This post is in partnership with Tom’s of Maine. All opinions are our own.

I think that a natural part of learning how to be better to the earth is occasional bouts of crippling anxiety about how everything you’re doing could in some way be harmful. Whether it’s your carbon footprint or the amount of waste you create, there’s a whole lotta improvement that needs to happen. The line between “I want to do better, let me look into how I can!” and “EVERYTHING I’M DOING IS AWFUL OMG OH NO” is very very thin.

To avoid the whole paralysis that can come with attempting environmental responsibility, we’ve been more diligent about seeking out everyday products that we can trade out for more responsible ones—just small efforts that make a difference over time. That’s why we were so excited to partner with Tom’s of Maine all year to learn about the quality of their products and their company’s environmental initiatives and how those initiatives can fit into our pre-existing efforts to be kind to Mama Nature.

During our trip to Maine last month we got to learn about all things Tom’s of Maine, including their status as a B Corp. To be honest neither of us had a clue what a B Corp was before this partnership, but it turns out to be an incredibly important certification that also can be super informative when it comes to choosing sustainable companies to purchase from.

According to the B Corporation website, B Corps are “businesses that meet the highest standards of verified social and environmental performance, public transparency, and legal accountability to balance profit and purpose.” So, basically companies that are actively working to make the world a better place while also running a business and selling product.

Some of the things that qualify Tom’s of Maine as a B Corp: they use naturally sourced and derived ingredients that aren’t tested on animals; they give 10% of profits back to non-profit organizations; and they encourage employees to use 5% of their paid working time to volunteer in the community. And we actually got to volunteer with some of the team while we were there! We planted shrubs to help create habitat for the endangered New England cottontail (and used big shovels for the first time in like a decade, heh).

An exciting newcomer to their environmental initiatives is their recyclable toothpaste tube. This is HUGE! It’s the first recyclable toothpaste tube recognized by the Association of Plastic Recyclers. We actually got to see a sneak peak of the recyclable tube while we were in Maine, and it looks and feels just like a traditional tube. The first flavor in the new tube is their popular Antiplaque & Whitening Peppermint Natural Toothpaste and by the end of 2020 every single variety of Tom’s of Maine toothpaste will come in a recyclable tube.

To recycle the tube at home, first check the back of your tube and look for the blue flag that tells you what to do: once empty, replace the cap and recycle along with #2 plastics. Recycling practices vary by municipality, so if your town doesn’t accept #2 plastic, the Tom's of Maine Natural Care Recycling Program, a partnership with TerraCycle, is a recommended option for recycling all personal and oral care packaging regardless of the brand.

Hoorah! One more thing we can trade out on our mission to be better Earthlings.

It’s been an amazing year of partnering with Tom’s of Maine and getting to learn about their passion for great personal care products and the world we live in. We can’t wait to see what they’re up to in 2020…except we kind of already know because we got a sneak peak of new products—and it’s gonna be epic!!

Thanks for following along all year and for stopping by the blog today :)

xoxo Beau & Matt

Sustainable Personal Care and an Exciting Announcement from Tom’s of Maine