Have you noticed this symbol on our moisturiser jars? If you haven’t seen it yet, you’ll find it on the side of our containers near the recycling icon. It’s the ‘waste neutral plastic’ symbol, and means that even though our jars are plastic, they’re made with the environment and sustainability in mind. To reassure you that we care about every aspect of Themeda being clean and sustainable, we want to answer questions you may have about our packaging.
What are Themeda Jars made from?
Our jars are made from waste neutral plastic. This means the plastic used has been recycled and repurposed into our gorgeous moisturiser jars that adorn your dressing table or vanity.
What exactly does ‘waste neutral plastic’ mean?
For every kilogram of plastic that is made into a product (like our jars) an equal amount of plastic waste- known as Post Consumer Plastic Waste (PCPW)- is removed from the environment and recycled.
Where are your jars made?
Themeda is proudly South African. The development, manufacture and distribution of our products takes place in KwaZulu Natal. It is important to us to make every aspect of our product and manufacturing process as sustainable and ethical as we can, while maintaining the quality and luxury of our products.
We were pleased to find a company that specialises in cosmetic packaging who is committed to sustainable and ethical manufacturing too. The cherry on the top is that they are located near where our products are manufactured.
How does the waste neutral manufacturing process of Themeda jars work?
The recycled plastic comes from the Durban Port. Large amounts of pollution enter the port due to its location, size, and busyness and this has severely degraded its natural habitat and ecosystem. Because of this, Wildtrust introduced the Blue Port Project. Through this initiative, the project traps and collects waste from the Durban Port. One of the main aims of the project is to restore a healthy, natural ecosystem to the port. In addition, the Blue Port Project recruits and trains unemployed youth to work on this innovative and successful waste recycling initiative. Thousands of kilograms of waste are trapped and prevented from entering the oceans. The waste is sorted and approximately 60% can be recycled.v Local companies buy the recycled waste and turn it into new and useful products like our jars.
Why have you chosen these jars?
- They are made of recycled plastics that are functional and beautiful.
- We reduce our environmental footprint by using these jars. Once your product is finished, your jar can be recycled again into a new product.
- Plastic is lightweight and easier to transport, which also helps to reduce our carbon footprint.
- Using these jars contributes to the removal of waste from land and waterways. Besides fulfilling our goal of formulating a natural skincare product that is safe and good for you, we’re also part of both the green and blue beauty movements.
- By using these jars, we contribute to youth employment
What should I do with my jar once it is empty?
Our jars are 100% recyclable. Once your jar is empty, please rinse it and place it in the ‘plastics’ section of your local recycling centre, so that it can find a new life again. You’ll be helping us to preserve our environment and keep our earth, rivers, and oceans clean.
Are your cleanser and serum bottles environmentally friendly?
These are made of glass and have plastic pumps and droppers. Glass is made of natural materials and is 100% recyclable. Added to this, it has another advantage in that it can be recycled infinitely. If you recycle glass, it will be made into new glass and this can be done over and over again. So, whether you upcycle it or recycle it, glass will never die.
What should I do with my cleanser and serums bottles when they are empty?
- Please upcycle or recycle them. To recycle your bottle, rinse your bottle and pump or dropper. For cleanser bottles, please place pumps in the ‘plastics’ recycling bin.
- With serum bottles, separate the dropper from the bottle, pull out the glass pipette from the dropper lid. Place the dropper lid in the ‘plastics’ recycling bin.
- Place cleanser and serum bottles along with the glass pipettes in the ‘glass’ recycling bin at your local recycling centre. Do you have any other questions about our packaging?
If you do, please let us know what they are by contacting us at hayley@themedaskincare.co.za.
