect of our company, and beyond. From our packaging to our marketing materials, from our ingredients to our containers, we carefully research and source the best options to limit waste while still providing you with high quality products. Read on to learn more about our environmental practices!
Our Approach
From conception to completion of a product, we keep environmental practices at the forefront. When sourcing and researching, we always ensure that we are working with reputable and like-minded suppliers so that the impact all the way down the line remains low. Our head of formulations and production manager, Natalie Classen is meticulous and stays on top of every step of this process. Containers and packaging are also reused as often as they can be, and when that’s not possible, we recycle.
Our Space
At Wildcraft HQ we’re serious about limiting our consumption. Everyone brings their own travel cups and reusable containers and our kitchen is nicely stocked with extra mugs, plates and cutlery. Plus, we’ve got a great compost happening - not just for food scraps but for ingredient remnants too. You can read more about our office space here.
Our Packaging & Shipping
All of our containers are made of glass or aluminum, with the exception of the lids, which are plastic. We ship our products in cardboard boxes with recycled brown paper for packing. Whenever possible we also reuse materials that have previously been shipped to us from other vendors. We also take a very lean approach when ordering our supplies and we never buy more than we need. Believe it or not, we encourage you to do the same and are firm believers in low waste skincare. We do however order in bulk when it comes to everyday office supplies as that makes the most sense both economically and environmentally.
We often get asked why our containers are non-returnable / non-refillable. Since we are online and not brick and mortar refillary or store, this idea is actually not as eco-friendly as it sounds. It involves a lot more packing and shipping (especially for those living further away) and therefore more waste. On top of this is the amount of energy (hot water, chemicals, etc.) plus special, industrial equipment that it takes to thoroughly clean and disinfect each returned container. It all adds up. However, please remember and take advantage of the fact that all of our containers can be recycled and reused!
Our Marketing Materials
It takes some serious advertising and marketing, especially for a small business, to stand out and stay afloat. We don’t produce a lot of flyers, catalogues or postcards. Instead, we focus mainly on digital marketing and rarely add any extra print collateral to your order. We rely heavily on word of mouth and social media to maintain an active presence.
We know there’s always more that can be done, and we’re constantly on the lookout for new and innovative ways to reduce our footprint so that we can be as sustainable as possible. Do you have any tips or ideas? What are some of your environmental practices? Please share your feedback in the comments below - we love hearing from you!
Comments
Natalia Laxamana on January 20 2021 at 03:50PM
hey! big fan of your products and ive already seen a few comments asking for a refill program and or recycling program. I would gladly make the trip downtown to refill on products every once in a while.
Helen on April 14 2020 at 02:42PM
I would ABSOLUTELY love the option of getting refills, even if the cost saving was minimal.
Chayle Cook on February 29 2020 at 10:58PM
Will you consider starting to offer refills? Or supplying bulk to stores so customers can refill on their own? We have a zero waste grocery store here in Ottawa called NU Grocer. I’d love to see your products there!
Sheree Hodson on December 09 2019 at 12:01PM
Have you ever considered using Ecologic Brand containers? I don’t know if oils can be packed this way, but there is a business in the US called Seed Phytonutrients uses their containers for their products. The CEO and person who invented this design is Canadian by birth
Katelyn on December 05 2019 at 10:53AM
Thank you so much for being transparent about this issue! I’ve been trying to go zero/low waste during the past year and this is a big concern of mine. Skincare is often something I don’t compromise on, so it’s nice knowing that one of my go-to brands uses mostly glass packaging that I can easily reuse at my local zero-waste store or recycle.
I asked the same question to Buck Naked regarding their glass dropper bottles before reading this lovely post. They mentioned that I would be welcome to come into their headquarters to refill and that got me thinking… I know contamination is an issue with natural products such as Wildcraft’s, but have you considered selling your products at zero-waste stores in bulk for self-serve refills? The onus for sanitising containers is then put on customers who would likely be willing to take that on in order to reduce their waste. I’m sure there might be some red tape involved in that process, though; not sure how that would play out in terms of liability/quality control for you lovely people.
cassandra houde on September 20 2019 at 11:29AM
Thanks for posting this article!!! I have yet to empty any of my WC products just yet (they last SO long!) But I find myself reusing the sample packages all the time for travelling! I find it handy refilling my “sample containers” and it takes up less space! And I imagine I’ll reuse the Full sized containers in the same fashion for things like shampoo/conditioner when travelling or if I want to mix my own oils for a bath or something of the sort! Love your products, and excited about the new face moisturizer- I just picked mine up from Wild Root Hair Salon!