Happy Earth Day! Celebrating with LUSH.

Happy Earth Day! Today is one of my favourite days of the year. One of the most important aspects of our everyday life, one that is too often overlooked, gets the spotlight for the day. It's a day where we appreciate the living organisms all around us. With the change of season we're paying closer and closer attanetion to our surroundings (and after a long winter, spring feels as if its at every turn)! When LUSH reached out to me to talk about some of their environmental efforts, I couldn't help but applaud. Sustainability was of my favourite subjects that I studied while in university. It's defined as the following: avoidance of the depletion of natural resources in order to maintain an ecological balance. 

LUSH has went above and beyond in creating a positive outcome for the environment. 

Here are four incredible things that LUSH does to reduce the environmental footprint: 

#1 LUSH loves Naked! Naked as in no packaging. 38% of LUSH products are packaging free. When it comes to packaging, less is more. Each year, millions of tons of packaging ends up in landfills. So, what’s the best way to reduce this waste? By getting rid of packaging completely, of course! Going naked also increases the likelihood of a product being self-preserving, so no synthetic preservatives are needed to keep them fresh. Over the last five years, the much loved shampoo bars have saved around 30 million plastic bottles from landfill. You can learn more here! #2 Charity Pot Program Since 2007, LUSH has donated $17 million to 1400 organizations. Charitable giving is at the heart of the business and the company taken on the responsibility to advocate for the environment, animals and people in need. They are passionate about giving back to organizations locally and around the world. With every purchase of Charity Pot Hand and Body Lotion ($27.95), LUSH donates 100% of the price (minus the taxes) to small grassroots organizations working in the areas of environmental conservation, animal welfare and human rights (seriously, this makes me so happy). You end up with velvety, beautifully-scented skin AND you’re doing a world of good with every pot purchased—nicely done! #3 Recycling in Closed Loop The black pots are made from 100% recycled plastic, but the recycling doesn’t end there. When a customer brings back 5 clean, empty black pots to a shop, LUSH recycles, remolds and reuses them again. And customers get a free fresh face mask as a little thank-you! Last year, 880,815 black pots were returned and LUSH gave 176,163 free fresh masks. The plastic bottles and gift wraps are also made of 100% recycled plastic.  #4 Self-preserving Cosmetics Synthetic preservatives are effective at what they do, but when they’re washed down our drains, they enter waterways where they accumulate and may have toxic effects over time. For this reason, the inventors at LUSH have been creating cosmetics for decades that don’t require synthetic preservatives. Over 65% of the products are self-preserving and don’t need synthetic preservatives. These inventions stay fresh thanks to their expertly balanced ingredients. 

After touring the LUSH factory earlier this year, I was absolutely amazed by the incredible commitment to the environment, the stakeholders, and the products that each employee bestowed. Every single person I met that day each had their own unique interests, and a shared love and passion for creating beautiful and sustainable products!