This is the 3rd post in our Keaper Survey 2024 Review Series.
9/10!
That's how high Keapers rated sustainability as a key feature of our candles.
When looking at which aspects were most important, these were the five main themes that came up, ranked in order:
- Packaging
- Reusable Glass Containers
- Sustainable Wax and Ingredients
- Overall Business Practices
- Local Production and Shipping Practices
Digging a Little Deeper
This list reads to me as fairly obvious and an accurate reflection of where we have been spending our energy. However, I didn't expect packaging to be such an overwhelming standout, as evidenced by the striking word cloud below.
"Packaging" was by far the most mentioned area of sustainability
I am grateful for Keapers' support in making us leaders in this space. We were early to remove all plastic from our packaging soon after our initial Kickstarter. We were Ecovative's first steady buyer of mushroom packaging. We have sought to continuously improve, and to make it easy for you to know how to dispose of your packaging.
Yet there is still much, much more that we want to do.
Looking Ahead on Packaging
Our long-term aim is to get as close as possible to full circularity. We've chosen to prioritize compostability, while aiming for both compostability and recyclability where possible. (Many serious sustainable packaging experts think recycling should be prioritized, and it's an interesting debate. Let me know if you want to hear more about our point of view on this.)
These are the packaging elements that we will be focusing on in the year ahead:
1. Mushroom Packaging
We temporarily lost our source, but we have a pathway to getting it back with a new domestic partner in 2025.
2. Better Communication of Packaging Standards + Algae Ink
Most of our packaging is paper-based, and we have an opportunity to harmonize our sourcing. For example, some of our cardboard is currently FSC-certified, and some isn't. We want to work to bring all of it to our highest existing standard.
Speaking of certifications, sometimes Keapers have no way of seeing them on the box. We want to address that!
Lastly, we have been trying for a long time to get our corrugate suppliers to use algae ink, which is carbon negative and compostable. We are getting closer!
Mushroom packaging keeping the candle nice and cozy
Other Sustainability Plans
Let's check in on some of our other big sustainability priorities.
1. Glass Returns Program
Last year, we shared an update that we were working on a v2 of our candleholder return program, where subscribers could send back their glasses to be reused.
While we made some progress, we had to deprioritize this initiative this year in order to work on the next point in this list. The real challenge we are trying to solve is how to clean out these glasses at a bigger scale. We have narrowed down our ideas, but we haven't yet had the chance to build that system out. The strong demand that came out of the survey reinforces our desire to make this a 2025 priority.
2. New Scents and Ingredient Transparency
We have an exciting announcement in the works on this, and here's a brief teaser: This December, we're launching the first scent in our new collection! It smells wonderful—but beyond that, we get to share much more with you (everything!) about the ingredients involved. It's a significant project behind the scenes, and I can't wait to reveal all the details.
3. Organic and Fair Trade Wax
If you've been with us a while, you've heard me talk a lot about this decade-long journey toward a traceable, regenerative wax source. Progress here was also paused to allow us to focus our energies first towards our major fragrance transition. That said, I'm convinced 2025 is the year where we'll be able to fully make the switch.
A Dalgona coffee in a Keap tumbler — click the image for the recipe!
Beyond these current plans, we continue to be on the lookout for innovative, circular solutions that we can help propagate. I'm including some additional enjoyable Keaper quotes from the survey below. Next week, we'll discuss other product-related feedback from the survey and related plans.
Did you miss out on the survey? What aspects of Keap's sustainability work are important to you?
Have a great weekend,
— Harry from Keap, Steward-Owner
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