OUR ZERO WASTE POLICY
Our mission when starting Graysons was to be the best...not for us, but for all of us! We set out from the very beginning to be the most honest, supply the highest quality products and to be the most responsible CBD brand available anywhere in the world.
The hardest part of this mission has always revolved around one question...How can we be as environmentally responsible as possible?
We started by ensuring our CBD was sourced from the right people and grown under the right conditions. Next came our Palm Oil Pledge (well worth a read). Now, we have found a solution to the most difficult bit...how we package and present our products so that they are as environmentally friendly as possible.
In recent times, the Zero Waste movement has gained more exposure and traction than ever before (about time!). Shops are popping up in our local towns and cities, consumers are more conscious about how they recycle and are more aware of the products that they buy. Simple incremental changes that don't cost the earth are what's needed to save our earth.
In our personal lives, we at Graysons have been on the Zero Waste bus for some time. The challenge to integrate this ethos with the Graysons brand has required us to look at every process in minute detail to ensure that our products, our presentation and our packaging are as environmentally friendly as they possibly can be.
Fortunately we had a jump on this as our shipping boxes were already made from recycled card, our wood wool packing materials were sustainably sourced and we use hessian bags to house our products. The intention is that the bags, unlike a printed box, can be used again for something else (like storing jewelry or trinkets)...or simply composted. A change for us, is switching out our regular plastic packing tape for a Kraft alternative...while this seems like a no brainer, little things like this are easily overlooked when focusing on the big picture.
The next big change is adding our new "Refill" options to the Oral Tinctures and Sprays. Working out how to stop single use plastics here was a challenging and time consuming process. We trialed countless different cap options from suppliers all over the world, meetings after meetings to brainstorm solutions, testing of samples and consulting with experts to ensure that there was no risk of materials interacting with the products. In the end, the answer was glaringly simple...why include a pipette or spray cap with every bottle when our customers already have them on their existing Tinctures or Sprays? Why not offer the option of a "Refill" bottle with a simple (and more importantly), easily recyclable aluminium cap. That way, you aren't throwing away a complex plastic cap with every bottle, meaning that the plastic caps supplied are no longer single use. Little wins add up! Best of all, the old bottle and your new aluminium cap can be cleaned and repurposed. Personally, I use mine for travel sized versions of my favourite hot sauces...or washing up liquid (I don't recommend accidentally mixing the two up though).
Now the big one! In the beginning we packaged our Wellness Formula Capsules in plastic pharmaceutical pots. The intention with this, was to go above and beyond the industry standard...but it never quite sat right with us. There had to be a better solution, and as these containers are often disposed of once empty, the new containers needed to be easily recyclable. Glass was the answer...specifically, brown glass. Our latest batches of Wellness Formula Capsules are now housed in a brown glass pot, with an aluminium screw lid. This switch has reduced our plastic waste burden by over 75% alone! An impressive saving.
To tie up any loose ends, the plastic shrink seals on our balms have now been replaced with Kraft tape, and the clear plastic labels on the cap are no longer used. We've even ensured that our labels are printed using biodegradable inks on recycled paper. The Pet Formula tinctures will also be available as a Refill option...and our upcoming Lip Salve will be supplied in an aluminium tin rather than a plastic "chapstick" style format.
We are immensely proud of the work we have done to ensure our products are zero waste. The steps we have taken to change the way we operate and present goods to you, the end user, enable us all to be confident that we are making a better, cleaner world for generations to come. Cleaner oceans, clearer skies and the protection of natural habitats are realities within our grasp thanks to people like you, people that take the time to care. We thank you for helping us on our mission.