Plastic is a serious issue, and consumers are becoming more aware of this. According to ​Zero Waste Europe​, the beauty and personal care industry creates over 120 billion packaging units globally each year. And 91% of the plastic has NOT been recycled, according to National Geographic.

Across the beauty value chain, we’ve all been part of the problem—now it’s time to be part of the solution. The data can be overwhelming, but quantifying the impact with the numbers is important—it’s the fuel that drives change. Take a more specific example: an estimated 552 million 15-ounce shampoo bottles find their way into landfills each year, and it is estimated that over half a trillion plastic bottles will be sold by the end of 2020.

Grove Collaborative is on a mission to eliminate plastic from personal care routines starting with the shower. Historically, consumers have had to choose between products that are actually effective or products that are good for the planet, but Grove Collaborative is shifting that paradigm with their new brand, Peach.

Luana Bumachar, VP of Owned Brands and Innovation at Grove Collaborative, said, “We believe that, while the plastic problem is serious, choosing to live sustainably doesn’t have to be. We want to bring optimism and cheerfulness to the space as a way of encouraging consumers that there are better choices out there that don’t require performance compromise.”

Tackling the packaging problem of daily use personal care products can have a profound impact. Meet Peach, a tailored collection of bars promoting scalp, hair, and skin health, alongside clean and cruelty-free ingredients empowering consumers with the ability to feel accomplished and optimistic about their impact on the world. Peach intends on creating a new industry standard transitioning consumers over to a plastic-free format by making sustainability fun, accessible, and approachable and, most importantly, without compromise on product experience or performance.

“Bar soaps have carried a reputation of being boring, ineffective and underwhelming, especially in the hair care category as consumers have had to compromise on performance to be sustainable—which is a no-no in personal care,” Bumachar continued. “With Peach, we are completely changing the way consumers feel about bar formats and aim to educate them and change habits by showcasing that they can still get high-performance while choosing to live sustainably with 100% plastic-free products.”

Instead of offering a one-size-fits-all product, Peach created a tailored range of 10 bars formulated with coconut-derived surfactants, carefully selected ingredients to nourish skin and scalp, and 100% natural fragrances. The bars are also made without SLS, SLES, silicones, parabens, phthalates, or synthetic dyes.

From the formula to manufacturing to packaging, Peach has pushed every element of development through the lens of sustainability. The products are manufactured in small batches in a process that uses very little energy and is low waste. The Peach bars come packaged in FSC-certified, 100% post-consumer recycled paper board that is shipping friendly (lower carbon footprint) and fully recyclable. The carton is printed using UV inks—a green technology that is safer for the environment, has almost zero carbon footprint, emits zero VOCs, and has zero solvents.

The Grove Collaborative team was earnest in their commitment to sustainability in the development of the Peach brand. They did all the heavy lifting so the consumer can enjoy the positive vibes infused in every aspect of the product and brand, from the fun shapes of the bars, to our vibrant brand colors, juicy scents, and optimistic mantras. Making sustainability fun (with no compromise on performance) is at the heart of the Peach brand.

The impact Peach will have on the environment is real. In the first year, they estimate they will save 150,000 pounds of plastic from entering the environment. By replacing traditionally packaged skin and haircare products with Peach, consumers can save 4.44 pounds of plastic packaging wasted, per year per person.