Behind the Brand

Did you know that only 1 in 5 people recycle plastic bottles and items from their bathroom? And even when you do recycle, only 5-10% of the world’s plastic is actually reclaimed for recycling and of those reclaimed, only 10-20% of the actual bottle itself can be recycled. What remains then gets downgraded into yet another form of single use plastic. If we don’t change this, by 2050, there will be more plastic in our oceans than fish. It’s this problem that Lindsey and Alison, the sisters behind Plaine Products want to help educate people on and solve. They founded Plaine Products to be able to provide the first natural, quality products in sustainable packaging, which would make it easier for everyone to use a little less plastic in their lives. They sell shampoo, conditioner and body wash all available to use, refill and reuse over and over again.

Lindsey’s background is in non-profit management and her and her husband were living in the Bahamas for the past 10 years, as her husband is Bahamian. While they were there, she worked with and ran environmental education organizations and because it is such a small island nation, she saw first hand the problems that single use plastic was causing. She witnesses so much trash on the beach and in the ocean which was in turn, killing marine life. Just as she saw this happening on and near the ocean, she also saw it happening on land; plastic bags, bottles and caps everywhere. When Lindsey realized that plastic never really goes away, and how much of it we use once and throw out, she knew she wanted to try to live differently. As she was starting to change the way she was living, she also wanted to help others do the same. She finds it incredibly exciting to get people involved in creating less waste, and giving them a concrete opportunity on making that choice for themselves and for the planet as a whole. Lindsey, her husband and son moved back to the states in 2015 to Wilmington, North Carolina, where she’s been working on Plaine Products ever since. Her sister, Alison, is in Cincinnati, Ohio and she helped Lindsey get the business started and going. Alison helps with the design, packaging and distribution of PP, while Lindsey handles the rest. All PP products are high quality and chemical free, making them safe for adults and children alike. The name Plaine Products came from the sisters’ maiden name: Delaplaine.

 

Eco Friendly Packaging

While plastic makes life (and bottling) easier, Lindsey and Alison knew there had to be a better way. They decided to use aluminum bottles for several reasons. Unlike plastic, aluminum is able to be completely recycled without any loss in quality at a fraction of the initial production cost and energy requirements. The bottles are strong enough to survive a number of trips – so they will be well worn before they recycle them. Historically, aluminum has proven to be one of the most important materials in successful recycling programs. They are easily cleaned and sterilized, so they can ensure that our bottles are safe to use again and again. They chose to work with EcoEnclose, whose boxes are made from a mix of 95% post-consumer waste and 5% post-industrial waste. There are absolutely NO new materials used in the manufacturing of their green shipping cartons. Best of all, EcoEnclose worked with Plaine Products to develop boxes that will stand up to shipping refills and the return of empty jars to be refilled and reused.

 

Circular Economy & the Environment

In the past, it’s often been the environment versus the economy, but the Plaine Product’s model supports both. Plaine Products is designed to be part of the circular economy, which functions more like a natural ecosystem – nothing is ever wasted. Also, by cleaning and reusing the jars, Plaine Products is able to create jobs. Research indicates that reuse and remanufacture creates 8 – 20 jobs per thousand tons of material compared to 5-10 jobs created per thousand tons of material by traditional recycling.

 

The Products

Shampoo – the best organic ingredients combine to bring back manageability, sheen and softness to the hair

Conditioner – restores essential nutrients to the hair to enhance your hair’s texture which results in luminous, silky, smooth hair

Body Wash – gently cleanse your skin by restoring it with powerful nutrients and antioxidants

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All three of the above products have the same soothing and intoxicating scent: rosemary, mint and vanilla. Rosemary is healing, mint is uplifting and vanilla is comforting and calming. I have been using all of these products over the past few weeks and they are so simple but super effective. The shampoo and body wash do not strip the skin or scalp from natural oils. The conditioner does not weight down the hair at all. I’m actually not a huge vanilla person, but in this combination, the vanilla balances out the rosemary and mint. It is a total aromatherapy experience smelling and using these products that were made with so much love. All of these products are hypoallergenic, baby safe, color safe, biodegradable, vegan, cruelty free and Plaine Products never do any animal testing when formulating these products. Also, their products are great for all skin types and never contain any parabens, PEGs, sulfates, dyes, petrochemicals or synthetic fragrances. When ordering your subscription, you can choose between a refill once every two, three or four months. You can specify to get a pump included on your first initial order, and for refills thereafter, no pump since you already have the one you previously got, so even less waste!