What Is It Like To Run A Sustainable Business?
Running a business definitely takes up more resources than the average Joe and Jane. With conscious effort and planning, running a business while trying our best to minimise our carbon footprint and waste is possible.
One of the reasons we started Rough Beauty is to encourage people to reduce their waste with bar soap, which has 10 times less carbon footprint than liquid soap.*
We strive towards making a positive environmental impact with our zero-waste alternatives and ensure everything that happens behind-the-scenes has minimal carbon footprint and waste.
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
We’ve all heard of this mantra, but how often do we practice it? At our studio, we take the first step to reduce any unnecessary packaging with our suppliers, reuse any packaging that we’re unable to omit (i.e. cardboard boxes and bubble wraps are reused to store and ship bulk orders), and of course, recycle any packaging! Fun fact: we also recycle any leftover tiny soap bits from our soap-making to be remade into bar soaps for our own usage!
Sometimes, not all bar soaps turn out the way we hope for it to be. Instead of tossing these out and creating waste, we give these lovely bar soaps a second chance by selling them as Roughies at a reduced rate.
Sustainable Ingredients
Palm oil – a controversial ingredient, but did you know that this versatile oil can be sustainable too? We work with reliable suppliers to ensure the palm oil we receive is from RSPO certified sources.
Other ingredients we use are natural and no harmful chemicals are included in our products or workshops.
No Unnecessary Packaging
Less is more – we carry this value with our packaging too. No need for any fancy exterior, our bar soaps are available package-free and minimal, recyclable packaging is used for our products. For example, our roll-ons come in glass bottles and metal caps and our scrubs in glass jars (albeit with a plastic lid) – these materials are all recyclable.
We have also eliminated the use of cling wraps in our workshops; all customers are encouraged to bring their own bags to bring back their wonderful creations and are packed in paper.
In an additional attempt to decrease packaging and carbon footprint, the studio is open on certain days so customers may bring their own reusable containers to stock up on liquid soap and purchase bar soaps package-free (no boxes and shipment packaging!).
Leave a comment below to share with us what steps you’re taking to reduce your waste and carbon footprint! Remember, every step counts.
Like to follow us on our journey?
Find us on our social media platforms:
http://instagram.com/roughbeauty.co
http://facebook.com/roughbeauty
Christine Tan
Photo by The Creative Exchange on Unsplash