What Are Carbon Neutral Deliveries? How We've Made All of Our Shipping Carbon Neutral
As part of our commitment to being industry leaders when it comes to sustainability, we're excited to say that we now offer carbon neutral shipping!
Here's what that means, and how it works.
What is Carbon Neutral Shipping?
Every delivery emits some carbon dioxide, you can't really change that.
Depending on the distance traveled, the mode of transport, the weight of the parcel, and various other factors, the amount of CO2 that's emitted can vary. This is one of the main reasons that the beauty industry has such a large carbon footprint.
How Does Carbon Neutral Shipping Work?
To make shipping carbon neutral, you need to offset the carbon emissions by doing things that help to reduce carbon in the atmosphere. This could include:
- Planting trees and other flora to absorb CO2 in the air and turn it into oxygen
- Investing in new technologies that take CO2 out of the air and store it ready to use as renewable energy later
To make our shipping carbon neutral, we've implemented a helpful Shopify app which assesses the carbon emissions from each individual order based on its weight, how far it has to travel from us to you, and the delivery method. Based on that information, we pay a sum which is invested into technology which removes CO2 from the atmosphere and is stored to be used in the future as a source of renewable energy.
Back when we launched this plan, we were shipping all Canadian orders from our UK based warehouse, so they all went by plane and were then driven to all of you. Since then (in February 2023), we've opened a warehouse in the States, so your parcels are already better for the environment in terms of the initial carbon emissions caused, but we still pay that monthly sum to ensure that each and every delivery is carbon neutral!
What Else Has London Lash Done to Help the Environment?
Like we say, we're really committed to being as environmentally friendly as we possibly can be. In the last few years, we have:
- Replaced as much of our plastic packaging with glass bottles as possible, which can be easily recycled and don't emit toxins when discarded in landfill. We're also phasing out the plastic wrap on all of our Lash Prep
- Switched from plastic to cardboard lash trays in 2018. We discovered that the magnet and UV printing on those trays rendered the trays un-recyclable though, so while much better for the environment than hard plastic, they weren't quite perfect! Since then, we've switched all of our lash boxes to a matchbox design with no magnets or spot UV printing, making them completely recyclable!
- Switched from polystyrene packing peanuts to starch-based packing peanuts that dissolve in water. We also wrap products in paper rather than bubble wrap whenever possible, and we ship everything in cardboard boxes or recyclable or compostable mailer bags wherever possible.
- Swapped the plastic bags that keep your brushes and lash extensions trays clean on the way to you for a plant-based alternative – check your lash trays the next time you get them, they have some extra info printed on them!
- Introduced reusable stainless steel handles and disposable brush heads in place of completely disposable mascara wands and lip applicators, which reduces plastic waste by around 80% compared to using completely disposable versions.
We're always searching for innovative ways to reduce our environmental impact and dependence on single-use plastics, and we're excited to see where sustainability goes in the future for London Lash!
