Why We're Minimalist About Plastic

Reducing plastic waste was a priority from the first moment that I considered how STORIES would be packaged and presented. Right up there with creating a beautiful, impactive design that would make using the products a pleasure.  

While it was crucial to protect the products during transit - from shop to home or via mail - I was determined to minimise the amount of plastic required to do so. Recently Highly Commended for Best Sustainable Packaging - Fragrance in the Marie Claire UK Sustainability Awards 2021, I'd say we succeeded.

Of course it doesn't stop there. These principles and ethos would be applied to every element of production. With sustainability at the heart of STORIES since day one, certain boxes had to be ticked.

I'd like to share the story of 5 steps we have taken towards this - and our motivation for doing so...

 

1. GLASS EAU DE PARFUM BOTTLES

STORIES Eau de Parfum comes in Refillable, Reusable and Recyclable glass bottles, supplied with a pipette for refilling at home. A 15ml and 30ml are the perfect size for on the go and can be refilled from the larger 100ml bottle. If you choose not to refill, the bottles can be used ornamentally or repurposed as a pretty bud vase.

2. RECYCLABLE BOTTLE CAPS

Our new Eau de Parfum caps are made from Zamak, a 100% recyclable heavy-touch, luxurious material. This highly resistant alloy is 100% infinitely reusable and does not lose any properties during the recycling process. You can now enjoy a 10% discount on your next purchase by returning your used perfume cap, neck and bottle. See our T&Cs on how to proceed with a return.

3. CELLOPHANE-FREE ROCK PAPER LABELS

Our fragrance labels are made with matt white calcium carbonate derived from 80% marble mining waste together with recycled 20% HDPE - in keeping with the conventional recycling stream. Unlike wood paper, our rock paper labels don't have a grain, but a silky smooth finish. 

We do not put plastic cellophane over any of our perfume labels.

4. CELLOPHANE-FREE PAPER BOXES

Our repurposable Eau de Parfum boxes are made from certified FSC paper.

FSC certification ensures that products come from responsibly managed forests that provide environmental, social and economic benefits. 

We have reduced the level of protective plastic coating on our boxes and do not cover them with cellophane.

5. PLASTIC-FREE PACKAGING

Online purchases from our website are beautifully packaged in sustainable cardboard and shredded paper. We keep our packaging to a minimum - just enough to protect our perfume bottles in transit.

WHAT'S NEXT?

While we have begun refining this process with our perfume packaging, our next project will be looking at how our Hand & Body collection is packaged. Although the Hand & Body products already come in recyclable plastic, we are always looking for ways to do things better. The reason that we approach this process in stages is that as an independently owned and financed brand, we need to take things slowly - and sustainably!  

Pioneering sustainability in perfumery has been woven into the narrative of STORIES Parfums since we first launched - and we endeavour to continue proactively reducing our carbon footprint going forward.

A sustainable ethos infiltrates our brand culture and every last detail is considered, as we strive to be ethical and transparent in every element of the business. If you have any suggestions on how we can improve this further, we would love to hear from you. We are on a journey and not completely there yet; as we replenish and scale, we are committed to continually assessing our sustainability measures.

Read more about our sustainability measures, refillable bottles and Reduce, Reuse, Recycle campaign here.

THIS MONTH...

...we're delighted to be included in the Sustainable Beauty Edit by one of our prestige retailers, Fenwick.

...enjoy our new #MyScentStories series - we'd love to hear yours too!