You may be like us here at Sea Witch Botanicals and find that the biggest issue with buying home cleaners and cosmetics is filling the oceans and environment with plastic waste. According to Euromonitor’s global market research, the cosmetic industry produced 76.8 billion plastic packaging units in 2017, and this number grows every year (1). 

Plastic takes a millennium to decompose, yet consumers often only have one use for the packaging.

We know that plastic is one of the most threatening materials to the environment and waterways because it can take up to 1,000 years to decompose. As if that is terrible enough, on it’s way to decomposition, plastic slowly leaches and bioaccumulates in species, including us humans (2).

Small plastic parts and microplastics in the sand of Famara beach, Lanzarote, Spain. 

That’s why we set out to provide folks plant-based, minimal-packaged goods that protect human health and the world’s waterways. It is because we answer to the waterways that it's an easy decision to choose metal tins over plastic tubes for our lip balms and Woodland Salve™.

Here are the top three reasons metal tins are more sustainable than plastic tubes:

1. Reuseable: Once the contents in a metal tin are gone, you can easily wash the tin clean and reuse for small items such as paper clips, jewelry, herbs or spices. You can also get crafty and make your own balm or salve to refill the container. Metal tins are ideal for reusing rather than plastic packaging which leaches overtime into the contents. 
2. Recyclable: Did you know that every year more steel is recycled than glass, paper, aluminum, and plastic combined? Not only can you recycle tin containers more easily than plastic, but also the tin itself is made of at least 25%-100% recycled metal (3). We don’t want our customers to be limited to recycling our products only where cosmetic packaging is accepted for proper recycling, hence the choice for recyclable tin containers.
3. USA-made: Every dollar is a ballot to vote for the values you stand behind and we recognize that our money has more impact in our own country. Our purchasing power supports American jobs and a smaller carbon footprint due to reduced transportation.

Let our sustainable packaging choices help make choosing the right cosmetics easier.

References:

1. Westervelt, A. (2018).  The Beauty Industry Has a Plastics Problem. Retrieved March 25, 2019 from https://www.teenvogue.com/story/the-beauty-industry-has-a-plastics-problem
2. LeBlanc, R. (2018). The Decomposition of Waste in Landfills: A Story of Time and Materials. Retrieved March 21, 2019 from https://www.thebalancesmb.com/how-long-does-it-take-garbage-to-decompose-2878033
3. The Bottle Guide. Tin Containers - Wholesale Metal Containers. Retrieved March 21, 2019 from http://www.thebottleguide.com/tin-containers/