The Hopes That Drive Us
Our VISION is a world without fossil-fuel derived plastic. Period.
Our MISSION is to raise awareness on the health and environmental problems posed by plastics while making the solutions more accessible, and empowering people to be part of the change.
Our QUEST (cue the Lord of the Rings music) is to help as many living beings as possible, including humans, wildlife, and our shared home, Earth, by encouraging decreased plastic use. We hope to do this by:
- Helping people find safe, high quality, ethically sourced, Earth-friendly alternatives to plastic products through our online shop.
- Helping people make educated life and purchasing decisions by providing them with information and resources on the health and environmental issues associated with plastics.
- Helping people find ways to take action to decrease plastic use and create tangible change at all levels - personal, local, regional, national, global...
- Helping people find their balance and embrace the fun in the exciting challenge of living with less plastic!
The Values That Guide Us
At Life Without Plastic, four fundamental GUIDING PRINCIPLES lead us on our QUEST:
- Health – We feel everyone has a right to a healthy existence. Our bodies are regularly and increasingly being bombarded by toxic human-made chemicals that accumulate and disrupt our health. We believe that reducing the amount of plastic-derived chemicals entering our bodies is a worthy step in the direction of improved global health. We love to eat, but not plastic.
- Environment – We feel that the Earth, our sacred shared home, also has a right to a healthy existence. The Earth is suffering for the same reason our bodies are suffering. A sacred balance has been disturbed. Humanity’s insensitivity and reliance on fossil fuel-based products like plastic cause widespread pollution and energy wastage. If we can decrease the amount of plastic being produced from unsustainable Earth-scarring petroleum and natural gas, and being discarded into Earth-polluting landfills, this is a positive step in the direction of restoring the Earth to her natural, healthy state of being.
- Integrity – We feel all businesses have a duty to treat their employees, clients and suppliers in a fair, respectful and compassionate manner. We feel ‘corporate social responsibility’ and ‘ethical business practices’ are not only more important than making money, they are the building blocks of true success.
- Community – We all share this Earth and this present moment – we are all interconnected. We are ONE. Each person's actions – regardless how small the action may appear – affect the whole. We cherish our local, regional and global communities, and are committed to nourishing them and giving back to them as we build meaningful, lasting, plastic-free relationships.
We are committed simply to building awareness about the dangers of plastic and the existence of healthier alternatives for everyday products. Healthier for the Earth, healthier for us all. We are committed to raising awareness about plastic issues by providing solid science-based and experience-based information, and by showing the world, one person at a time, the beauty and significance of a life without plastic.
Every single one of us can make a tangible difference by taking action in some way to reduce plastic use.
The Story Behind Us
Life Without Plastic truly began with the birth of the son of the co-founders, Chantal and Jay. They had always considered themselves eco-aware and health-conscious, but once they started doing research for their baby on the way they began to come across disturbing studies of the impacts of plastics, and they knew more could be done. While searching for an alternative to plastic baby bottles, the only option they could find was from a company called Evenflo, which only did wholesale, with the minimum order being 1000 units! Yikes!
Jay and Chantal had always daydreamed about ways to contribute to reducing the harms associated with plastic waste, and at this moment, they saw an opportunity because there really were not many reliable places to buy plastic-free products. They took a chance and launched Life Without Plastic in 2006. They started by selling glass and stainless steel baby bottles and a few stainless steel food containers. Now, over 16 years later they offer a carefully curated line of unique products for living a life with less plastic, and they work with a wonderful team from around the world.
Now business partners, Jay and Chantal, continue to work toward their vision through new and exciting initiatives. In December 2017, they released their book "Life Without Plastic: The Practical Step-By-Step Guide to Avoiding Plastic to Keep Your Family and the Planet Healthy", which quickly became a best seller on Amazon. This book is the ultimate reference guide for living a life without plastic, and covers everything from dental care to grocery shopping to lifestyle tips and more! They also work on bringing new products to market that are 100% plastic-free, like their Kickstarter Zero Waste Clean Lunch Bag, which is the first washable, all natural, wool-insulated plastic-free lunch bag.
The Team That Propels Us
Chantal is co-owner and co-founder of Life Without Plastic. She is the CEO and does, well, all kinds of things. She works on product sourcing, accounting, purchasing, marketing, website development and business development. She is passionate about the big picture and new visions for LWP. When not working on the business, she loves playing with her son, doing anything related to tennis, and developing her family mediation law practice.
Jay is co-owner and co-founder of Life Without Plastic. He has a background in biochemistry, ecotoxicology and law, and loves to write -- including books about living with less plastic. Jay is all about connection. Nature and all its seasons nourish him, as do the people dearest to him in his life. Jay has a thing for elephant jokes. (What do elephants do when they find plastic packaging in the environment? Send it back to the manufacturer, of course. They are great believers in extended producer responsibility.)
Jyoti has been with us from the beginning, the veeeerry beginning. In fact, as the son of the founders, in his baby phase he was a key catalyst for the creation of Life Without Plastic. He may still have a cute baby face, but he's no longer a swaddling babe. He's now something of a Jyo-of-all-trades, helping out with packing orders, logistics, videos, product testing, marketing. He loves snowboarding, bouldering, mountain biking, and chilling with his local gang of buds.
Richa is our our Sales and Operations Manager, and joined the team in 2022 as our Administrative Assistant. She handles the day-to-day administrative tasks, fulfillment of orders, inventory management, blog writing, and customer service. She also helps with market research, managing listings, and creating graphics for Etsy and Amazon. She has a geology and environmental science background and did her thesis on microplastic pollution in the Great Lakes. When she's not being distracted from work by our ambacattor, Kisses, she loves to paint landscapes, create fictional maps and play video games.
Sarah joined the team in winter 2021 as a content creator. She helps create content for the newsletter as well as social media and the website.
She is in love with the idea of reusable items. Sarah is passionate about living a sustainable lifestyle and sharing with others how to do that, especially with small children. In her spare time she loves tackling DIY projects with her husband, golfing and taking pictures of her family. Sarah is also a teacher and a mom to three young boys. They were her first venture into a zero waste lifestyle, when each were in diapers at the same time, and she saw how much waste this created. She quickly switched to cloth diapers and hasn't looked back since!
Ms. Kisses is our team's brand ambacattor and marketing assistant. Her journey into plastic-free living began when she started waking her parents up at night by crinkling plastic. Now she exclusively uses Life Without Plastic products to eat her food, store treats, and drink catnip tea. In her free time, she likes to lounge in the backyard and cuddle with her mewther, Richa.