Plastic Free July is a global movement aimed at helping people everywhere be part of solving the issue of plastic pollution. To drive awareness of the movement, ONB’s latest sustainability spotlight looks at a New Brunswick business doing its part to reduce global plastic waste.

Many New Brunswick companies take environmental stewardship seriously and have made sustainability a central tenet of their operations. For Lower Norton’s Bubbles & Balms, makers of bath, body, and personal care products for dry and sensitive skin, that has meant reducing its use of plastic and moving towards sustainable products and packaging solutions.

Co-founder Justin Sweeney says that for him and his wife/co-founder Judith, the birth of the couple’s first child increased interest in a more sustainable future. “It prompted some soul searching; we were now thinking more about the future and what we leave behind for our children and their children,” he says. “It’s a stewardship mindset. It was always there from the business’ inception but took on increased importance at that point.”

Going Plastic Free

Initially using both plastic and glass as packaging options, Bubbles & Balms has transitioned to paper-based compostable packaging in recent years. “We’ve gone full paper – paper wraps, paperboard boxes, paperboard jars, ‘nude’ packaging (packaging that exposes some or all the product) and have added aluminum, an easily recyclable material.”

Sweeney says another key to its environmentally friendly approach was the creation of solid versions of formerly liquid products like shampoo. “It’s interesting to start measuring your impact with some of these changes. For example, one of our 75g shampoo bars offsets about one litre of liquid shampoo. A standard shampoo bottle is about 250ml, so a shampoo bar like ours will often offset two to three bottles,” he says. “And it’s not just that, look at water content. Liquid shampoo is roughly 90 to 93% water, that’s a lot of water that needs packaging and shipping. There’s a broader sustainability play here. This is why we’ve seen an explosion of concentrated products over the last decade. Whether it’s concentrated tab cleaners or bathing products, the water is already part of the end process so why bottle and ship more of it?”

Bubbles & Balms knows its consumers are looking for eco-friendly products but recognizes there is still a need to balance the environmental impact with other factors. “When you have product A and B on a shelf, and one is clearly the more sustainable product, many people are now going to choose it,” says Sweeney. “From what I’ve seen, however, very few people are willing to sacrifice much. It still needs to be a high-quality product and experience.”

Sustainable Shipping

Bubbles & Balms even uses paper-based tapes. Sweeney says the company uses fitted mailers so that its cardboard boxes are fitted so that no additional tape is needed. “We also encourage consumers to buy in bulk by offering more bulk discounts and raising our free shipping trigger above the industry average,” he says. “Ideally, consumers shop directly with a local retailer or buy bulk quantities online rather than one or two items. We still don’t sell through many listed marketplaces simply because we’re trying to limit how many single items need to be shipped.” He says the company also leverages Shopify Planet, the Canadian e-commerce giant’s carbon-neutral shipping initiative.

Sustainability Advice for New Brunswick Businesses 

Sweeney says companies interested in becoming more sustainable should leverage their supply chain partners’ expertise and ask good questions. “For us, it’s been about asking existing suppliers for new options. Asking about items that are a bit more sustainable, how recyclable is this or that product, etc. We’ve also worked with ONB on finding more local supply chain partners who may be able to offset some of the things we were procuring outside the province. Consider your options because virtually every time we look at a more sustainable option, it has been the cost-efficient one. I’ve talked to other business owners who agree and have seen real ROI from renewable options, greener packaging, etc.”

He also feels more businesses could benefit from re-thinking their approach to packaging. “If you ask many consumers, I think you’ll find most want less packaging. Retailers and consumers still have this mentality that says excessive, ornate packaging has upsell value. That a fancy bag over a fancy box with all the bells and whistles means higher quality goods, an indicator of superior value. I’d like to see us move away from that mindset.”

Bubbles & Balms offers a branded line of sensitive skin-friendly products made in New Brunswick. Find its retail partners and learn more about the company at https://www.bubblesandbalms.ca/apps/store-locator.

New Brunswick-based businesses beginning their sustainability journey or who wish to find local supply chain partners, can connect with ONB. Our team serves as your trusted business advisors and partners in growth, and we are ready to help.