![Tr[1]be](https://onetribeglobal.com/wp-content/uploads/listing-uploads/avatars/2019/11/tr1be-logo-2.png){kind=logo}
Eco-conscious toiletry brand The Somerset Toiletry Company share their incredible journey with us as we dig into the details about how their sustainable soaps and soaks are changing the planet…
The Somerset Toiletry Company makes luxurious eco-conscious, and sustainable toiletries with an affordable price tag. They are passionate about creating valuable and affordable products that everyone can enjoy. Most importantly, the team have recently set their eyes on making the brand as sustainable as possible.
Somerset Toiletry Co. have implemented several necessary actions to achieve their oath to sustainability, including partnering with us at One Tribe to save rainforests. The brand has been further recognised for their work with sustainability receiving numerous awards and accolades, including the Queen’s Award for Enterprise.
Keep reading to learn more about the business and its journey to implementing sustainable practices.
The Somerset Toiletry company was established in 1999 by the husband-and-wife team, Roger and Sakina Buoy. Roger is a serial entrepreneur, while Sakina is an aromatherapy expert. Together, they make the ideal team to deliver valuable toiletry products for customers to enjoy.
They noticed a gap in the market for beautiful and luxurious sustainable toiletries that were fairly priced. So they set out to rectify this with their brand, and their ethos has remained the same since day one: to create products that everyone can enjoy!
They produce their own branded toiletries which contain formulations and designs which are created in-house in addition to private label lines for leading retail groups worldwide. Somerset Toiletry Company has a strong global reputation, shipping products to over 50 countries from their modest Somerset base.
They have a range of collections to choose from as well as a bundle of items perfect for gifting! Their product line includes body care, hand care, fragrances, and sustainable homewares. Now, they are committed to providing people with valuable products that have less of an impact on the planet.
Once Roger and Sakina managed to get the products to the level they wanted, they began to move their focus toward making their processes and products as sustainable as possible. They have been incredibly successful with this so far and are definitely a sustainable hero in this industry.
You’re probably curious about how The Somerset Toiletry Company incorporated sustainability into their business model while overseeing a product line already in production. When it came to making sustainable change, the team analysed every stage of their production to pinpoint specifically where they could make a difference.
One significant difference they made was in their packaging. The business is committed to cutting out plastic and has managed to get its packaging to contain at least 50% recycled materials.
In addition, this year, they added refillable bags to their line so customers can simply buy refills and fill up their current empties. These refills have 75% less plastic, so they are an excellent way for returning customers to cut down on their personal carbon footprint.
When packaging orders, they use Biofil packaging, which is made using corn starch and is completely non-toxic. The best part? It dissolves in water and can be easily composted meaning waste is kept to a bare minimum. The Somerset Toiletry Company is aware that most products come in plastic packaging in the beauty industry and are difficult to recycle. So they took the opportunity to step up to the mark and make a positive difference- even if it was just a first step.
Packaging is an area where a toiletry or beauty brand can make a huge difference when it comes to not contributing towards the 120 billion units of packaging waste produced each year. Packaging is at the top of Somerset Toiletry Co.’s agenda, and they are keeping their ear to the ground for all the latest technological and industry advances to improve this area of their business.
When it comes to the parts of their packaging that cannot be easily recycled, they educate customers on their website about how to dispose of them. In addition, they have a packaging icon glossary which informs customers what packaging is recyclable.
The Somerset Toiletry Company is also dedicated to sourcing the highest-quality ingredients possible to create incredible formulations and fragrances. They are very transparent about the ingredients they use in their products and use natural extracts wherever they can. Their bestselling collection, Naturally European, is entirely SLS and paraben-free.
None of The Somerset Toiletry Company’s products are tested on animals. They conduct all testing in-house to avoid all forms of animal cruelty. For this reason also, they do not sell any products in China.
Every year, The Somerset Toiletry Company brings out new products and reviews their existing collections based on both industry trends and customer feedback. They are constantly assessing their operations and the ways they can improve to provide the best possible products to customers that have as little impact on the planet as possible.
A great feature on the brands website is their product categorisation in support of sustainable causes. Customers can shop for products based on how sustainable they are. For example, they have a section that features all their plastic-free products and another for all their vegan products. The Somerset Toiletry Company also launched its Ministry of Soap collection, which is supplied from a soap manufacturing facility a couple miles down the road from their main office.
This makes a huge difference in limiting travel and supply chain costs that would otherwise contribute to climate change. It also reassures consumers that all the soaps are made in Somerset, which is of significant importance to the brand.
When Roger and Sakina set out to make a more sustainably conscious effort with their products, they achieved this by reviewing factors that were causing negative impact.
They switched to using ingredients like segregated sustainable palm oil certified by RSPO, which ensures the palm oil is only sourced from areas where native wildlife and communities are not threatened. The soaps were packaged in recyclable packaging, are naturally dyed, and then scented with only fine fragrances or essential oils that were sustainably sourced.
In addition to manufacturing its products in Somerset, the company fosters a great work culture, and their team is incredibly passionate because they LOVE these products. The business provides a great work environment for its team and credits a lot of its success to them.
Additionally, the business is very much a part of their local community, assisting a range of charities. One of which is BillyChip, a unique, safe, and secure platform that enables the public to donate directly to the homeless without fear of the donation being misused for alcohol or drugs. The charity actually has an office at Somerset Toiletry Company’s headquarters, and they also donate to local charities and provide products for various fundraising initiatives.
The Somerset Toiletry Company has also recently opened their Soap Bar Café, a place where The members of the community and customers can come in to try out their products and have a cup of tea or a snack (We can’t wait to go!). In the café, they use all local products, including milk from the Farmhouse Dairy Somerset situated in the Chew Valley. They also serve cider brewed in the village of Clutton, Proper Drop. In addition, they have a range of gluten-free and vegetarian options on their menu to suit people’s dietary requirements. The café also has a stunning outdoor area where community members can come and enjoy nature. Being a part of the community and manufacturing their products in Somerset is incredibly important to the business, and one that sets them apart from many larger corporations.
Another important action Somerset Toiletry Company has taken is partnering with us at One Tribe. This means when customers buy products from them, a percentage of the proceeds go towards funding conservation projects within the Amazon that focus on the protection of threatened rainforests.
We see sustainability as the crux of business success and are excited to work with The Somerset Toiletry Company to make an even greater climate impact. The rainforests are the lungs of our planet, and therefore, the most natural solution to fighting climate change is utilizing the rainforest to continuously remove and store carbon from our atmosphere.
The best part about the One Tribe partnership programme is how effortless it is for the business and its customers. They do not need to set aside funds to donate; a portion of the funds are taken out and distributed to our conservation partners from any sales made online.
We couldn’t be more thrilled to have The Somerset Toiletry Company as a new partner. One Tribe will be working with them to protect Amazonian rainforests, indigenous communities, endangered species, and biodiverse habitats. We are already so impressed by their current sustainability efforts and look forward to helping them bring their sustainability offering to the next level.
If you’re looking to reduce your business’ carbon footprint or want to be part of the solution by protecting rainforests, contact us at One Tribe to become a partner.
Together, we can make a significant difference, protect threatened rainforests, wildlife, and empower indigenous communities.
sustainable soaps, sustainable soaps and soaks, sustainable toiletries, sustainable toiletry brand, ethical toiletries, ethical toiletry brands, how to make ethical soaps, how can improve my supply chain, how can improve my supply chain toiletries, how to make ethical soap, ethical hand soaps, eco-friendly soaps, eco-friendly hand soaps, eco-friendly toiletries, what is billy chip, companies that produce their products locally
One Tribe is a Climate Action Platform enabling businesses and their customers to make a positive environmental impact.
