As we become aware that we need to do more to save the planet, Deborah Mitchell, founder of leading skincare brand Heaven, reveals how we can all do our bit when it comes to recycling.
Go back 25 years and my customers were forever asking me why my products didn’t come in boxes; in fact, I was even told that some people would refuse to buy them simply because they didn’t come wrapped in an extra layer of cardboard. This was in the days when recycling was furthest from our minds and every other skincare brand used them so why wouldn’t I. But even then I couldn’t justify the idea that it would just be thrown in the bin when you got home. What a waste of trees.
Fast forward a quarter of a century and finally we are waking up to the damage we have been doing to the planet for far too long, and businesses, whatever their size, need to take responsibility for the part they have played and what changes they can make in future. And the beauty industry is no exception.
It has long been my mission to educate my customers, not only when it comes to effective skincare but also how reduced packaging is better for the environment. Let’s be honest, when you’re trying one of our moisturisers or serums for the first time all you need is details on how to use it and a list of our organic ingredients – trust me, you don’t need a box with all that extra information duplicated on.
For those old enough to remember, time was when we bought our pop and milk in glass bottles that we returned to the shop when we’d finished and got a penny back; they were then cleaned out and re-used. It was such a simple idea but one that got lost in our demand for convenience.
Sadly, the convenience that plastic gave consumers has come at such a massive cost, from destroying marine life to clogging our landfills, so much so it is now threatening our planet. More than 40% of plastic produced is for packaging that is used just once and then thrown away – including nearly a million plastic drink bottles sold every minute around the world – leading to more and more waste flowing into our seas and oceans.
Don’t get me wrong, I love buying beautiful products things that are beautifully presented but I always make a point of checking the packaging is either recyclable or I can re-use it for something else. As an example, many leading hotels around the world have my organic oat bars of soaps in their bathrooms. I didn’t want these to be used by just one guest then thrown away so I designed a re-sealable foil bag to pop it in that they could then take it home with them to carry on using it.
So I’m asking you to join me in a bid to do our bit and here are just a few innovative ideas that we can all do:
Recycle your Heaven jars – Simply bring them back into our salons or send them back to Heaven HQ
You can use my gift boxes to organise your underwear drawer or store
jewellery in your wardrobe – very Marie Kondo!
Take your lunch to work in one of my gift bags – not only does it look more stylish than a plastic container but you can use the tissue paper to stop your fruit from bruising.
Use your Heaven gift box on your desk to keep your pens and notebooks tidy.
And if you want to keep the glass jars then why not use the for travel candles?
Granted, they may be small steps but every bit helps. All of my Heaven Skincare products are created by me with two things in mind: to help tackle a whole range of skin woes and to be mindful of our environment. I like to think of it like this –helping you rediscover your most beautiful skin doesn’t come at the detriment of our beautiful planet.
