How We Took The Plastic Out Of Our Shipping Process

One of Upfront’s calling cards is our Plastic Free Promise. It makes sense that by removing the water from shampoo and conditioner, you no longer have any need for a plastic bottle. But did you know that our entire shipping process happens to be plastic-free as well? From start to finish, not one iota of plastic is used.

Naturally, the foundation of our plastic-free promise is our product boxes.

Health Canada prohibits cosmetics to be sold without packaging, both for sanitary reasons and to be sure the product info remains accessible. All of our product packaging is fully recyclable, from the shampoo & conditioner boxes, to the hair masque bags, to the craft paper that we wrap our soap dishes in.

If you’re a longtime Upfront fan, you may remember your order coming in a black, compostable mailer.

While we loved the idea of a fully compostable shipping solution, the mailers didn’t provide enough structure to the parcel to keep the bars safe and sound. Instead, we switched to sturdy, crush-tested shipping boxes.

While they may not be compostable, they are recyclable. Or, if you’re like me, you could save your shipping boxes all year to use for gifts over the holidays. 

While many companies have gorgeously designed, colourful, personalized mailer boxes, we keep it simple. Even our gift boxes are printed on plain craft paper.

Fancy boxes, with all their colours and finishes, are often more difficult to recycle. You’ll still know it’s from us, because we take time to stamp each box with our logo. 

Inside your parcel, you’ll find your bars nestled safely in packing peanuts. But don’t fear, because they’re not your grandma’s packing peanuts! Rather than the classic styrofoam variety, ours are made from potato starch, which makes them 100% biodegradable. If you compost, throw them in alongside the banana peels & meal scraps. If not, they actually dissolve in water! You can rinse them right down the sink.

To save as much paper as possible, you won’t find a packing slip with your order. What you will find is one of our custom cards (recyclable of course) that tells you how many bottles you saved with your order, and proudly proclaims that we plant a tree for every single order. Each one is then signed by the person who packed your order, for that personal touch. You might even find a craft paper sticker included in your order as a little extra gift! 

Once your order has been fulfilled, tucked in safely with peanuts and your “bottles saved” card, we can tape it up. Of course, we don’t use any old plastic tape. Our colourful paper tape, printed with our logo, has its own special dispenser that moistens it and cuts it to size. It can be recycled right along with the box.

Now that your parcel is sealed up, it’s ready for the shipping label. We print these in house on a special label printer, so we never have to use plastic tape to affix the shipping label. 

And that’s it! Your plastic-free order is on its way to you!