The Story of Our Zero Waste Bath Soaks
Several years ago some friends and I embarked on a paddle trip around some remote, isolated islands in the middle of Southeast Alaska’s inside passage. We were dropped off with our canoes many miles from any towns or signs of civilization to paddle and explore the many tiny islands and coastlines of the area, stopping to camp on beaches along the way.
As we pulled up to shore to scout our first night’s campsite I stepped out of my boat and into a raft of washed-up seaweed and sticks peppered with little flecks of white and red and blue. Upon closer inspection I realized this float of ocean debris was chock full of tiny bits of plastic. In fact, the entire beach of this far-flung island, nestled in a pristine coastal wilderness, away from any towns or cities, was absolutely littered with bits and chunks of plastic. And I would come to discover that every beach we pulled up to that trip was awash with an alarming amount of plastic.
It was alarming and disheartening, and the stark image of that beach pops into my head often as I think about the impact of plastic pollution on our planet.
As I worked to imagine and design the packaging of our products back in 2019, the memory of those beaches held steady in my mind. I wanted to create a way to share this pristine and beautifully wild place with the world, without contributing to its degradation. I wanted to limit the use of plastic in our packaging as much as I possibly could - which I quickly learned is TOUGH for a small business!
The price difference in plastic jars and bottles vs. glass is staggering, and paperboard packaging is even more bananas. The paperboard tubes I use for our small-batch lip balms are 14X the price of plastic tubes!! But I know that the more we create demand for new options, the more accessible and acceptable they can become.
With time and research and testing, I eventually sourced the most sustainable packaging materials I could find - glass, paperboard, and even compostable plant-based “plastics”. I’m so proud that our bath soaks are completely plastic-free - down to the stickers that seal our tubes.
We’re not 100% plastic-free in our packaging just yet - our Facial Oils do still rely on a plastic pump top - but I’m always looking for greener solutions that won’t contribute to an already overwhelming problem.
I’m proud of the progress made in our manufacturing and packaging processes for such a small brand, and owe it all to your continued support of Waterbody’s mission to bring you the best wildly natural skincare, with the smallest possible impact to our planet!
