At Well Life, we are committed to sustainability and reducing our environmental footprint. We know that choosing the right packaging is a crucial part of that commitment. While plastic has a less-than-stellar reputation in the sustainability community, we want to share the reasons why we still use PET (polyethylene terephthalate) for our product packaging and how it aligns with our eco-friendly goals.
The Reality of Glass and Aluminum
Choosing the right packaging material isn't as straightforward as it might seem. Glass and aluminum, often seen as eco-friendly alternatives, come with their own environmental challenges.
Glass:
- Energy-Intensive Production: The process of manufacturing glass involves melting raw materials at extremely high temperatures, which requires significant amounts of fossil fuels. Check out one of the first "How It's Made" episodes highlighting glass manufacturing. You'll be amazed!
- Heavy Weight: Glass is much heavier than plastic, which increases transportation costs and carbon emissions.
- Safety Concerns: Glass bottles can break easily, posing a safety risk, especially in a home cleaning situation or during transportation.
Aluminum:
- Durability Issues: While aluminum is lightweight and recyclable, it dents and scratches easily. Believe it or not, some customers return products due to minor dents, even when the contents are perfectly safe.
- Surface Scratching: Aluminum bottles can scratch surfaces, causing inconvenience and potential damage to your home.
Why We Choose PET
Given these challenges, PET has emerged as a more practical and eco-friendly option for our products for right now. Here’s why:
- Energy Efficiency: PET production is less energy-intensive compared to glass manufacturing. It requires lower temperatures and less fossil fuel consumption, making it a more sustainable choice.
- Lightweight and Durable: PET is lightweight, reducing transportation costs and carbon emissions. Its durability ensures that our products reach you safely and are convenient to use in your daily cleaning routine.
- Recyclability: PET is 100% recyclable, and we strongly encourage our customers to recycle and reuse their bottles. By doing so, we can collectively reduce plastic waste and minimize our environmental impact.
- Use of Recycled Materials: We do and are committed to incorporating recycled plastic (rPET) into our packaging whenever possible. This not only reduces our reliance on new plastic but also supports the recycling industry and promotes a circular economy.
- rPET Possibilities: While rPET (recycled PET) is not always readily available and has high MOQs (minimum order quantities), we are continuously exploring opportunities to incorporate more rPET into our packaging as supply increases.
Introducing Refill Pouches: We are excited to announce the introduction of large, 64-ounce spouted pouches for refills. These pouches are designed to reduce waste and provide a convenient, cost-effective way for our customers to refill their PET bottles or any bottle you may already have. By opting for refills, you can save money while further minimizing your environmental impact.
Our Commitment to Sustainability
We understand that choosing PET may raise questions, and we want to be transparent about our decisions. We are committed to providing high-quality, eco-friendly products that align with our sustainability goals. Our efforts don’t stop at packaging—we are constantly looking for ways to improve our practices and reduce our environmental footprint.
By choosing Well Life, you are supporting a brand that prioritizes sustainability without compromising on quality and convenience. We encourage you to recycle and reuse our PET bottles to help us make a positive impact on the planet.
We promise to keep you posted as we find new ways to help us all be eco-friendly and protect our estuaries and groundwater.
Thank you for being a part of our journey towards a more sustainable future. Together, we can make a difference.