Plastic Free July

The clock has turned and it’s officially July 1st! Aka the start of Plastic Free July!

If you haven’t heard about Plastic Free July, this global movement is dedicated to education and providing ways to help pave a world of less waste. 

Did you know that only 9% of plastic actually gets recycled. The other 91% ends up in landfills and even worse the ocean.

At Vellabox, we challenge ourselves to reduce our single-use plastic each and every day with:

• Recyclable boxes
• Glass jars
• Muslin and canvas bags
• Lifestyle products from brands that offer natural, eco-friendly products

We encourage you to feel inspired to reduce your plastic use this month while holding us accountable along the way.

We understand that sustainability is a different experience for everyone. It can seem overwhelming to switch your ways to plastic free products. It may even be unrealistic, expensive or inaccessible for many. But don’t run away just yet.

Remember Rome wasn’t built in a day. 

So be patient with yourself and take your time. Because a little can go a long way.

You might think your single actions can’t do much. However, each day you are already producing over 4 pounds of waste…yikes.

That’s what our friends from National Geographic told us.

That means you produce 1,460 pounds of waste each year.

Before we reveal advice from our friends at Koko the Shop to live #lesswaste, here’s a look at our July box!

July Box Partners & What’s in the Box

In our July box, you’ll receive Luna + Rae Candle Co’s seagrass + citrus candle. It smells so fresh, citrus. It’s like you’re drinking a cold glass of lemonade by the sea!

Luna + Rae Candle Co is based in Canton, Georgia. With a focus on wellness and the environment, their ingredients are simple and clean, and packaged in eco-friendly materials. 

And if you order the Vivere box, which I highly recommend so you don’t miss out on this scent, you’ll also get the beach bonfire candle. It’s like roasting marshmallows without the smoke or mosquito bites.

To top it all off, you’ll receive a bonus gift from our friends at Koko the Shop. Their Little Seed Farm natural deodorant cream is made in small batches on a solar-powered farm in Lebanon, TN. 

The deodorant scent selected is rosemary patchouli and is:

• Aluminum-free
• Baking soda-free
• Gluten-free
• Paraben-free
• Sulfate-free
• Preservative-free
• No animal testing

Follow us on IG to never miss out on plastic free facts and tips plus don’t forget to order your July box now!

Let us know if you’ve already ordered your box or what you think about the scents in the comments.

Koko The Shop

The sustainable living store that’s woman-owned (so cool, right!) by Adria and Jamie who aimed to discover convenient resources to live a more sustainable lifestyle. Their solution was Koko, the refillery!

What’s a refillery?

Instead of recycling products, customers can fill and refill their own household products to reduce plastic and packaging waste. You can either purchase empty jars and reusable containers at the shop or you can bring in your empty shampoo bottles, detergent and other household products.

Wink, wink — what better way to reuse your Vellabox candle jars!

They have locations here in Columbus as well as Cincinnati, Louisville and Lexington.

They pride themselves on their 4 elements of sustainability:

With the help of our Koko friends, we are here to show you that Plastic Free July doesn’t mean perfection, drastic swaps or a complete 180. 

Together we are advocating for progress and even using what you already have in your house– just in different ways.

Keep reading to discover what we learned from Koko and how Vellabox plans to celebrate this amazing month! 

Advice from Adria + Koko The Shop

I sat down with Adria who shared with us the mission of Koko, how we can celebrate Plastic Free July and practice sustainability in a way that doesn’t mean sacrificing our daily activities.

The story of Koko started as a solution to a problem. Adria personally felt that there was a gap between convenience/daily use products and sustainability.

Even though things may be labeled as recyclable, you might stumble upon what to recycle, how to recycle properly or discover that the majority of what you think gets recycled ends up as plastic waste, not even getting recycled.

The Koko crew felt that there had to be something they could do.

Instead of recycling, “I truly believe that reusing is the future,” Adria said.

A member of the Koko crew guides you through the refillery, aka the centerpiece of the store, from weighing your products and selecting from the bulk bar with home, laundry, hair and body care options.

Adria said it might seem like a small step when you bring in your empty laundry detergent jug; however, it’s one less detergent being purchased, thus, less demand for plastic laundry detergents in the long run.

Fun fact: the store name comes from Koko, a Finnish word, means “full.” It was inspired by Jamie’s family who is from Finland, also the name is a nod to the refillery.

Educational Aspect

When you walk into Koko, they meet you where you are on your journey to a #plasticfree life. They are committed to making education at the heart of it all.

If you’re just starting out or still trying to get a hang of what sustainability means, they provide tips like:

• Reuse old t-shirts as cleaning rags
• Repair a button on a shirt before throwing it away
• Replace your cling wrap with beeswax wrap

They use both social media and the in-store shopping experience to share their expertise. And they call on partners when they aren’t experts.

When selecting partners and products to feature at Koko the Shop, they value transparency in sustainable packaging (glass, aluminum and compostable) and ingredients (how and where they’re made).

Strategic Locations

A huge part is placed on finding markets where there’s not a lot of resources in terms sustainability.

Thus, locations are chosen carefully to make sustainability inclusive and accessible.

Vellabox’s Partnership with Koko

This month you’ll even see us takeover Koko’s IG account one day of the month! It’s a secret, so be sure to check both of our Instagram accounts each day so you don’t miss it.

We will be showing how you can use one of your Vellabox candle jars as storage for lotion, dishwasher detergent, dog treats–the possibilities are endless.

We’ll take you step-by-step from removing the bottom of the wax from your candle to taking it to your local refillery like Koko.

We are so excited to celebrate Plastic Free July with the help of Koko, Luna and Rae Candle Co and all of you– team Vella!

Follow us on IG to never miss out on plastic free facts and tips plus don’t forget to order your July box!