Our Eco Credentials
Effort toward the environment should be ongoing and not just confine it to #zerowastemonth. World Environment Day and World Ocean Day. It is a great opportunity to educate our community and be completely transparent with you all! Moreover, Ayurveda’s ancient teachings promote the utmost respect for Mother Nature. Using the five elements of ether, air, earth, water and fire at the core of its 5,000-year-old philosophy. Utilising our natural surroundings and drawing on the powerful properties of plants. Also comes with an inherent responsibility to protect our planet.
At Urban Veda, we are the first to admit we are not a zero-waste brand but by the time you have finished reading this blog. We hope you learn something about the various different eco credentials as well as some of our core brand values. Which all have the longevity and sustainability of our natural environment at the forefront of our minds.
Packaging
Let’s start by talking about some background info regarding plastic and its recyclability. PET plastic is virgin grade 1 plastic. It is easy to recycle and all recycling plants accept it. Due to PET’s high quality grade. So, PET is recyclable and easy to repurpose into Post-Consumer Recycled Plastic (PCR). But it is important to note that each time a plastic item is recycled its grade. And quality worsens eventually reaching a point where it cannot be recycled and repurposed again. There is a huge demand for PCR plastic. But there is a need to use PET plastic.
Eco-Friendly Packaging
With this in mind, we have made careful decisions when it comes to our packaging choices. As we use essential oils across all of our products. They need to be housed correctly in packaging that will prevent them from going rancid which could potentially cause a reaction on the skin. The safety of our Urbanites is ultimately paramount. When Urban Veda was founded 6 years ago, a decision was made for all packaging to be 100% recyclable as a benchmark. All of our tubes are currently made from PET plastic meaning they are accepted into all recycling plants. As our skincare products are affordable, everyday products, our customers restock every few months so the successful recyclability of their empties is absolutely vital.
Despite PCR having this shorter capacity to be recycled and repurposed compared to PET. We recognise that it is still an important sustainable packaging option due to its reuse of recycled PET and have chosen this material for all of our plastic bottles such as our Facial Washes, Toners, and Body Lotions.
Going forward with new products, we debate all packaging options and favour glass where possible. With the encouragement of their reuse and upcycle. Our packaging choices are based on the reality of what the average consumer does when they finish a product. Which consumers put straight in the bin. PET is vitally able to be recyclable. Therefore, PET currently has the highest success rate.
Charity
We always knew we wanted to show our support to a foundation whose hard work preserves our precious planet. Jo Ruxton and her inspirational journey from working at the BBC to funding her own film on Netflix (‘A Plastic Ocean’) and founding The Plastic Ocean Foundation captivated us and we knew this was the cause for our brand. We are proud to say we donate 10% of our online sales to Plastic Oceans each quarter. To help them continue their work educating and spreading awareness about plastic pollution.
Recycle your Empties
A recent addition to our eco credentials is our partnership with Wastecare which now means we have a way of recycling our skincare empties from our customers - not only from our brand but any other skincare brands too. Customers can either send in their skincare empties to our HQ for a 15% discount off their next online order. Or bring them along to any events or popup shops we run.
Proud to be British
Whilst we have an ancient Indian, Ayurvedic philosophy, we are proud to be a UK based brand and manufacturer of our skincare products here. We control the quality of our products ensuring only the best is sold to our customers. So, manufacturing in the UK also significantly reduces our carbon footprint on the planet.
Vegan & CF Certified
We are proud to have never compromised on our values and from the very beginning of the Urban Veda journey. We have been certified Vegan and Cruelty Free. This means we have never (and never will) use animal or animal by-product in any of our skincare products or wellbeing tools and refuse to use animals in the testing of our products. We only ever test our products on human skin – usually the Urban Veda team!
Cosmos Natural
Our products only contain the best of nature and are formulated with between 97-100% natural ingredients. For a ‘kind on skin’ yet totally effective result. And our 100% natural range of Facial Oils are certified Cosmos Natural. And contain the purest form of bio actives, Ayurvedic extracts and essential oils to nourish and condition skin. Have you tried them?
We’d love to answer any questions you may have about our eco credentials, so please feel free to email us at hello@urbanveda.com
