Extended lifecycle. Breaks down in the right conditions.
Made from cellulose (wood or cotton pulp) and acetic acid.
With our minds on sustainable practices, we choose the material for our tooling very diligently. We decided on a bioplastic named cellulose acetate. Made from cellulose, the pulp from wood or cotton, and acetic acid which is derived from vinegar (the component that gives vinegar its pungent and sour taste), we have a material that will give us longevity and durability for its use before returning to the cycle of the earth.
While there are products made from cellulose acetate that can be recycled with paper, such as cameras and video films, our combs are not currently able to be either recycled or composted by local facilities. Cellulose acetate is a bioplastic and breaks down into cellulose fiber given enough exposer to UV radiation, saltwater, or acids, however, it does require these certain conditions to be met to properly degrade. Our current composting facilities do not have the means to handle this type of breakdown. This means that currently, the best way of household disposal is through the garbage.
We are searching for the best materials that can suit our needs, we feel confident in using cellulose acetate for its longevity and durability, these aren’t single use products meant to be discarded but products that are meant to keep for its time of usage. That it is not made from petroleum sources so when it does break down it will degrade to natural fibers. Lastly, once it reaches its lifetime of use and it's ready to be discarded, you can send it back to us to recycle ourselves into second-life products.
Our tooling products are not meant to be purchased, throw away and repurchased, in a short cycle. They are products that are built to last the time of their intended use and at the end of their life cycle return to the earth creating a minimum amount of wastage.
How to repurpose… return to us.