The Great Packaging Debate January 19, 2016 21:00

I love my job.  If you follow Hipbees on instagram, then you know how much I love my job.  There are SO MANY things to love! 

  1.  Working from home so I can be with my kids.
  2.  Making a product that I know is nourishing and free from cancer-causing chemicals.  
  3.  Meeting all kinds of like-minded people.

There is one thing that I really, really do NOT like about my job....

Here it is folks, the seedy underbelly of making any kind of personal care products:

  1. Raw materials that I buy are NOT all local, some are shipped from far away :(
  2. Packaging that I buy is made and shipped from far away:(
  3. Although recyclable, the plastic packaging I use is still at the end of the day: Plastic :(

This really really really bugs me.

It bothers me so much that I have considered no longer making Hipbees because I do not want to contribute to the piles and plies of garbage we humans are producing.

It is true that I have several people who wash their glass containers, and give them back to me to refill (and I take $3.00 off per product to encourage this type of action). But sadly you cannot do this with plastic, as it does break down over time and becomes a great breeding ground for yucky bacteria.

So what is a Hipbee making momma to do?

Instead of giving up, I have found some compostable paper tubes.  It is only one tiny tiny tiny solution to a BIG problem. These tubes are not perfect! They are not made in Canada, but once you peel the label off they can be composted. I am also sourcing other compostable corn-based "plastics" made right here in Canada. 

In the cardboard tubes I will possibly put balms, salves, deodorants, and some new products that are coming out in February (if the cardboard tube is a success).

I am asking you friends, family, and lovers of Hipbees, for a little feedback. What do you think of the idea of the cardboard tube? Do you have thoughts or suggestions? I would love to hear them! Please only kind remarks in the comment section. 

If you prefer, please email me directly at:  jill@hipbees.ca

If you would be willing to try out the deodorant (free of charge) in a cardboard tube:   Comment on the instagram post or the facebook post.

Thanks for reading. I appreciate your time.

With love,

Jill