Over 100 million lip balms are sold every year. I can't imagine how many of them end up in the landfill and waterways. With most of them being plastic, I did A LOT of research on how to change our current packaging. The not so great news is I am currently still using a plastic tube for our Every Day Balms. I found that many of the paper ones were very large (not pocket size), tended to push out product from it's cracks and crevices, and some people don't like to stick their fingers inside of tins.
I hope to change this in the near future but also understand there are still a LOT of companies using these tubes. The good news is that the tubes we are currently using are recyclable. The even better news is that you can now try out the second step towards zero waste which is to REUSE.
Ready?
SUPPLIES:
- Empty Tubes
- Small to medium sized Saucepan/ Pot - preferably stainless steel
- Tongs
- Water
- cotton swabs
- Paper Towel or Rag you don't mind getting oily
- Alcohol
- Optional: Dish soap with degreaser
HOW TO:
- Start a pot of hot water - 1/3 full
- You'll want to try and remove as much of the lip balm from your tube first. ProTip: Rub this on your skin! The comfrey and other oils are very healing. You will use your Q-tips and/or a rolled up towel/paper towel for this first part.
- Place your tube(s) in the pot of hot water (not quite boiling)
- Let simmer for about 1-2 minutes
- Use the tongs to pull the tube out of the hot water
- Use your rag & cotton swab to wipe down the tube
- Once you have removed the visible oil, use alcohol to wipe down the tube - inside and out if possible.
- If you would like, you can also use a degreasing dishwashing soap as a final rinse.
Now that you have clean tubes, what do you do with them? Be on the lookout for the next post to see all of the awesome ways you can reuse these little containers. Don't be afraid to get creative!
As a company, we have the platform to inspire people to do better. As human on this planet, you have the capability to change your habits and make progress towards keeping this planet inhabitable for future generations. It's a big backpack full of responsibility but I hope that we are able to take steps together.
