Here at Herb Nerd NZ we're having heaps of fun exploring ways to have top notch products with less of an environmental impact.
To help decrease packaging we have been offering Refill & Zero Hero service for two years. It's pretty darn awesome. Bring us your clean, used container, we can refill it. For our oils, sprays, powders and salts, we can usually refill on the spot. For other ones, such as Moisturiser, Rose Cream, or Cleansers we refill at the next manufacturing--a way of ensuring package sterilisation. For you, it's a sneaky way to get freshly made product.
But what's a Zero Hero?
We looove them! Bring in your own container to be filled. It must be clean, even though we sterilise each container before filling. You will get the refill size of the product. So if you bring a 1 litre container for a 15 ml refill, well, it might be a tad disappointing!
Maybe you have a dropper bottle you absolutely adore. Let us fill it with Face Serum, Night Serum, Rosehip Oil or Argan Oil. Just about every product we sell can be refilled. The choice is yours.
You can see one of our Zero Hero refills in the photo above. It is a 25 gram Sun sunscreen. Notice the Loyalty Card? Your eleventh refill is free. Why? Because we want to thank you for helping decrease waste.
Over the course of next year or two, we will be changing our labels to a rock based, tree-less label. The product uses ground limestone from manufacturing offcuts and easily washes off during the recycling process. We currently use it for our Kawakawa Classic balm. Our current labels are made from recycled material but need a protective label on top. The Nerd would like to change that.
When shipping our products, the goal is a completely recyclable and/or compostable package. Sometimes we re-use a box that came from a herbal supply company. The tapes we use are biodegradable, even the clear packing tape. Our shipping labels are printed on recycled paper. Our protective packing material is recycled kraft paper, shredded, and products are wrapped in cardboard. Even our gift wrapping is recycled and can be recycled. We do, however, apologise for enclosing a small Whittaker's chocolate.
With the return of soft plastic recycling here in NZ, we will occasionally use NZ Post courier bags. We adore the two sizes of recyclable paper courier bags they offer, but are pleased we can, on occasion, use the smaller bags.
In store we send any soft plastics that come in from our wholesale orders off for recycling. It is so easy now with the free courier bags. We can send directly to the plant free of charge. NZ rocks!
Our power comes from Meridian Energy which, so far uses 100% renewable sources of wind, sun, and water.
Each small step we take and you take with us helps. A bucket is filled one drop at a time and here at Herb Nerd NZ, we're making a few drops along with our Refill & Zero Heroes.
Peace and love. 🌼
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