This is how we have removed the plastic from your hands

At Minimalism we are part of the problem, we are aware of it, but in part, we are also the solution.

We are aware that every action has a consequence . Every time we have to do any task in the company, we look for a way to minimize the impact that it may have.

When we started the project we had in mind to make it as sustainable as possible.

We know that, in part, we are the problem: we manufacture, we leave a carbon footprint in our shipments, we sell a physical product ... with this in mind, our goal is to position ourselves as the basic alternative to conscious and responsible consumption with the environment in which we live.

One of the most obvious problems that any company or brand has is the use of plastics in part of their processes . We also have this problem, but little by little, we have been solving it.

Once we manufacture our products - yes, we know that not all of our products are 100% sustainable - we send them to our warehouse. We have several suppliers, some in China, others in Bangladesh and others in Portugal. In these shipments there are certain products that cannot, or at least we cannot yet, be shipped without plastic due to possible damage they may suffer during transport. These plastics are collected in the warehouse and eliminated from the process before they reach the customer.

Why do we dispose of them before sending them to the customer? Because the customer does not have to do this and we make sure that they are recycled.

That's in the "manufacturing" process, but what happens in shipping?

When we spoke to our carriers, they told us that it was impossible to remove the plastic from the orders. Normally, the carrier's sticker is stuck on a plastic bag that the carrier pays for. This way, many brands save on packaging and don't have to think too much about how the order gets to the customer . For us, this didn't make any sense. What was the point of making the effort to recycle the plastic that came to us from the supplier if we then sent the orders in plastic?

To do this , we began to look for alternatives to propose a viable option to the carrier where he could stick the sticker . For small orders, we used a small paper bag , like a bread bag, and after many tests we realized that the breakages in the orders were minimal and that the shipment was still efficient and more sustainable. For larger orders, we opted for recycled cardboard boxes. The cost of these packages ranges from 0.07 cent to 0.98 cent per unit . We assume the cost without passing it on to either the customer or the carrier.

The goal was no longer to promote recycling, the goal was to generate as little waste as possible and to ensure that this waste does not reach the customer. The next goal will be to generate as little waste as possible, little by little ;)

Obviously we have a long way to go to be a 100% sustainable company , but at least we consider what to do every day to be able to improve each of our processes.

And speaking of improvements, this is not the last thing we will do at Minimalism with plastics. Stay tuned, on Monday, September 30th we will launch two new products, totally aligned with what we talked about in this post . As always, we will launch it exclusively for subscribers for 24 hours, with some surprises included.

If you have any questions or want to ask something, you can write to us at hola@minimalism.es, we usually reply within 24 hours.

September 26, 2019