Could EO Products set an industry precedent for sustainability?

31-Mar-2015 - Last updated on 01-Apr-2015 at 15:52 GMT

Brad Black, EO Products co-founder and co-CEO, with new sustainable packaging

The company just announced its 2015 objectives to limit waste and is advocating for personal care industry suppliers to be more involved with sustainability.

The company hopes that consumer demand for natural products has reached a critical mass. EO Products “are just at the cusp of being able to leverage their volume where they can demand more earth-friendly innovations from their suppliers,” according to a media release about the company’s 2015 sustainability objectives.

The California-based company got its start in 1995 and bears “a responsibility to reduce the impact of their plastic bottles and manufacturing practices,” according to the media release.

Personal care amenities
This year EO is instating a 100% refill program for its hotel clients, fitness centers, business janitorial firms and the like. To do this EO will phase out the 1.5 ounce packages that the company has previously distributed its amenity-size products in.

Reducing waste is the motivation here: “according to the Plastic Disclosure Project, approximately 8 million tons of plastic waste finds its way into the oceans every year,” the company mentioned.

Packaging
The company already uses labels backed with recyclable PET rather than waxed paper. EO moved on to initiatives like this to build out from its portfolio of “healthy” products. “Since they have the organic and natural formulations down to a science, EO can focus on innovations in manufacturing and packaging,” declared the release.

In 2015 EO plans to enhance its recycling program with the help of local partners. The partnership will ensure that used cardboard-pulp packaging is salvaged and used to make new packaging.

Both EO Products and its unnamed recycling partner are BCorp designated companies. This means that “they are for-profit businesses that put equal value on social and environmental issues as they do on profits,” explains the media release.

Supply and demand
The company aligns its formulation protocols with consumer expectations for products that minimize contentious ingredients.

All of its products are made without paraben, disodium EDTA, polysorbate and lauryl sulfate. EO Products also describes their formulations as “non-GMO, gluten free, vegan, cruelty free, synthetic fragrance free” and comprised of “organic (when available) and natural ingredients.”

Now EO is focused on becoming Zero Waste Certified in 2016. "The most impactful thing we do is create products that are healthy for people and don't pollute the planet," said Susan Griffin-Black, co-founder and co-CEO of EO Products.