I’ve done my best to try and assess the impact that my everyday choices make on the planet. It’s a lot of research work, and part of the reason I wanted to start this blog was to give more people access to research that will help them make a difference too.
While transparency in supply chain lines is growing, I’ve realized that a lot of the money we pay to big corporations fund exorbitant executive salaries, and the top 1% create double the CO2 emissions than the lowest-earning 50%.
Truly the best way to make an impact is to shop small. Find people who have missions that align with your own and spend your money supporting them.
So, to kick off this new series, I thought I would share some info on the wonderful plastic-free shampoo and conditioner bars I’ve been using for the past year.
I started using shampoo bars in my years as a digital nomad. No worrying about shampoo leaking on your clothes or camera, and you can pack 3 months of shampoo inside an empty shoe.
Jack59 was founded by Vanessa Marshall in 2015. Living in Edmonton, she was on her way to becoming a dentist when she became obsessed with finding a plastic-free shampoo and conditioner that worked as well as salon-quality products.
Shampoo Bars Made from Quality Ingredients
Sourcing ethical ingredients is a big part of the companies initiative, and they have a waste-free and almost totally plastic-free production process. Founder Vanessa always looks for ingredients grown as close to home (and manufacturing) as possible, which is a huge reduction in carbon footprint for manufacturing.
She answered my email on questions regarding sourcing stating –
“We want our ingredients to be cruelty-free so we source plant-based ingredients that have not been tested on animals. We source local plants and botanicals whenever possible which often means I pick them myself from my parents’ garden including calendula and peppermint. Our goal is to be carbon neutral by the end of 2022 so we have to take every ingredient’s journey into consideration.”
Jack59 is not the only cosmetics company that is sourcing ingredients close to home. The founder of Bite Beauty recently launched a new venture and lives on the 51.8-acre farm she sources ingredients from. All the more reason to pay attention to Urban Agriculture.
We are far from perfect in our processes, but as we grow and learn, we change and adapt new processes and incorporate new research.
Vanessa Marshall
How Big is the Environmental Impact?
The biggest noticeable impact for consumers is plastic waste. Each shampoo bar replaces 3 plastic bottles, and each conditioner bar replaces up to 5. Because there’s no water to be transported, you also save emissions on transportation. And by the end of 2022, the business will be totally carbon neutral, so there will be no environmental impacts for product sourcing and manufacturing.
Advice From Vanessa Marshall
What would you tell yourself if you could talk to 2015 Vanessa?
I would tell her to have faith in her gut feelings and be proud of her values.
How have flexible hours and diverse hiring practices grown your business?
By offering flexibility we are able to retain staff members that could find it challenging to hold a conventional position. It reduces the amount of training hours and lost production hours by not offering defined roles. We all cover for each other when a team member needs to be away which also adds a real belonging feeling to being a member of Jack59. Staff morale is higher which increases production and overall pride in their work which means we each have a responsibility and pride in quality control of our products going out to our supporters.
What’s a goal you crushed that you thought was totally unattainable when you started your business?
We have accomplished so much with the help of so many people. We have a new warehouse, an amazing team of women and we are becoming a global brand. We did a huge pivot at the beginning of the COVID pandemic to include paper packaging and it was a challenge to stick to our values. Local packaging is more expensive but we just added it straight into our budget and now we have amazing branding and packaging including our compostable shower container designed and manufactured in our city.
My Jack59 Experience
No, this post is not sponsored content. I actually just love this brand. After using both shampoos and conditioners form the line (mostly energize and serenity) and my hair is lighter and has more body to it. The conditioner is easy to rinse out and doesn’t weigh down fine hair.
I also always look for ways to support other amazing women, so if you know of a business I should cover, let me know in the comments below!
