WHY EVERY DAY IS EARTH DAY AT MAIA BOTANICALS

Today the world celebrates the 50^th year of celebrating Earth Day.  April 22^nd also happens to be the day that the Paris Agreement was signed by 195 nations to take specific actions to fight climate change. 

Climate change and environmental degradation were among the many reasons we conceived and started Maia Botanicals. We wanted to bring to everyday Singaporeans a way to have a self-care and beauty routine that would have a smaller ecological footprint. As a business, we wanted to also make sure that we minimise our own ecological footprint in the way we procure ingredients, choose ingredients, create products, pack products, and finally how we make our products available. We believe no matter how small you are, you are big enough to leave an impact in the world we live in. We respect Mother Nature and believe that it is humans who need nature to survive and not the other way around.

At Maia Botanicals, we make sure every day is Earth Day. Here is how we do it:

Naturally powered:

Ingredients that we use in our products are 99-100% are derived from the plant world. Our ingredient palette consists of plant butters, oils, extracts, waxes, and plant-based surfactants. 

We do not believe in animal exploitation of any kind. Apart from the cruelty and violence involved in animal-sourced products, animal farming is also a major cause of greenhouse emissions. So that obviously leaves us with two other options plant-based ingredients and lab-created synthetics. Apart from the fact that we are in total awe of the healing, rejuvenating, and powerful nature of plant ingredients, there’s ample research confirming these properties and every ingredient in our product is there for a very specific functional reason. We dig plants. Totally!

Our products are 100% biodegradable and eco-friendly, meaning they do not affect our water bodies nor contaminate soil or our air if they were to accidentally end up in one of our elements.

With the bulk of our ingredients being plant butters and oils, we ensure that we source them from within the Asian region. Not only does this reduce our carbon footprint, this also helps us to formulate products that are best suited for Asian weather, particularly the tropical weather in Singapore. We also take pride in using plant powerhouses that have traditionally been used in Asian cultures for centuries to take care of our skin and hair.

So far we have been successful in packaging our products and sending them in packages that are either completely biodegradable or recyclable indefinitely. We rely a lot on paper, metal and glass to bring our products to our customers, as they have a lower ecological footprint than other materials. We also have have zero-waste products.

We only deliver local. Of course we were flattered when we were asked to deliver internationally, however we consciously choose to not do it. Yes, we loose business but it goes back to our fundamentals of staying green. Delivering internationally means that our ecological footprint will considerably increase due to the air freight, additional packaging, and, in the case of some neighbouring countries, sending back some of the raw materials as a finished product to the same country it was sourced from. It is also in the spirit of supporting fellow makers, we do sincerely want everyone to support local businesses in their own country.

These are just some of the simple ways in which we practice Earth Day every day at Maia Botanicals. We are not perfect but we strive continuously to be better and to leave a better earth for our future generation.