Spectrum is a brand for those who know that 'beauty' is about the self, not just the selfie.
Our belief that we should always do better for our planet, our customers, and our own well being helps us to make the more sustainable choices and not just focus on the bottom line.
Our charity partner
We are continually striving to be kinder to our planet; be that through our supply chain, material choices or our charity efforts.
In April 2020 we partnered with The Aspinall Foundation and began fundraising for them to help support their conservation efforts. This is part of our drive for sustainability not just when it comes to products, but also our planet.
We chose this charity partner because of their world class programme of breeding and re-wilding endangered species, helping to sustain the population of wild animals in Africa. They are world leaders in this but they also rescue and rehabilitate animals that are re-claimed from the illegal pet trade or abandoned reserves around the world. Read more about them here.
Our packaging
As an independent brand our mission for attainable sustainable is ever evolving but wherever possible we opt for packaging options which are biodegradable, recyclable or re-usable.
We indicate on our packaging how best to dispose, recycle or re-use it so that we are being as clear as possible to help our customers through this process, as sometimes it can be confusing, especially in the world of beauty!
Here are some points we think you should know about our packaging
- Plastic free where possible - but not at the cost of hygiene or quality. A lot of the time, we try and pack our brushes naked, we hope you don't mind nudes! Of course if we need to add a plastic slip on each brush we will for hygiene, but these are generally not recyclable, please if you do have one in your packaging place it in the bin.
- Cute enough to re-use - Our super cute tubes are how we're rolling out packaging across our ranges, it's now our signature style and don't you just love it! These are much pricier than plastic packaging, so we're rolling this out as quickly as we can, but good stuff is always worth the wait.
- foiling only 5% of our cardboard boxes or insert cards - this means you can recycle it, over foiling or packaging which is completely metallic is not recyclable. There is a difference between printed metallic and foil metallic. It's the really metallic foil that you want to try and minimise, or anything that is completely holographic!
- Cotton not plastic swing tags - we use primarily cotton swing tags rather than fully plastic ones, but be careful to place these in the bin not recycling.
- PET not PVC - our plastic vacuum trays which hold products in place are made of PET not harmful PVC, and can go into your mixed recycling. Yay! We also use PET for the windows into our gift boxes, whereas most companies will use PVC. Double yay!
- PU not PVC - our makeup bags and accessories are always PU, never PVC. PVC is toxic for the environment but is generally much cheaper than PU, so lots of companies use it but we don't. Triple yay!
- Bio poly bags - your products sometimes arrive in a thin plastic bag, usually if you order a bag with brushes inside such as our Jet Setter set, or a makeup bag, anything material really that would potentially get marked in transit is packed into a poly bag. As a rule these are not recyclable. Ours you will notice are not completely clear, but cloudy, this is because they are bio degradable and will take much less time to break down when in landfill. Please place this in your bin.
- Recyclable mailing boxes - our pink mailers are sturdy enough to ensure your products reach you safe and sound, we re-use ours a lot of the time if we have to send parcels out, but please make sure if you don't re-use them to place them in your mixed recycling.
Our makeup packaging
This one has been really tough for us, and one of the reasons it took two years to release our first collection was trying to find suitable packaging. We feel we had to compromise on a hell of a lot, and we're not going to keep this packaging forever.
It's currently made out of cardboard, but a lot of cardboard means a lot of water. We also feel the packaging is oversized, it's not currently recyclable, and over time it will get a bit tatty because it is essentially cardboard wrapped in paper.
We initially wanted to make it re-fillable, but this is what a Z-palette is for essentially, and also the pans are 2g which is a lot of product and means there would be less demand for refills.
So! We are working on a plastic option which uses no water! Also it is extremely durable so there will be no product wastage in transit. It will last longer for our customers and also it is made of PET, so when broken down, it can be recycled - most plastic makeup packaging is ABS, which can't!
We're working on reducing the size of the packaging, meaning it will produce less carbon in transit. The smaller something is the better for the environment when it comes to postage and shipping, a lot is measured by weight. But...there will still be the same 2g per pan, so our customers are not losing out!
This is an ongoing journey and we will update you as we progress!
