You guys know we’re all about reducing plastic waste- it’s kind of our thing. But that’s not to say we don’t still use some plastic in our retail packaging and shipping. Plastic - along with countless other man-made materials - does play an important role in the CPG (Consumer Packaged Goods) industry.
Our mission is to reduce - and possibly even eliminate - the single-use plastics that have plagued the cleaning industry for generations.
The largest single-use item for the cleaning industry is the plastic spray bottle. Americans use and discard over 1 billion spray bottles every year...just because they ran out of cleaning product. DAZZ provides a solution to this problem by enabling you guys to repurpose those spray bottles over and over again (instead of throwing them out).
But the solution doesn’t stop there.
In recent years, there’s been significant advancement in bioplastics, which are compostable and/or biodegradable plastic alternatives. We’ve done a lot of research into bioplastics and how we can incorporate them into DAZZ products.
So, in the spirit of Plastic-Free July, here is what we’re currently working on to further reduce our dependence on traditional plastic.
Tablet Packets
Within our little tablet packets lies the secret sauce to our products… effervescents (okay, maybe it’s not so secret, but secrets always make things cooler). Our formula combines natural acids and alkalines to create an amazing cleaning agent that dissolves quickly and effectively.
The one tricky factor? The effervescent tablets need to be carefully protected from air and moisture until you’re ready to use them. Up until now, our DAZZ tablets were only packaged in PET (polyethylene terephthalate) plastic. This plastic can be recycled, as long as it’s disposed of properly, but that doesn’t always happen.
As an alternative, we are getting ready to introduce new tablet packets made from a compostable PLA material. PLA, or polylactic acid, is derived from renewable resources like corn starch or sugar cane. This type of material produces significantly fewer greenhouse gases than its petroleum-based counterparts during the production process.
Once we’re ready to roll out these alternative tablet packets, you’ll have the option at checkout to choose whichever material you prefer. If you have access to commercial composting services, we’ll recommend you opt for our new PLA packets. If composting is not available in your area, stick with the current PET packets and send them to recycling as you normally would.
Refill Packs
Like the tablet packets, our refill packs have also been made from PET plastic. In our move to minimize our plastic use, we’re working on a Kraft paper alternative.
Kraft paper is an increasingly popular packaging material that’s (spoiler alert) also incredibly eco-friendly. The material is 100% biodegradable, breaking down in a matter of weeks. Additionally, because of its strength and durability, Kraft paper can easily be reused multiple times over again.
If you’re interested for yourself (or your own business), EcoEnclose offers packaging options made from already recycled Kraft paper.
Mailers
When we mail you your DAZZ products, we typically mail them to you in poly mailers, i.e. plastic. Poly mailers are made from a polyethylene film, which makes them both durable and light-weight.
Keeping with our theme on reuse, we’ve partnered with EcoEnclose to supply us with an awesome poly mailer made from 100% recycled material. Plus, it’s designed with a second adhesive strip and a top opening design that makes it easy to reuse. Once it’s been used twice, the poly mailer can go to recycling to begin its life all over again.
The Bottles
Sleek, beautiful, and...made of plastic (*cue dramatic music*).
Like we mentioned before, the problem is less with plastic itself and more with the ways people are disposing of it. To produce DAZZ spray bottles, we work with the nation’s largest recycler of plastic bottles in order to create the most responsible product we can offer. Odds are, your DAZZ bottle was once a Coke bottle, a plastic bag, or a straw… or a little bit of everything. Then, as the consumer, you get to continue the cycle by reusing your cleaning bottle over and over again.
But, in the spirit of Plastic-Free July, we are working on a glass alternative to our plastic spray bottles. Of course, glass has its own set of challenges (particularly for all the klutzes out there) and is by no means perfect, but we want to provide you guys with an option that will keep plastic completely out of your cleaning routine.