This Earth Day we decided to do something extra special, we are partnering with Ojook; an oral care brand that focuses on honoring harmony and Mother Nature through a holistic product life cycle. Much like Kiwa Studio, Ojook, aims to create products that don't contain questionable ingredients as well as products that aren't harmful to our planet.
We sat down and interviewed both founder of Ojook, Youn Chang and Founder of Kiwa Studio, Kristina Stojanoski, to ask them questions on the topic of sustainability. As there's been an uptick of trend regarding sustainability, many brands nowadays make claims that can make their products sound enticing. We asked both founders their opinions on greenwashing in the industry and how they prevent it. Saying that your brand is sustainable is a large claim without being able to back it up. Which is why we decided to partner with Ojook, a brand that we truly resonate with and want to promote.
Ojook
Youn Chang, Founder of Ojook
Q: Youn, how does OJOOK stay sustainable in an industry where greenwashing is prevalent?
A: At OJOOK, we honor our health and Mother Nature through a holistic product life cycle. We consider the entire journey through which our formulas and packaging are created, delivered and disposed. Some personal care brands highlight only part of their products as sustainable, whether it’s the ingredients or packaging rather than considering the whole picture from the beginning. Just a few examples we do at OJOOK are listed here. The formulas for OJOOK’s products have fewer ingredients than other natural and conventional products. And we design our products to be refilled, recycled or compostable (and in that order). We avoid single use plastics and greenwashed so called plant origin plastics (a.k.a bioplastics or biodegradable plastics from corn, pineapple, sugarcane etc). We sized our customer shippers to fit exactly what’s needed inside without any waste in space. This reduces our carbon footprint and unnecessary protective packaging materials. We also designed our unboxing experience so that each item in the box has a purpose. Q: What is OJOOK's vision for sustainability? A: Intention is the keyword in our vision for everything. We are committed to developing products that are good for the body, mind, and environment—a harmonious trinity that is key to achieving long-term wellness. Those are intertwined so closely together, you cannot think one apart and call it a day. The environment surrounding us is key for longevity, which is why our formulas and packaging are designed to pay Mother Nature the respect she deserves. We avoid launching new products that would not serve any purpose and when we do we consider the 360 impact of the products for sustainability of nature and our body’s wellness.
Kiwa Studio
Kristina Stojanoski, Founder of Kiwa Studio
Q: Kristina, how does Kiwa Studio stay sustainable in an industry where greenwashing is prevalent?
A: At Kiwa Studio, we believe the best way to prevent greenwashing is to be as transparent as possible. We pride ourselves in being a low waste company as we know that in a capitalistic world, it's impossible to be
perfectly sustainable. Though, we are always working on ways to lessen our environmental footprint.
Like Ojook, we can track our ingredients directly to their source and identify their origin. Our ingredients are sourced and farmed ethically from small farmers that grow and dry their herbs as well as cold press their oils. With products created directly in-house, Kiwa Studio eliminates excessive shipping and traveling emissions as well. A few other ways we avoid excessive waste is that we offer pre-orders on all of our clothing products, as well as, re-using shipping boxes when it comes to shipping out orders.
Q: What is Kiwa Studio's vision for sustainability?
A: When it comes to promoting our products we always want to emphasize quality over quantity. We believe that the best skincare rituals involve a small list of products that you know work very well for your skin. Less is definitely more when it comes to your skincare rituals. We always look to promote intentional buying as well. The best way to practice sustainability is to use what you already have before buying more or trying new products. It can be very difficult to navigate ethical product consumption especially when at the end all be all of it we are a brand, but we truly do believe that providing our community with education while promoting our products is the best way to market ourselves. We strive to be the most authentic version of ourselves and influence that idea into our community as well. Kiwa Studio is more than a brand but a community where all can feel welcome.
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- The Kiwa Team