Feeling hot, hot, hot...

Visitors to the workshop this week, will have noticed that we're struggling with the heat.  Unfortunately our workshop has such a large expanse of roof, that it absorbs lots of heat from the sun during hot weather making the workshop feel very warm.  So we've spent the last few days moving our products and ingredients into cool places, and we'll be operating reduced shop opening hours during the next few days.

But even though our shop will be temporarily closed, it's business as normal!   (Behind the scenes, we're busy working on our Christmas gift range which will be launched during August). Customers can still contact us by e-mail and website orders will be processed as normal.  Stourbridge shop customers can contact us by e-mail or phone, and we'll make special arrangements for collections of products and orders.  Fingers crossed we'll be open again very soon, and in the meantime we're sorry for any inconvenience.

Enjoy the sunshine everyone, and see you soon!

UPDATE:  Thanks to everyone who popped in to see us last week, and tolerated the heat in the workshop!  The weather is still causing problems, so we'll be opening our shop (whilst processing website orders), at various times but these opening hours may be subject to change at short notice.  Thanks again to everyone for their support, and understanding and we hope that things will return to normal again soon.

We're supporting recycling in Dudley!

We're very pleased to announce that we're supporting Dudley Council's improved recycling scheme.  There's a new website, which contains lots of information on the new recycling service, collection details and other ways to reduce waste.  This will enable Dudley borough residents to recycle even more materials, including plastic bottles and cardboard.  Dudley borough residents who sign up to the scheme can also access an incentives page on the website, where local businesses like our own are offering discounts and special offers as a thank you to those families that "do their bit" for the environment. 

We've always been passionate about environmental issues, and take great care when selecting packaging materials for our products since we dislike unnecessary and wasteful packaging.

• Our hamper boxes are either made from recycled materials, or are made from card that can recycled or composted.  (Although we know that many of our hamper boxes are re-used again or kept as keepsake boxes!)
• The packaging for our goats milk soaps is deliberately simple.  There's no need for a wasteful box, so we just use a paper wrapper and bio-degradable cellophane hygiene cover (this special eco-film will completely disintegrate in 1-2 years).
• Our bathing products are packaged in cellulose bags - this allows them to be composted.
• We always try to use PET and recyclable plastic containers for liquid products, with a preference for supplying products in either glass or aluminium wherever possible.
• We only use paper tissue in our hamper boxes, and paper carrier bags in our Stourbridge shop.
• We re-use any packaging or cardboard boxes received from our suppliers, and only purchase bio-degradable loose fill packaging and bubble wrap. 
• We encourage the use of re-usable items such as our washable muslin cloths, bathing mitts and scrunchies and offer a range of re-usable shopping bags in our shop.  Even our fragrant decorations will last indefinitely if they're periodically topped up with essential oils!  (More natural and far better for the environment than spray or plug in air fresheners).  
• We actively encourage the idea of customers re-using their glass packaging (discounts are available), by offering a refill service for certain items on our Natroma website.  Stourbridge shop customers can obtain refills on many items including hydrolats, facial oil serums, botanical oils, essential oils, balms, and crystal deodorants.  

All of these actions often mean that we have to pay more for our packaging but we think it's the right thing to do, since it supports the environment and minimises waste.   We're really pleased that Dudley Council has been able to widen the scope of the items that can be placed in the black recycling bins, and hope this improved recycling scheme has a significant impact on reducing the amount of waste that ends up in landfill.