Pesticide-free, workers, women's rights issues, honey ... Melvita's efforts.
We asked you about your thoughts on the SDGs and your efforts to address them.
Comai: Yes, I agree. An interesting thing I recently tried was a solid shampoo bar. The solid form has a lower environmental impact than the liquid form they sell. . When I travel, I cut them up and take them with me in small portions. What I particularly like about Melvita's efforts is that they collect plastic containers. If we can collect them ourselves, it will be the easiest way to reuse them, and I think it's a good thing.
Melvita accepts the collection of any brand of cosmetics containers, whether glass or plastic, at its stores.
Comai: That's great! Plastics are recycled, but they are far from being 100 percent recycled as we think of them, aren't they? When we think of recycling, we think of plastic going back to plastic, but it's not, it's turned into fuel called pellets and incinerated as fuel for waste disposal and so on. Japan calls it thermal recycling, but I think it is strange that this is included in recycling. I think it is strange that this is included in the recycling process. I think that the process of recycling back to plastic should be called "recycling. How does Melvita collect the plastic?
. We have about 30 stores nationwide, and we ask customers to hand in their orders to the staff in the stores. We accept them between the 20th and 30th of each month . The idea is that setting a specific period of time will give people a chance to think about it.
Comai: It would certainly be a good opportunity to call it out.
Ideally, all processes should be sustainable, but right now we are doing the best we can. We believe that making our best-selling products sustainable will have a big impact, so we are shifting our most popular product, argan oil, in a sustainable direction first.
Comai: What will the initiative actually be?
The argan tree, which is the raw material for our products, grows in the desert, and by protecting this plant, we are protecting the area where it grows and the workers who work there. Also, using pesticides increases production, but we try not to use them because they lead to the destruction of the workers' health and the natural environment.
Comai: I see. So, you are taking care not only of the environment, but also of people.
. We also support the economic base there by forming long-term partnerships with workers and paying their wages in advance. In Morocco, the work of harvesting argan nuts is women's work, so this also helps support women.
Comai: . that's nice. I looked at your materials and I also really like the fact that you are beekeeping bees at Argan.
At Melvita, we believe it is very important to protect biodiversity. It is said that 80% of plants are protected by pollination by honeybees, but recently we have heard in the news that honeybees have disappeared due to pesticides. . By not using pesticides, we can protect the bees.
Comai: I would also like to try the honey from "Melvita" (laughs).
There are other bath oils that do not pollute the environment when they go down the drain. These products do not use ingredients such as petroleum surfactants and silicones, which have a high environmental impact. Silicone is said to take over 400 years to break down.
Comai: . that's a long time. I've always wondered if the sewage treatment wouldn't make it?
. Studies have shown that sewage inevitably leaches out and accumulates. Melvita's Relaxessence Bath Oil is theoretically 99% biodegradable within 28 days. This means that it will return to nature in four weeks and have almost zero environmental impact.
Comai: That's great. When I think about my own surroundings, cosmetics have a large container volume. On the other hand, food products have thin plastic containers, so I think cosmetics are more problematic in comparison. Food is something you take into your body, so it is easy to recommend organic products to others. However, if you can protect the environment, you will get more back, so in the end, I think it's all the same.
Comai: You mentioned bath oil, but is bathing time important to you?
Comai: . it is important. If I neglect myself or am too hard on myself, I sometimes feel like I can't do my best anymore. . That's why we have to warm up and take good care of ourselves. This may be especially true for women. It is important to do good things for yourself, such as eating good food. Especially for busy people, they should not neglect this. I have recently become addicted to mountain climbing, and I apply argan oil to my tired legs and feet after climbing and take good care of them.
I see that you are particularly fond of argan oil.
Comai: I get tired of things that have a strong scent, but this one has almost no smell and blends in smoothly.
I think it is ideal that what is good for you is also good for the environment.
Comai: . as a consumer, I think it is good mentally to use products that are good for the environment. For example, if you use a product that is made at someone else's expense, you feel a sense of guilt. Until now, I think we have often accepted this kind of feeling of guilt as inevitable, but if we use our imagination, we can think that there must be a more comfortable way to strike a balance. Even if it is not right in front of you, I think it is important to think that it should be there.
Melvita is still a small player, just like the SDG movement. How do you think you can make it bigger?
Comai: Well, yes . In this day and age, it is not unusual for a single voice, such as Greta (Tunberg)'s, to become a huge swell. . I think that is simply the result of being true to oneself. Kohei Saito, with whom I had a chance to have a conversation in the past, is also very popular, but I felt that he is a person who has continued to think about the same thing and has been digging for a long time. I would like to say that it all depends on the wave of the times, but I can understand that he would like to be noticed in order to continue his work. It's not for me to say, but if you are half-hearted, you won't be noticed or respected. That is why I would like Melvita to continue its stoic approach to creating wonderful products and initiatives! (Laughs)
Medium: Bio Oil Argan Oil 30th
Used after cleansing and before toner, argan oil, which is rich in water retention properties, makes skin moist and chewy. The oil is the first-pressed oil extracted from Moroccan argan nuts , and contains no colorants, preservatives, or other chemicals. Can also be used for hair and hands. ¥4,070 (50 ml)
Left: Relaxessence Bath Oil
The organic lavender scent is a favorite of Ms. Comme Ai. A pleasant bathing experience for a more deeply relaxing time. No synthetic fragrances , no surfactants. ¥3,520 (140ml)
Right: Essence BIO Green Hand Gel
This pouch-in-size hand gel contains 70 percent plant-derived alcohol. Just a few drops on the hands , and the refreshing scent of eucalyptus essence wafts through the air. Recommended for cleaning hands. ¥1,210 (42 ml)
