According to the U.S. Plastics Pact, more than 1 million tons of plastic enter our oceans each year. Natural personal care brand LATHER has made a commitment to stop 5,500 pounds of that plastic from making its way there, beginning with its new Landscapes Collection for luxury hotels, which features high-density polyethylene packaging made from 100% ocean-bound plastic. Set for launch in June, the collection will provide hotel guests with “a perfect balance of luxury, wellness, and environmental consciousness,” the company says.
LATHER was founded in 1999 by Emilie Hoyt, whose mission to find relief from her debilitating migraines led to the discovery of the negative effects of synthetic fragrances on human health. LATHER operates several retail stores, sells direct-to-consumer, and can be found in spas, boutiques, hotels, and resorts. Its formulations are always synthetic fragrance-free and use locally sourced, natural ingredients from across the globe. Products include hair, face, body, and wellness products.
On the hotel/resort side, its products can be found in 550 properties, totaling 92,000 hotel rooms. Among its accolades, the brand has been named the Official Bath and Body Provider of Forbes Travel Guide. The new Landscape Collection includes shampoo, conditioner, moisturizer, hand wash, a cleansing bar, and face soap. Explains Kate Quaid, vice president of marketing for LATHER, “Each product in this collection focuses on a different landscape—mountain, forest, desert, and coast and features unique skin and hair care ingredients and 100% natural fragrances that tie back to each landscape.”
 | Read this related article on ocean plastics, “Scientists Develop ‘Magnet’ to Recover Ocean Microplastics” |
LATHER’s decision to source ocean-bound plastics for the collection is an extension of the brand’s commitment to using only natural and sustainable ingredients and “was a natural choice for a collection that is celebrating the wonders of our earth,” says Quaid.
To source the packaging material, LATHER worked closely with its proprietary bottle manufacturer, which supplied ocean-bound plastic reviewed and certified by a reputable third-party certifier. One challenge was the greyer color of the material versus the bright white of virgin plastic. “It can have a light grey hue and can have some small, dark flecks,” explains Quaid. “It can also be somewhat more brittle than virgin plastic.”
In the plus column, in addition to preventing plastic found in coastal regions from reaching the ocean, the ocean bound plastic-based bottle helps the hotel industry address its sustainability goals. Says LATHER founder Hoyt, “Hotels are constantly seeking ways to enhance guest satisfaction while minimizing their environmental footprint. Our Landscapes collection perfectly aligns with these goals, offering both an unparalleled guest experience and a commitment to sustainability.”
The material also supports local communities by providing economic opportunities, and, according to the U.S. Plastics Pact, it requires 79% less energy during production versus virgin plastic.
The 100% ocean-bound plastic bottle in earth-tone colors with a black dispensing pump is being used for five Landscape Collection products: a shampoo, conditioner, body wash, moisturizer, and hand wash. The 12-oz bottles feature a viewing strip and an embossed 10-mL fill-level line on each side, making it easy for hospitality staff to monitor and replenish the products. The bottles are mounted in a new powder-coated steel bracket that features a concealed bottom shelf within the recessed bottle base, “creating a visually striking illusion of containers floating on the wall,” says the company.
LATHER is taking orders for the new collection now, with the hotel collection launching in June and the consumer collection available in July. PW
