Local body care company Mailelani Samoa has begun to promote eco-friendly packaging and appealed to other businesses to reduce waste in order to be more environmentally friendly.

The company, which creates natural beauty care products, has started to promote eco-friendly packaging of their products. 

Mailelani Samoa admin officer Jane Vaafusuaga told the Samoa Observer in an interview on Friday that the company is always looking for options to reduce its carbon footprint.

She added that they are always looking to improve their packaging to make it more environmentally friendly such as the unwrapped soaps they are selling.

They have offered gifts for Mother’s Day including handmade baskets that were crafted using recycled materials and filled with Mailelani Samoa products such as oil, lotion and soap.

If you buy a 160ml or 300ml bottle of Mailelani coconut oil you can return the bottle to the Mailelani Gift shop at Papauta to be refilled after you’ve used up the oil, instead of throwing the bottle away.

Mrs Vaafusuaga further explained that their philosophy is to reduce, reuse and recycle.

“So Mailelani they are always looking at ways they can improve, they are always asking their customers and looking for the most eco-friendly things for their packaging or to reduce the packaging and looking at alternatives,” she added.

When asked what options other businesses can take in their bid to embrace an environmentally friendly approach, Mailelani Samoa owner Sylvie Salanoa said they should strive to use minimum material when it comes to wrapping. 

She said they’ve been asked as to why they don’t put their products in boxes and she said it is unnecessary. 

The box will end up being thrown away and there is no need for one as the bottle itself is already a form of product packaging.

The company also avoids using plastic in their packaging as they want to make sure that their wrapping is recyclable. 

According to Mrs. Vaafusuaga, many of their customers are refilling their bottles and saving them from being discarded at the landfill, consequently continuing to keep Samoa beautiful.