For people and planet

A focus for Oh Goodness has always been to produce products that enhance wellbeing while maintaining sustainable production practices. All ingredients are sourced from accredited suppliers and are chosen not only for the properties they provide but also for the impact sourcing them has on its ecosystem.

 

For that reason you won't see, for example, palm or almond oil in the products. I am also always looking for ingredients that can be sourced close to home if possible - to cut down on carbon miles.

 

Read about my new sustainable soap range

 

Ingredients

A few years ago I also started thinking more about carbon miles, and all the ingredients I was using that are shipped here from many miles away. In some cases, use of these ingredients is totally justified, I still use many of them, and sometimes they are irreplaceable. But I wanted to see if, where I can, I could cut back on some of those miles, and source ingredients from Aotearoa NZ. We live in a country of rich abundance, after all. My Soap with a Small Footprint range is the first to embrace this fully, with 70% of oils sourced here, and just 30% from further afield. I've also worked on transitioning products that include shea and cocoa butter, where possible, to include tallow instead. Some products, my paste deodorants, for example, remain vegan products. 

Packaging

It's important to me that all Oh Goodness products are supplied in recyclable, compostable or reusable containers. 

My new soap range is presented in a minimal, recyclable wrap. 

I am in the process of moving my deodorant to a compostable tube and jar, which though is sourced overseas, weighs a lot lighter than glass. 

I send orders out in recycled paper jiffy bags and cardboard packs, which are themselves recyclable or compostable. These do not require tape as they are self sealing and I now use paper tape and recycled boxes for wholesale orders. 

Testing

All my products are 100% cruelty free - from ingredients at source through to production.

The back end

There is a lot of hidden waste in the supply and manufacture end of a production process. For example, the glass jars I used to use came wrapped in plastic packaging, another reason for moving away from them.

Ingredients often come in glass or plastic bottles - many of these I will repurpose to decant larger bulk amounts into for example, otherwise they are recycled. Smaller glass bottles containing essential oils are either recycled, reused or given to my local lavender oil supplier to reuse for their oil. 

Both my main ingredients suppliers are keenly aware of the issue of waste in packaging of ingredients, and many of the soft bags are compostable. If this is the case it goes into my home compost, otherwise they are recycled (where possible). Both of these suppliers provide reused shredded boxes as packaging within the box and I in turn use this in my own wholesale boxes and smaller parcels. 

Larger plastic containers for ingredients and oils are sometimes inevitable.  I try and repurpose these into functional items where I can, and other than that I pass them on to the wider community for use in gardening, composting and worm farms. 

Sustainability is a daily practice, and i'm always open to new ideas and thinking through solutions to daily issues. Please contact me at hello@ohgoodness.nz if you have ideas to help Oh Goodness become even more sustainable. 

Ana