Sustainability

So this is a BIG, difficult topic, and probably way bigger than two sisters from Melbourne are equipped to answer - or at least that is what we used to think.

We have come to the realisation it's a choice at an individual level, how much do we really want it? How much do we really care? Sorry I know that's a bit confronting but if ever we meet one day you will know I am likely to ask some tough questions.

What we realised is that convenience helps us to care. Now I know that might not be the right thing to say, but essentially if we can give people an easy choice will they choose a sustainable option that is better for the planet and fundamentally better for my generation. Can I get my Mum and Grandparents to make choices to benefit me and the generations after me?

So the behaviour I want to change in the beauty industry is plastic waste, but I will level with you, I still want a product that looks and feels premium. Like everyone I want to care but without compromise. That is when we decided to make every product that we could to have a refill cartridge system. In order to cut down waste we have developed packaging where consumers keep the expensive nice bit and simply change the inner cartridge, like with a printer. You can then either recycle the cartridge or return to us in a pre-paid envelope and we will clean it and reuse it.

We are also working on an incredible innovation for the refill system - more news to follow!

However sustainability does not stop there and we need to look at the other areas we have made decisions around. These topics don't get any smaller, so next up is:

Palm Oil.

The reality is that Palm Oil is in almost everything we consume, from food to shampoo, makeup to skincare. The majority of the time it has such a small amount you would not even know it was there. 

At ONE SUMMER we are currently Palm Oil Free for our products, but if ever we believe a formulation requires it we will use 100% sustainable and certified palm oil. We believe the best course for the palm industry is regulation and accountability. We are now seeing alternatives such as coconut oil, but the problem is that it is not regulated so deforestation is still a reality, and it is less efficient than palm for how much and fast it grows. So for us its a case of we try not to use it, but we encourage regulation in the industry so that we can protect rainforests and have a sustainable farming process.