Sustainable Amber Glass Dispensers

Aim

Sustainable, luxury products for home

About skaia & Co

The Brand 

Maria Sudul is the face behind skaia & Co. The brand focuses on creating luxurious products for home, with emphasis on sustainability. The brands first products are refillable amber glass dispensers.

Although we are all aware of the impact of single-use plastic in our everyday lives, making plastic-free choices doesn’t come naturally to everyone. The product is aimed at those who wouldn't normally focus on buying eco-friendly products, but through design find themselves making environmentally friendly choices, becoming more aware of their daily practices. 

The reusable dispensers are hand made in Surbiton, fitted with a metal pump for added durability and finished with a minimalist design water-resistant vinyl label. The products come in three different colours: White Linen, Clay and Charcoal*, which together create an aesthetically pleasing neutral colour palette that complements a wide variety of interior designs.

*Please specify in a message the colour and writing on the dispensers you would like for your chosen reward.

The founder

Maria is a graduate doctor in training with a passion for art and aesthetically designed spaces. She believes that beauty shouldn’t cost the earth.  Since plastic seems to have found its way into every aspect of our lives, recycling is not enough. Over half the plastic deemed “recyclable” is shipped oversees, creating a larger carbon footprint. Plastic waste disturbs ecosystems and significantly contributes to the pollution of the planet. Maria believes that refilling is a better alternative to recycling, as replacing single-use packaging with sustainable alternatives can make a long-term difference. 

Skaia & Co was created when Maria wanted to bring a feeling of a hotel spa to her bathroom with accessories but was looking for products with a modern, minimalist design that were also environmentally friendly. This is why Maria designed refillable dispensers made out of recycled amber glass intended for the long term use but can also be recycled endlessly without loss in quality or purity; something few packaging options can claim.

Our goal

Our goal is to offer customers an environmentally friendly option that combines aesthetic design with functionality. We want to help people start making sustainable decisions that are better for their health and the environment.  We intend to start with reusable amber glass dispensers for the bathroom, kitchen, and general home cleaning but are looking to expand into plant-based soaps and other products such as soy/coconut-based candles, in the future.

How will your money be spent?

We have begun building a social media presence and we intend to begin selling the products with eco-friendly e-commerce stores and refill shops, with whom we are already in discussions. The money will be spent on materials to make additional bottles and help us meet the expected additional demand from the multiple sales channels. We also intend to buy a laser printer, so we can offer customisation to clients.  This was identified as a need during a month-long pilot-run of the product on Etsy and will be a unique selling point compared to the high street.

Our first goal to raise £1,500 will help us to:

• Buy stock
• Buy a laser printer
• Expand product range to include kitchen and home cleaning sets
• Pay for advertising on social media

Our stretch goal to raise £2,200 will help us to: 

• Invest in additional gift packaging to offer a gift-wrapping service to customers
• Begin sampling plant-based soaps to pair with the dispensers
• Test out vegan candle waxes and essential oil scents 

Testimonials:

This is such a great product, looks and feels great. I bought the shampoo bottle to see how it looked in my bathroom and now will definitely get the conditioner to match – and hand wash for the downstairs loo. The bottles are beautiful and the pump element sturdy (…). All in all fantastic. - Megan G., Etsy customer

Love, love, love these bottles! Bought as a gift, was able to ask for both the hand was and lotion to be packaged together. They were presented beautifully and happily received! Will definitely buy again for myself as well as gifts. - Nichola S., Etsy customer

This project successfully funded on 24th June 2020