Sustainability

L.D. Pierce, co-founder of Sole Haven Botanicals™, has spent over 30 years working in the field of environmental and sustainability engineering in industry. He is extremely passionate about reducing energy consumption through efficiency and recycling.

Energy efficiency is important to Sole Haven Botanicals™ for many reasons.  A prime reason is cost.  The more efficient we are at Sole Haven Botanicals™, the lower our costs and that means lower costs for the products that you purchase! And of course, being energy efficient is the right thing to do!

Below is a list of things we have done in 2025 as we started the business, to improve and optimize our energy footprint:

• Installed a new high efficiency HVAC system that uses 12% less propane to heat our facility
• Remodeled the office and manufacturing area with windows facing south and west, to take advantage of natural daylight and reduce the need for electric lighting
• Installed motion sensors to turn off lights when a room is not in use
• Installed high efficiency LED lighting in the manufacturing area and office area
• Doubled the exterior wall thickness from 4 inches to 8 inches and installed 6.25 inch thick, R-19 formaldehyde free insulation to reduce heating and cooling losses in the manufacturing and office areas

At Sole Haven Botanicals™, we are passionate about recycling, and we recycle everything we can!

We work with our suppliers and request they use recyclable packaging.  We work to evaluate the eco-friendly nature of our equipment before purchasing, and we reuse everything we can, as much as possible.

Some of our sustainable practices include:

• Reuse of packing materials - when we receive our raw materials, we save any kraft paper, crinkle paper, and bubble wrap and reuse it when we ship products
• Use glass and stainless steel - in our R&D center, we use glass and stainless steel containers to create and test new blends.  Sure, these items cost more up front to purchase, but they last longer and are safer for the environment and our products. These containers are washed and reused countless times and do not wear out as fast as plastic containers, nor do they absorb the aroma of essential oils like most plastics will
• Bottle/container reuse - The majority of our raw materials arrive in aluminum or glass containers.  Once the raw material is consumed, we thoroughly wash and dry these containers and reuse them (when it makes sense) to make batches of product and store it before bottling or to make intermediate batches for storage and aging.  If we end up with too many containers, we recycle them, as metal and glass are among the easiest items to recycle.
• Reuse of paper - while we try to limit printing on paper and be as digital as possible, sometimes you just have to click that print button!  Any paper printed on one side is saved and reused.  We collect and store the paper in a recycled cardboard box and when there is enough, we cut it in half, make stacks and edge glue approximately 50 sheets of paper together at a time to create note pads, using the unprinted side.  Of course, we use a special jig to hold the paper in place while glueing - made from scrap wood our owner had around his farm!  Used notepad pages are then recycled.  Of course, we take great care to safeguard both customer and employee personally identifiable information and never reuse any paper with sensitive information on it - those items go straight to the shredder!

Our co-founder is extremely passionate about recycling!  So much so, that he weighs all the cardboard, plastic and metal that we recycle at Sole Haven Botanicals™.  Below are the stats that he has compiled for us to publish here!

2025 Year to date through October:

• Cardboard and paper:  127 pounds
• Glass:  44 pounds
• HDPE plastic:  18 pounds
• Aluminum:  13 pounds

While these numbers seem small, remember that Sole Haven Botanicals™ first started operations in the summer of 2025!

You can be sustainable too!

• Recycle packaging - after you receive your order, recycle as much of the packaging as possible
• Recycle the bottles - every part of our bottles is recyclable.  The glass bottle, the glass eyedropper, the stainless steel roller ball, the HDPE roller ball holder, and the poly and aluminum screw caps.  Just separate the bottle components, give the bottle a quick rinse in hot water, and recycle everything!
• Use our products properly!  While we always want to sell more product, our primary goal is to help you feel better.  Do not overuse or abuse the product.  With essential oils, a little goes a long way.  By using the minimum amount of product, you will extend the life of the containers, order only what you need, and reduce overall carbon footprint.  And since many essential oils come from exotic plants, by using only the proper amount, you are supporting sustainable farming and harvesting as well.