Our Mission
Our mission from day one has been to deliver natural products, avoiding any use of palm oil and plastic while using as little packaging as possible, at an affordable price*.
*The more affordable we are, the more people that can join us on our way to being more sustainable. More people = a greater impact!
Our Beginning
The idea for Beyond came from two households that are passionate about reducing household waste.
After many a late-night conversation, the idea for Beyond was born. We launched Beyond in 2020 just in time for Plastic Free July, when millions of people across the world take up the challenge of rejecting single-use plastic.
While reducing plastic is one of our core reasons for starting Beyond, there is a lot more to the ethos of our Beyond bars.
So why soap? (and now shampoo)...
Simply put, Beyond aims to help households across the country eliminate one more unnecessary stream of waste. And make the sustainable more accessible.
We love this quote from one of our customers, Julie: "One of the easiest low waste swaps you can make."
We had all made the switch to soap bars quite some time ago before starting Beyond. But when we saw that the supermarket soap uses palm oil and comes in single packets that are often plastic lined and can’t be composted or recycled, we knew that there was more that could be done. To eliminate single-use packaging, our soap comes in bulk packs supplied in a box that has a dual purpose. It is the packaging for the soap and it is the shipment box. No extra product boxes or bags needed! We’ve ensured that the cardboard we use can be recycled and is home compostable. Our wrap is made from sustainable ink & paper sticker and as we are always looking for ways to reduce our impact, we have reduced the size of it. Oh, and a big one, we left the palm oil out. The farming practices around it are not what we are about.
What we stand for
We have based all our decision making on two core principles.
Caring for papatūānuku and caring for you.
The reason for calling our soap Beyond was to highlight the concept of moving beyond wasteful and unsustainable everyday products. We can move beyond nasty ingredients and wasteful practices.
going beyond plastic – Papatūānuku doesn’t need any more plastic bottles. Soap and shampoo bars are a great alternative.
going beyond single product packaging - buying in bulk is another great way to save on unnecessary packaging and avoid the hidden plastic such as the lining on most single soap packs.
going beyond palm-oil - We avoid using palm oil due to its unsustainable cultivation practices, which are causing widespread destruction of ecosystems and severe impact on the original inhabitants of forests, including orangutans.
But it is not just about what we have chosen to leave out...
Other non-negotiable criteria we established from the outset:
- To include only ingredients that will look after your skin - using natural ingredients means our soap is getting rave reviews from people with sensitive skin.
- To be vegan-friendly.
- To be locally made.
- To be as cost effective as possible.
Regarding this last point, between our two households there are six teenagers making us budget conscious people. Therefore, we wanted a sustainable product at a reasonable price point. Many people want to choose a sustainable, eco-friendly option but it’s just too expensive. And the great thing about soap is that it is much more cost effective than liquid soap, you make the switch and you save!
“When it comes to packaging, less is more, and should be the norm.
Beyond Soap was created with product stewardship in mind. We believe the responsibility of how products can be disposed of lies with businesses.
Products should have as little waste as possible so that the hassle of disposing with it is taken out of the customer´s hands.
The onus is on the business to reduce the end of cycle impact. Research has shown that one box of Beyond saves 9.5 500-gram plastic bottles that cannot be recycled or composted going into landfill.
That´s a huge reduction in household waste and we couldn´t be more thrilled!”
Charlene, Co-founder.
In summary
We make sustainable bulk packs of natural soap bars, palm-oil free, right here in Aotearoa, and send them naked straight to you.
Beyond Soap bars come in sets of 10, naked and nestled snugly in a compostable
cardboard box with a compostable paper wrap. The soap itself is full of the good stuff - olive and coconut oil, blended with shea butter, almond oil and natural orange, peppermint and lavender essential oils.
The Beyond sustainable packs of 10 bars are delivered straight to your door to make life that little bit easier. We’re also excited to be launching a new range of affordable hair care bars.
You can also find our naked Beyond bars at a range of great refill stores across the country.
We hope you love using Beyond as much as we do!
From team Beyond,
Charlene, Josh & Scott.