Doing our bit to create sustainable skincare and supplements
Since she founded the brand, Jeuneora’s CEO Monique Kaminski has always had her eye on operating as a sustainable skincare and supplement company, “Being a sustainable business has always been important to me, so when I started Jeuneora with a Marine Collagen product in 2016 I asked myself what my non-negotiables were: to formulate and manufacture locally and to use sustainably-sourced marine collagen (a by-product of the fishing industry) as my hero ingredient.”
Since then Mon has made continual tweaks and improvements to make sure Jeuneora is not only a sustainable skincare and supplements brand, but also an ethical skincare and supplements brand.
Our commitment to sustainable skincare and supplements
Sustainability isn’t just a buzz word for us. It’s something that we actually do - because it’s the right thing to do! We’re not 100% there yet (is anyone ever?!) but we’re continually working to do better. Most importantly, we’re always more than happy to share with you exactly where we’re at on the journey as an environmentally conscious skincare and supplements brand, because transparency helps empower customers to choose brands that align with their values.
What does sustainability mean in the skincare and beauty and wellness industry?
The beauty and wellness industry has had increasing scrutiny put on its sustainability measures over the past few years - for good reason! More and more consumers are wanting to purchase eco-friendly skincare and beauty products, but many types of skincare and supplements packaging are not actually able to be recycled or reused. It doesn’t just stop at packaging though - ensuring that supply chains are sustainable and ethical is a huge piece of the puzzle. Read on to find out what we’re doing to address some of these pressing issues.
I’m Green™ plastic supplement packaging
Most plastic is made from non-renewable raw materials such as oil or natural gas. The extraction of these materials, along with the process of converting it into plastic, releases carbon into the atmosphere which adds to climate change.
This is why we switched to I’m Green™ plastic for our supplement containers in late 2020. This incredible plastic is made from 100% sugarcane. Unlike the raw materials for traditional plastic, sugarcane is a renewable resource making it a much more sustainable option for packaging. It also has a climate-positive carbon footprint because sugarcane helps remove CO2 from the air as it grows. The containers are also 100% recyclable.
Why we’re not giving up on plastic
We know, we know. Plastic has a bad rap and it’s not the first material you think of when it comes to sustainable supplement packaging. However, it’s not quite the bad boy of the packaging world that it’s made out to be...
Before making the switch to sugarcane plastic for our supplement containers, we spent many months researching different types of sustainable packaging to understand the pros and cons of the options available to us. Here’s a very brief recap:
- Traditional HDPE plastic is super light which lowers freight cost and carbon footprint, it’s food safe and readily recycled. However: it’s generally made from non-renewable resources e.g oil and although it’s accepted in nearly all curbside recycling, we know that about 40% of recyclable plastic isn’t recycled.
- Glass is easily & readily recyclable and food-grade safe. However: it’s very heavy which increases freight cost and carbon footprint. It’s nearly always shipped ready-made from overseas which also increases freight cost and carbon footprint. It’s made from sand - a rapidly shrinking resource and it breaks easily which results in food wastage and safety issues in transit.
- Cardboard tubes or paper poachers are not food-grade safe due to oxygen transfer. To guarantee shelf life, cardboard must be lined with plastic, foil or tin which then turns it into a completely non-recyclable mixed material.
Our skincare packaging
This is where things get a bit more tricky! Unfortunately we’re unable to use I’m Green™ plastic for our skincare packaging. Instead we use 20% to 50% post consumer recycled plastic wherever possible in our skincare packaging, alongside traditional virgin plastic. We also offer our free Jeuneora Recycling Programme to our customers, because our skincare packaging (like most others) isn’t recyclable curbside. Click here to find out more about the Jeuneora Recycling Programme.
We’re also investigating new ways to make more eco-friendly skincare packaging in the future. This includes offering refills for selected products and increasing the amount of post consumer recycled plastic in our packaging.
Investing in recycling
We offer our customers a free-to-use guaranteed recycling programme so none of your Jeuneora empties need ever see a landfill. We take your empty packaging to create raw material that’s then turned into useful things like children’s playgrounds and outdoor furniture. Want to get involved? It’s easy for you to join our zero waste skincare and supplement movement - simply grab a free Jeuneora Return Bag from our online store with your next order, collect your empties until the bag is full and if you're in New Zealand, drop it off at your local post office, or if you're in Australia, contact DHL Express to organise a pick up free of charge. Click here to grab a free Jeuneora Return Bag. Only available in New Zealand and Australia.
Responsible sourcing and manufacturing
We believe responsible sourcing and manufacturing is a crucial, but often overlooked aspect, when operating as an ethical skincare and supplements company.
We carefully vet any suppliers and manufacturers that we work with to make sure they adhere to the highest standards when it comes to sustainability and protecting their employees through fair and safe labour practices. We’re proud to use fish skin (a by-product of the fishing industry that would otherwise go to waste) in our Marine Collagen supplements. Our manufacturers are all GMP/MPI certified to ensure the highest standards of quality and safety.
Supporting local
By supporting local where we can, we not only support our local economy, we also reduce shipping and therefore our carbon footprint.
All of our supplements and skincare products are manufactured right here in New Zealand. We source 85% of our ingredients through New Zealand-based suppliers, although a large portion of our ingredients are sourced from overseas because local sourcing unfortunately isn’t available. All of our sustainable supplement packaging is made right here in New Zealand and all of our cardboard packaging is made in New Zealand.
Instead of sourcing from overseas, we are working to identify more New Zealand companies to source Jeuneora Collective Loyalty Programme gifts and merchandise for our store. Got an idea of a small business we should partner with? Drop us a line.
We say no to animal testing
We believe ethical skincare can’t be tested on animals… so we don’t do it. Ever! We are proud to be a Leaping Bunny approved skincare brand, the internationally recognisable gold standard for cruelty free products.
Supporting women, children and the environment through charitable giving
One of our goals at Jeuneora was always to be able to regularly support causes and communities beyond our supply chain. This is why we were so proud to launch Jeuneora Giving in 2021, so we can give $1 from every order to one of three charities that are close to our hearts - and you get to choose where it goes!
SPCA
SPCA help protect over 31,000 animals in New Zealand every year - animals who are sick, injured, abused or simply abandoned. Your $1 will help SPCA give sanctuary to animals in distress and re-home suitable animals whenever possible. Click here to find out more about SPCA.
KidsCan
KidsCan believe that education is a child’s ticket out of poverty, and gives them the opportunity for a better future. Your $1 will help KidsCan provide the essentials to Kiwi kids affected by poverty so they can participate in learning and have an opportunity for a better future. Click here to find out more about KidsCan.
Women's Refuge
Every night, across Aotearoa, more than 200 women and children are too afraid to stay at home due to family violence. Your $1 will help Women's Refuge supports these women and children by offering practical support like safe nights of accommodation, food, and other essentials. They also offer counselling, budgeting assistance and confidential help and advice through their 24-hour crisis-line. Click here to find out more about Women's Refuge.
Learn more about our sustainability initiatives
