At Make Waves, sustainability is at the heart of everything we do. It’s our responsibility to leave as light a footprint on the planet as possible - using the most sustainable materials, manufacturing processes and ingredients.

But it's fair to say that's not always easy - the sustainability landscape is awash with conflicting information, hidden agendas and stubborn consumer perceptions.

During our product development journey there was lots of difficult decisions, but this is the one that we spent most time deliberating over... what was the best way to manufacture our refills, and what was the best material to use?

Well, here's our answer! Our refills are made from 100% recycled plastic which is itself 100% recyclable, all within the UK. That means that each Make Waves refill capsule adds absolutely no new material to the world, and in fact gives used plastic a new lease of life. There is an abundance of plastic in existence today, that if not put to use and kept within a recycling loop, will end up straight in landfill or worse, the ocean. And so we set about putting it to good use!

We spent months researching the most sustainable materials and manufacturing methods for our refills. Other brands use cardboard refills, but sadly they’re largely manufactured in Asia and shipped back to the UK. We weren’t comfortable with the additional carbon footprint from making a product with a high energy and water footprint in a region that predominantly uses non-renewable energy sources, and then shipping them back for a UK market. It felt counter intuitive to being a sustainable company. ‘Plastic free’ solutions often aren’t as climate positive as the seem once you scratch beneath the surface.

We'd love to hear your thoughts, so please do reach out to us using the contact form on our website, or at hello@wearemakewaves.com if you would like to share any thoughts.

Thanks for reading!