Why we decided to use plastic for our dispensers

Element Brooklyn · · 2 min read

Why we decided to use plastic for our dispensers

At Element Brooklyn, we’re committed to creating products that are genuinely sustainable and accessible. We understand that choosing to make our hand soap, body soap and hand cream dispensers from plastic may raise some questions, especially because the first version of our dispensers (now discontinued) was glass. It was not a decision made lightly. But we believe that this choice best balances durability, sustainability, and practicality. Here’s why.

Tackling the true issue: single-use plastic

Plastic is harmful to the environment because so much of it is used to make items that are designed for short-term use and then discarded. We’ve all seen the statistics: hundreds of millions of tons of plastic waste are generated annually, much of which ends up in oceans. But our dispensers are intended to be bought once and used for life. 

Lower impact in transportation

Our dispensers are designed to be lightweight, which plays an important role in reducing their environmental footprint. Lightweight materials reduce fuel usage when they're transported through the supply chain, which directly lowers carbon emissions compared to heavier glass alternatives. 

Every time a product is transported – by air, sea, or land – its weight makes a difference to fuel consumption and emissions.
Every time a product is transported – by air, sea, or land – its weight makes a difference to fuel consumption and emissions.

Less energy in manufacturing

Producing plastic requires fewer resources than producing glass. Glass production is energy-intensive, requiring a furnace running at about 2,700° F. By using plastic, we’re able to reduce the environmental impact of our dispensers right from the start.

Durability for everyday life

Customer feedback about our glass dispensers helped guide us in this choice. The bottles were often used in places where breakage is inconvenient and potentially dangerous, like showers or busy public restrooms. For our hospitality clients, such as restaurants and hotels, durability is essential. Our new plastic dispensers are designed to withstand everyday use in high-traffic spaces and to stay out of landfills for as long as possible.

Plastic's durability presents environmental challenges, but if we keep and reuse plastic items for many years their overall impact is likely less than glass alternatives.
Plastic's durability presents environmental challenges, but if we keep and reuse plastic items for many years their overall impact is likely less than glass alternatives.

Going beyond plastic neutral

All of our products, including our dispensers, are Certified Plastic Negative. This means that for every 53g dispenser we make, we remove twice as much plastic (106g) from the environment through our impact project in Hyderabad, India. This means that each purchase actively contributes to cleaning up plastic waste – not just offsetting it.

We welcome your feedback

We’re always working to refine our products. We value the input of our community and welcome your feedback on this issue. 

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