Why We Started Prose
Sustainability goes hand in hand with customization. That’s to say they’re both core to Prose’s DNA. Our made-to-order production model already sets us apart from more traditional brands because we’re not overproducing and therefore needlessly creating excess waste.
In fact up to 40% of mass-produced beauty and personal care products go unsold and end up in landfills, which not only generates waste but contributes needlessly to CO2 emissions. Because we are purposeful about our production we’re not pumping more waste into an already broken system.
We’re proud to be an active part of the solution, but that doesn’t mean we don’t have more room for more improvement. Here’s how we vow to continue innovating—not just for the consumer, but also for the planet.
The Problem Facing the Beauty Industry Today
Simply put, recycling is broken. National Geographic reports that out of the 8.3 billion metric tons of plastic that has been produced, 6.3 billion metric tons has become plastic waste. Of that only about 9% of plastic produced has been recycled. And at this most crucial time for the environment, the situation continues to worsen. New international trade laws have impacted the chances that recyclable plastic is actually being recycled or dealt with responsibly. We’ve taken notice of this growing issue and are changes to do our part in becoming even more sustainable.
Our Current Wins and Ongoing Goals
We’ve taken a deep look at our practices and have come up with a few objectives we’d like to hit as a company. Two big ones being transparency and accountability. In order to track our progress, we’re excited to share three wins and also three goals that we’re currently working towards.
Three Wins
1. No Overproduction
Hair care that’s customized and made-to-order for each person means no excess waste. You can be sure this will never change. It’s core to who we are.
2. Reducing Excess Packaging
For returning Prose customers, there is now an easy way to opt out of receiving new pumps with your order so that you can reuse your existing pumps.
3. Repurposing Production Goods
We’re always looking for ways for any leftover materials from our production process to be repurposed. We recently donated post-industrial materials, like our pallets and boxes, to build an adventure playground in Brooklyn, NY.
Three Goals
1. Greener, Better, More Ethical Formulas.
Our ingredients are all sourced from suppliers or distributors located in Europe where testing on animals has been banned since 2013, so we’re happy to say we’re 100% cruelty-free. However, even though we require detailed information on the sourcing and production of the ingredients, some suppliers are not as transparent as we’d like them to be, which is a huge issue for us. That’s why we’ve pledged to become tougher on our suppliers and to hold them accountable.
That being said, we’re proud of the positive social and environmental impact our ingredients have around the world. For example, our argan oil comes from women’s cooperatives that focus on improving working conditions and generating additional income. Additionally, our ungurahui oil is sourced from the Amazon in a method that aids in the fight against deforestation. You can learn more about our other sustainable oils here.
Finally, you can rest assured that we will continue our no nasties promise. By nasties we mean ingredients that raise proven health, ethical, or environmental concerns.
2. Not just 100% recyclable, but 100% recycled
Currently, our bottles are 100% recyclable, but by 2020 the goal is not to introduce virgin plastics into our production process. That means we will make them from recycled bottles and/or other recycled plastics and ensure they are actually recycled.
3. Become a carbon-neutral company
We have a long road ahead of us to become a carbon-neutral company, and we’re working towards zero-waste. This means offsetting our carbon emissions and updating our production processes to ensure sustainability from start to finish.
Keep an eye out for our official Prose progress card so you can easily track any new goals that we set and so you can help us celebrate the ones that we complete. Also, check out this Medium article written by our CEO Arnaud Plas for an in-depth look at the high sustainability ambitions we’ve set for Prose.