We've previously mentioned that before we started Fern x Flow, we thoughtfully considered the environmental impact our business would have. With that in mind, we let our desire to be both sustainable and eco-friendly guide our soy candle business and help us make important business decisions including materials, suppliers, new products, packaging, shipping and delivery options and more.
Fern x Flow aims to be as green and sustainable as possible in every aspect of our business. Here's how we're making a difference:
- It begins by choosing only all natural and sustainably-grown USA soy wax in all our candles. Soy beans are a natural and renewable resource, unlike petroleum, which is used to make paraffin wax. Most candles in retail stores are paraffin or a blend of paraffin and soy. Our candles are made from 100% soy wax - not a soy blend, but 100% soy wax.
Keeping this in mind, our supplier of soy wax, fragrance oils, wicks and about 75% of our materials are shipped Carbon Neutral. This means that any carbon produced while delivering supplies is then offset by our supplier, who purchases credits to offset 100% of the carbon produced. This is achieved by supporting projects that either prevent CO2 from being released or actively remove it from our atmosphere. Learn more, here.
- Significantly reduce or eliminate the use of plastics all together. We understand consumers want less plastic and less waste, so do we, and so does the Earth. Our packaging consists of fully-recyclable glass jars and metal lids, and our labels are paper.
When shipping your orders, we use recyclable boxes, provided by the USPS, that are made with post-consumer waste, and also part of the Sustainable Forestry Initiative.
Within the last few months, we have started using a recyclable, kraft paper to wrap and protect your candles during shipping and delivery. Sometimes, we‘ll also use packing peanuts to further protect your orders. These peanuts are completely biodegradable, and will dissolve in water or can be thrown into a compost bin or pile.
In the coming weeks, we will be releasing new products that will also be completely free of plastic packaging. We believe that companies have a responsibility to provide consumers with plastic-free packaging options, and are proud to stand by this as we expand.
We encourage all customers to recycle their jars or up-cycle them into new uses. We're also working on a local, jar recycling program for later in 2021.
- Only naturally-derived, plant-based cleaners are used to wash and clean our jars. Every single glass jar is hand-washed using Seventh Generation Free and Clear dish liquid before being used as a vessel for our 100% soy wax candles. In addition, prior to packing and shipping all orders, we wipe down every candle with Seventh Generation Disinfecting Multi-Surface Cleaner.
- We offer same day local delivery for customers throughout Woburn and the surrounding communities within 15 miles. When we make local deliveries to our customers, we package and deliver as many orders as possible in each trip to reduce emissions from our delivery vehicle.
- Part of our mission is to give back 5% of all our sales to eco-friendly organizations who help protect natural resources including national parks, public and private lands, bodies of water and waterways, among others, but also the plants and animals that live within this areas.
In January, of this year, we made our first donation to MassWildlife's Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program. Read about our first donation, here.
We will continue making donations on a quarterly basis. Our next donation will be announced in April for the previous three months' sales. Be sure to follow us on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook to hear our announcement.