Sustainability at the Secret Garden

6/23/2020

You might have recently noticed that we are making exciting sustainable changes to some of our products. We are transitioning from plastic to glass for our 8 oz. hand soap and body lotion products! This change is a result of a variety of reasons that we discuss in this post. We also share some of our crucial tips to leading more sustainable lives! We recommend always buying local when possible, reusing items (such as our new glass bottles), for décor, crafts or storage and recycling them when you're finished! These small changes can make a big difference if we commit to being intentional and aware of our waste! With that, we hope that you can enjoy this new chic packaging as much as we do!

We're Transitioning to Glass Bottles!

Over the past month we have been transitioning from our 8 oz. plastic lotion and hand soap bottles and replacing them with glass bottles! We are thrilled at the opportunity to upgrade our product packaging to something more durable, re-usable and aesthetically pleasing. We are thrilled to have received positive feedback on this change and plan to continue to transition our various products and scents to glass bottles as it becomes possible with suppliers.
If you're wondering why we would want to change our products' packaging because if it's not broken, don't fix it, here's why! As our 2020 plans for the Secret Garden unfolded, we began to feel the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic by postponing the seasonal opening of our shop. We saw this as an opportunity to give our amazing supporters something really special - a new and improved look as well as a more sustainable package for our most popular items!

Why Glass?

Our #1 priority at Brys Estate is to deliver the best quality products Old Mission Peninsula has to offer. For the Secret Garden, this means sourcing natural ingredients for our products, finding the best quality oils and fragrances and creating products for our customers to enjoy! Did you know that essential oils are extremely vulnerable to light exposure which can break down their fragrance and beneficial properties? We believe that is something you shouldn't have to worry about! By storing our products in opaque, glass bottles, the essential oils are far less likely to break down and the integrity of the complex molecules that smell so lovely are protected for future use!
Another reason we chose to replace the plastic is to help the Earth! At the Secret Garden, we always try to be mindful of how we treat the planet on a daily basis, and we do our best to live in harmony with Mother Nature. With research, we learned that glass packaging has the potential to be more sustainable than plastic and other materials. For this to be true, we must do our part to reduce landfill waste! Below we will discuss simple things that we need to do as consumers to make these products more sustainable! And keep in mind, these tips can be applied to all kinds of products, not just items from the Secret Garden!

Buy Local!

This could be the most important tip of all! Whether it be fresh produce, eating at a restaurant, buying books, beauty products, clothes or jewelry - BUY LOCAL. And do it whenever you can and as often as you can! Making an effort to buy local will help support local businesses, stimulate the local economy and strengthen the community! And bonus! Buying local products, directly supports local business owners and their families! Isn't it nice to know that the lovely man you bought fresh vegetables from at the Farmer's Market, will be using your $20 to pay his workers and feed his family? Not only that, an added benefit to you is that your products are fresher than those that may have traveled 1,200 miles or more! Everyone wins! Our suggestion is before you go shopping, explore what local options for everyday necessities are available to you!
Another reason buying local is so important is to cut down on emission production that occurs during product transit. Let's think about it like this: If you compare purchasing strawberries from the supermarket that were grown in Mexico and transported to that store versus the exact same basket of strawberries that was transported from a farm within 50 miles of your city to the local Saturday Farmer's Market, which is more sustainable, fresh and delicious? The locally grown berries of course! The exact same product can be significantly better for the environment depending on where it came from! We try to keep this in mind when sourcing materials for our products. That's why we make an effort to support companies that are as close to home as possible.

Reuse Before you Recycle!

Another thing you can do to help is to reuse items as much as you can! We love that our glass bottles (and remaining plastic bottles) are easily refillable with our NEW Refill Pouches which are available for a variety of products and scents. With the refill pouches, you can also avoid buying the bottle altogether! If you already have a decorative dispenser or a bottle from a previous purchase, give it another life with a refill pouch! By giving the packaging a longer life, you'll keep it out of the landfill and avoid purchasing a brand new item. The possibilities are endless with these new glass bottles! Reuse the bottle as a flower vase, add it to your table décor or check out our Pinterest page for some arts and craft ideas!

Keep the Cycle Going!

Finally, when your bottle has reached the end of its life, PLEASE RECYCLE IT! This is the critical step that separates the sustainability of glass from plastic. Plastic breaks down over time as it is recycled and formulated into new products. Therefore, it can only be repurposed a limited number of times. Glass, however, can be melted down and reused over and over without deteriorating! For any of this to matter, we have to recycle! To recycle your bottle, just wash it out and dispose of it in your recycling bin or at the nearest recycling center! No need to even remove the label! As soon as you've placed that recycling out on the curb, your work is done and you can sleep easy knowing you've done what you can to help the Earth.

We need your help!

We think it's incredibly important to consider the health of our planet in our everyday lives but we need your help in making a difference! Any small things you can do to shop locally, reuse your items and recycle them when you're finished, can add up to make big changes and formulate healthy new habits! We hope that you might consider these points the next time you head to the store or throw something away. For more information on recycling, check out this page by Waste Management on how to "recycle right" or this page by the EPA on how to compost food waste or dispose of tricky items like electronics!

Give these products a try!

Below are some of our most loved products that are now available in GLASS 16 or 8 oz. bottles and Refill Pouches! Save by purchasing one of our bundle sets which includes a 16 oz. refill pouch and an 8 oz. bottle of a product of your choice. As always, thank you for your love and support!
*Coming Soon! Keep an eye out for glass bottles and refill pouches for our Secret Garden scent Hand Soap and Hand & Body Lotion!