Sustainability

Sustainability

For some it’s just another marketing buzzword.

For us, it’s a business model.

Here’s what we do to help.

Avoiding The Landfill

One of our big 2020 goals was to ensure none of our products or packaging would be made of materials destined for the landfill. While 2020 has been…wild… we are still on track to make this happen.

  1. We partnered with Ecoenclose to produce our Reed Diffuser packaging. All boxes are made from 100% recycled material, 97% of which is post consumer waste. They are printed with soy ink and therefore recyclable and compostable.

  2. We partnered with PureLabels to produce our labels. From the warning sticker, to the tins, and even the see-through foiled labels, all labels on Rosmarino Candles products are officially biodegradable (and recyclable, and made from recycled material).

  3. We partnered with Ecovative Design / Mushroom Packaging to create custom candle inserts made from mycelium and hemp. We primarily use these for wholesale orders, but they are also 100% compostable and frankly, cool as fuck.

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Reduce, Reuse

One other great way to avoid the landfill is to extend the life of items by reusing them.

  1. Our Reed Diffuser boxes are padded with cardboard boxes. These usually come from the boxes our candle jars are delivered in, but we also just cut up boxes sometimes to fill the void!

  2. All packing material that comes to me gets reused in the packages I send out. I’ve had to come up with creative ways to store these things in my small studio… but I make it happen.

  3. Our wax comes in big plastic bags. It’s not ideal, and I hope one day they can find a better liner for the wax boxes that does an equally good job at protecting the contents. In the meantime, we take each one of those bags and re-use them to extend their life before heading to the landfill. Sometimes it becomes a trash bag, other times they are laid down to protect the floor for a messy project.

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The little things add up

  1. All shipping supplies we purchase are post-consumer cardboard, recycled material, or are recyclable.

  2. The hot glue we use to hold the wicks in place is recyclable. Did you know they made recyclable hot glue??? We didn’t either until recently. That means when your candle is done, you just have to remove excess wax, you can toss the rest of the candle in the recycling bin!

  3. Our muslin bags are (for the most part, science is still being scienced) considered to be compostable.

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Looking Forward

I have to continually remind myself that I’m a new baby business and I can’t save the world today. Also, I’d just LOVE if corporations and the government did literally anything for the planet, and I need to remind myself that I can’t do it for them.

Even though I’m just one person, one candle-maker who wants the planet to not die in 10 years, I’m always looking for ways to make my business more sustainable. Ideas and goals for the future include…

  • Carbon Offsets- taking a hard look at the damage we do via shipping and electricity and off-setting via reputable programs

  • Examining the Supply Chain- how can we reduce the plastic coming in to our business as supplies (or, supply containers)? what can be changed, what can’t? if it’s plastic, can it be refilled?

  • Enhancing the Jar Refill Program- can we offer this for free? how can we make it better?

  • Can we cut out the use of virgin materials altogether?

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