“You cannot get through a single day without having an impact on the world around you. What you do makes a difference and you have to decide what kind of a difference you want to make.”
~ Jane Goodall
We didn’t realize we were cutting trees. (You probably are too, without even knowing it.) This is a story about our big discovery, and how we decided to not cut anymore trees.
When I decided to start ‘Beauty Legacy’ 2 years ago, I was sure that I wanted the most sustainable resources to be used in our products—in the most responsible way. When I asked for advice, I was directed to the FSC organization, for packaging made with FSC-certified card stock. FSC stands for "Forest Stewardship Council", which promotes responsible forestry, and works to ensure that the highest environmental and social standards are being met.
I made sure that our printing vendor held a certification from the FSC. Our team has been proud of this choice, as it was helping to improve all kinds of lives on the planet. Plants, animals, people — any living soul. We printed six thousand boxes for launch in October. We were as proud as any brand that can say they hold these same values, protecting our beautiful planet.
All was perfect, until we made a trip to Las Vegas, where we were hunting for the most sustainable plastic for our containers. While there, we found out about sugar cane plastic and how it is becoming the new sustainable alternative to fossil fuel plastic. It was then that we were introduced to this new source of paper. Paper made out of Sugar Cane, Bamboo Cane and Hemp. I immediately thought; Why have I never heard about this before?! We decided right then that we could always stand to improve and be more responsible. Without blinking an eye, we decided to switch to Sugar Cane paper for our packaging. There are a number of reasons why, and we encourage you to read about them also. It just might impact what you’re doing as well. Here is a little information to get you started.
As a team, we felt that we could have done more in the beginning. We can always do more. Sometimes you have to take the challenges as they come though. Our next big one was:
“What are we going to do with the six thousand boxes we ALREADY printed?”
The first thought was to discard them and just print new ones, (a loss of thousands of dollars.) Or have them sold at a discount. But neither of these options align with our values. Then, we simply decided...
For every single box we have already printed, we will plant a tree in return.
Six thousand trees.
This is our commitment to fix ONE mistake that was made prior, as we have come to understand that there’s always better alternatives. Today, we are more aware, more conscious, and more responsible. Willing to take responsibility for the choices we make, and have made in the past. To be a model and an inspiration for others who want to make better choices. This is a movement, and YOU can join with us. We will continue raising the bar while making conscious choices for ourselves, the environment, and the products we (you included) choose to use every day.
What is your favorite kind of tree? Will you tell us about it and why it’s your favorite?
Your actions will speak volumes, so please, join and follow this movement by liking and sharing our story and posts from these social media channels: Instagram, YouTube, Facebook and Pinterest. And THANK YOU in advance for cheering us on!
