Sustainability and Ingredient Standards

Some brands like to play fast and loose with terms like “all natural”, “sustainable”, and “eco-friendly”.

We don’t think you should walk away with questions about what we mean when we say that we are a ‘sustainable store’.

We don’t want you to think that we actually create absolutely zero waste when we say we are a ‘zero waste shop’. 

What we do want is to create a dialogue with you where we can offer you transparency about our product standards and why we produce the waste that we do produce.

For the TLDR version of the rest of this:

“Here at Ray’s Reusables we are on a mission to help people reduce the amount of waste in their lives. We partner with independently run businesses and carefully vet our products for high-quality non-toxic ingredients. We are always happy to tell you more about anything you have questions on, so don’t hold back!”

Now, if you’re hungry for some substance…

Ingredients:

We like to think about what is good not only for the planet, but good for your body too. That’s why we choose high quality ingredients that you can feel good about using not only on yourself but also with your family. 
None of our products contain any of the following ingredients:
  • Palm oil*
  • Phthalates 
  • Parabens
  • Polyethylene Glycol (PEGs)
  • Triclosan 
  • Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS)
  • Artificial dyes or colorants
  • Formaldehyde
  • Oxybenzone, Avobensone, or Octinoxate 

A majority of the scents in our products are essential oil or botanically derived, but certain products in our store do contain fragrance oils. These oils are high-quality oils that are phthalate and paraben free. 

*our Huppy toothpaste tabs contain a derivative of palm oil. 

Sourcing:

We deal directly with all of our makers, and a majority of the products in the shop are from independently owned small businesses. We prioritize doing business with companies that have shown a commitment to supporting environmental conservancy, either through initiatives like 1% for the planet, B Corp certification, or other tangible environmental actions. 

By forming these relationships with other small businesses we can rest assured that we are enriching local economies, not billionaires and mega corporations. 

In this era of globalized production its very difficult to not have any products that are made abroad. We are always transparent about where the products we sell are manufactured, and we do business with other brands who are committed to fair working conditions for everyone in their supply chain. 

Packaging:

From the refill bar, to product packaging, to the materials we use in shipping, we do our best to minimize our environmental impact.

We do not allow plastic packaging for any of the products in the store, and as much as possible we try to source from vendors that use minimal packaging, reclaimed/recycled packaging, or easily composted/recycled paper packaging.

For our refills we always encourage people to use the containers that they already have, but we do offer salvaged glass collected and sanitized by the Bottle Underground, as well as infinitely recyclable aluminum, for purchase.

When it comes to shipping that our re-use game is strongest. Our online orders are always shipped using boxes and packing that we received in ordering our products, and we use curbside recyclable water-activated tape and adhesive labels to seal and send off our packages. 

We are always happy to be transparent with you about how product arrives to us, and what waste we still produce as a shop (zero waste isn’t absolutely zero for anyone!)