# Economical and eco friendly packaging



## Dawni

I've only now started to think about whether there are any cheap yet eco friendly (biodegradable preferably, we don't have facilities for recycling many things yet in the country) options for packaging soap, other than what I use currently.

I recycle the brown paper bags from the supermarket for friends and friends of friends. My extended family receives their soap wrapped in my teenager's old school papers, clean side touching the soap (they'll unwrap and use once they get home anyway lol so I'm not too worried about the ink from the other side).

I currently don't use any tape or glue, but I'm searching for biodegradable alternatives to both. 

Anyone has suggestions for better packaging?

By better I mean it would look nice yet still kinda rustic.. Won't be as time consuming as cutting paper to size and wrapping the soap.. Would not up my costs too much.. Would not need additional bags of any kind if they're getting more than one piece.. Yet still be something I won't worry about people just throwing away.

Or am I asking for too much? Haha

Since we're here.. Any ideas for lotion bars? Tins n jars are there but they're not that cheap....


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## Mobjack Bay

Can you get “baker’s twine” or similar light cotton string?  (I like the baker’s twine because of the colors I can get).  I use it two ways.  First, for a soap wrapped in paper, I wrap the twine around twice in a way that holds the folded ends in place and then I just tie a bow.  I don’t have to use any tape.  I’ve also put unwrapped soap in a brown paper bag, folded the top over, used a paper punch to make two holes and then threaded doubled twine through and tied a bow.  Does that make sense at all?  I will take pics the next time I do it.  I think black and white twine looks nice with the brown paper.  Jute or similar twine would look nice, too.


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## Lin19687

Be careful of tin in your area with all that humidity.  Think rust 

I agree with MB idea


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## Dawni

Mobjack Bay said:


> Can you get “baker’s twine” or similar light cotton string?  (I like the baker’s twine because of the colors I can get).  I use it two ways.  First, for a soap wrapped in paper, I wrap the twine around twice in a way that holds the folded ends in place and then I just tie a bow.  I don’t have to use any tape.  I’ve also put unwrapped soap in a brown paper bag, folded the top over, used a paper punch to make two holes and then threaded doubled twine through and tied a bow.  Does that make sense at all?  I will take pics the next time I do it.  I think black and white twine looks nice with the brown paper.  Jute or similar twine would look nice, too.


Oooh yknow I did this last Christmas for family. They got the recycled brown paper tags, tied with jute twine. Was looking at local options today, and I found abaca fiber twine for only a few pesos more per yard. Also comes in many colors.. There's also paper twine and baker's twine. Thanks for the punched paper bag idea  


Lin19687 said:


> Be careful of tin in your area with all that humidity.  Think rust
> 
> I agree with MB idea


Yeah humidity.. And heat. I recently sent a lotion bar with a friend, wrapped in layers of the brown paper and the pocket of her handbag where she kept it got oily. I either need to reformulate, which sucks coz I like what I have now... Just no good for traveling unless it's inside something non porous.


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## Lin19687

Plastic thinner jar may be the only way for the lotion bars


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## earlene

For fancy but natural looking wrapping, I have used both satin and lace ribbons tied around the soap.  These can be re-used by the recipient if they have a use for ribbons (hair ties, wrapping other presents, etc.).  I have recieved soap wrapped in fabric and I really like how that looks.  Quilters and other sewing crafters would certainly find a use for the fabric, but not everyone would.  

I have a huge collection of novelty papers I have accumulated over the years, and love finding a match of paper to soap design. 

For storing soap while traveling, I often use newsprint that has no ink (often used as a filler in packages delivered - I hate to waste good usable paper.)  

Jute and raffia are also nice for tying around soap as a natural touch.  I also use little boxes if I find some that will fit for a particular soap or set of soaps when gifting them.  I'm a sucker for little decorative boxes that can be re-used for other things once the soap is removed.  Girls can keep jewelry in them, or paperclips on a desk or any number of re-purposed uses are possible.

I save small gift bags to put a few bars of soap in when giving them to someone.  I've pretty much run out of those, but when I get more I will use them again because it's really a nice touch.


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## penelopejane

I use paper wrapping and washi tape which is paper sticky tape. 
You can buy cellophane that is made from wood fibre (rather than petroleum) which I use but it is not a cheap alternative but it is eco friendly. That would stop the soaps from leaking but it still breathes.  In your humidity I wouldn't wrap soaps too early. Make sure they are 100% before you package them.


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## Dawni

penelopejane said:


> I use paper wrapping and washi tape which is paper sticky tape.
> You can buy cellophane that is made from wood fibre (rather than petroleum) which I use but it is not a cheap alternative but it is eco friendly. That would stop the soaps from leaking but it still breathes.  In your humidity I wouldn't wrap soaps too early. Make sure they are 100% before you package them.


Washi tape!! Oh my.. I used to have a stash from when I was younger. Me n my eldest even painstakingly covered my laptop keys with them. I should use em instead of letting em waste in storage. If I can still find em.

Thanks for the reminder!

I'll have to look into that kind of cellophane.. Not sure if it's available here though, there aren't that many options.


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## penelopejane

Dawni said:


> Washi tape!! Oh my.. I used to have a stash from when I was younger. Me n my eldest even painstakingly covered my laptop keys with them. I should use em instead of letting em waste in storage. If I can still find em.
> 
> Thanks for the reminder!
> 
> I'll have to look into that kind of cellophane.. Not sure if it's available here though, there aren't that many options.


It probably won't help you but I have bought it from here:
https://www.buyecogreen.com.au/bags-cellophane


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## Kathymzr

Since I only give soap to friends and family, I want to present my soap as “Luxurious”. For now, I give my soap in little soap saver bags with a handwritten card listing the indredients. I don’t have labels and such yet.


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## bonnyny

These grease resistant papers are great - https://www.nashvillewraps.com/food-services-take-out/food-safe-tissue-paper/p-795/1260w


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## dixiedragon

Re: lotion bars - are their any containers in your area that get frequently thrown away? Baby food jars used to be really easy to get, but now most people have switched to pouches. But maybe there's something like that in your area? If not, then try to thing of something that is dishwasher safe and can be re-used. For use at home (vs in a purse) a coffee mug might do the trick. I can typically get those for 25 cents or less at thrift stores. 

What types of paper gets discarded? When I was little, my mom would save the funny pages out of all of the Sunday papers and use that for wrapping paper. You could wrap in catalogs, magazine pages, etc. I like to get books from the discard bin at 2nd and Charles (chain of used book stores).


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## melinda48

Dawni said:


> I've only now started to think about whether there are any cheap yet eco friendly (biodegradable preferably, we don't have facilities for recycling many things yet in the country) options for packaging soap, other than what I use currently.
> 
> I recycle the brown paper bags from the supermarket for friends and friends of friends. My extended family receives their soap wrapped in my teenager's old school papers, clean side touching the soap (they'll unwrap and use once they get home anyway lol so I'm not too worried about the ink from the other side).
> 
> I currently don't use any tape or glue, but I'm searching for biodegradable alternatives to both.
> 
> Anyone has suggestions for better packaging?
> 
> By better I mean it would look nice yet still kinda rustic.. Won't be as time consuming as cutting paper to size and wrapping the soap.. Would not up my costs too much.. Would not need additional bags of any kind if they're getting more than one piece.. Yet still be something I won't worry about people just throwing away.
> 
> Or am I asking for too much? Haha
> 
> Since we're here.. Any ideas for lotion bars? Tins n jars are there but they're not that cheap....


Wow! 
where do you live where you can still get paper grocery bags? I envy you that option!


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## DeeAnna

Another possibility besides wrapping soap in paper is to wrap in pieces of fabric cut from clothing that can no longer be worn. I've also seen soap packaged inside kids' socks. Well washed, of course!


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## Tourmaline

I've seen glassine bags at WSP, they are fully biodegradable and should be okay for lotion bars. DeeAnna has a good idea for soaps, if you don't have pretty rags or scrap fabric handy you could also browse the remnant bins at your local fabric store. Tie up your soaps like little bento boxes. Or you could sew pouches if you're handy with a sewing machine.

If you make any round soaps, I found a cool tutorial on how to wrap them in coffee filters! https://www.lovinsoap.com/2016/02/how-to-package-round-soap-using-coffee-filters/ 

(I originally came to this website just looking for tips on EO blends, but now you all got me looking at how to make and package melt and pour soap, bath bombs, sugar scrubs... my poor, poor wallet!)


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## Lindywine

Dawni said:


> I've only now started to think about whether there are any cheap yet eco friendly (biodegradable preferably, we don't have facilities for recycling many things yet in the country) options for packaging soap, other than what I use currently.
> 
> I recycle the brown paper bags from the supermarket for friends and friends of friends. My extended family receives their soap wrapped in my teenager's old school papers, clean side touching the soap (they'll unwrap and use once they get home anyway lol so I'm not too worried about the ink from the other side).
> 
> I currently don't use any tape or glue, but I'm searching for biodegradable alternatives to both.
> 
> Anyone has suggestions for better packaging?
> 
> By better I mean it would look nice yet still kinda rustic.. Won't be as time consuming as cutting paper to size and wrapping the soap.. Would not up my costs too much.. Would not need additional bags of any kind if they're getting more than one piece.. Yet still be something I won't worry about people just throwing away.
> 
> Or am I asking for too much? Haha
> 
> Since we're here.. Any ideas for lotion bars? Tins n jars are there but they're not that cheap....




How about glassine bags with twine or yarn?


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## TheGecko

Packaging...it’s becoming a ‘four-letter’ word with me.  

I started out with these clear, cellophane ‘gift bags’ that I got from the Dollar Tree.  They are okay for my 40z bars, but not 5oz and the supply is not dependable.  Then I bought a brown kraft label that wrapped around your soap; would fit both size bars.  Ten labels to a sheet, and came with a template...only I can’t open the **** file!  I can open the Adobe template, except I only have Reader, not the regular software.  

A gal I follow in Taiwan uses an opp film...perfect.  Except I can’t get a US supplier to call me back and even asking to buy a sample of 100 sheets has gotten nowhere.  Might see if she would be interested in doing a co-op with her supplier.

I’ve tried shrink wrap bags, but it makes it kind of hard to smell the soap with it all closed off.  At the craft fair, I ended up cutting one of the ends off.  I am currently researching slightly over sized shrink bands that leave the ends open.

I’ve seen some folks use boxes, but those can be pretty speedy unless you are buying them in a large quantity.  Maybe another co-op opportunity.  Another option would be tissue paper or a printed ‘wax’ paper.

And the above is just for soap!

I started wrapping my lotion bars in cut-down coffee filters and putting in small jewelry size ziplock bags from Hobby Lobby, but not practical if you want to carry them in my purse or in your drawer at the office so now I’m looking at tins.  I also want to do something for my ‘testers’...more money.


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## CatahoulaBubble

I switched to glassine bags and jute twine for my lotion bars and my soap. I wanted everything to be completely biodegradable.


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## SideDoorSoaps

I was using cotton bags and switched to boxes. I liked the bags because you can use them amfor other things after soap.


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## SoapSisters

I love the idea of wrapping soap in catalogs, book pages and magazines. Is there anything in the ink that would cause DOS?


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## Lin19687

melinda48 said:


> Wow!
> where do you live where you can still get paper grocery bags? I envy you that option!


Here in Massachusetts we are almost mostly back to Paper Bags.  Plastic bags and water bottles are ruining the landscape around here   I LOVE the Paper bags for grocery, that is until they start to get thinner like they did with the plastic -that would ruin it lol.
I only use paper bags to put my soaps in for the customers and use cardboard boxes for the soaps.
Recycle is a BIG thing here and I love it


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## TheGecko

Lin19687 said:


> Here in Massachusetts we are almost mostly back to Paper Bags.  Plastic bags and water bottles are ruining the landscape around here   I LOVE the Paper bags for grocery, that is until they start to get thinner like they did with the plastic -that would ruin it lol.  I only use paper bags to put my soaps in for the customers and use cardboard boxes for the soaps.
> Recycle is a BIG thing here and I love it



They have outlawed 'single use plastic bags' in our state as of 01/01/2020 and you either bring your own or pay the store 5 cents for a paper bag.  They tried to outlaw plastic straws, but the ACLU stepped in because there are a lot of elderly and disabled folks who use them.

I remember a time when we only had paper bags and we didn't pay for them, but someone decided that plastic would be better.  We used have paper straws until someone decided that plastic would be better.  I remember a time when we didn't have designer water...which is where the majority of your plastic in landfills comes from.  We glass bottles for our soda/pop, ketchup, mayo, mustard, pickles and so on and so forth...it's all plastic now.  Frozen vegetables came in waxed cartons as did milk and juice...no plastic.

When recycling first started some 30 years ago, the rules were pretty strict and your stuff wouldn't get picked up if you didn't follow them.  Now days, it's just another garbage container and I don't blame China for not wanting our recycling anymore.  

Outlawing 'single use bags' is stupid in the fact of all of the rest of the plastic we use.  We use plastic bags and plastic cartons for our produce.  We use plastic and styrofoam for meats.  Deli uses plastic bags.  Of the four suppliers I use, Brambleberry is the only one that use glass bottles.


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## Lin19687

TheGecko said:


> Outlawing 'single use bags' is stupid in the fact of all of the rest of the plastic we use.  We use plastic bags and plastic cartons for our produce.  We use plastic and styrofoam for meats.  Deli uses plastic bags.



It is not Stupid, it is a START.
If we did NOTHING untill we could 'do it all' now THAT would be Stupid.


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## LilyJo

We banned single use carrier bags in England a couple of years ago and if you want a recyclable carrier it's now 5 or 10p. Usage rates have dropped to between 90-95%.

We need more stores and manufacturers to stop using plastic, styrofoam, deli bags - they can do it but until legislation forces them, they will keep finding reasons not to.


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## Dawni

@dixiedragon there's a reason we're top 3 worst ocean polluter - we're surrounded by ocean and there's too much plastic so a lot of waste goes to the water.

Glass is expensive. Plastic bottles are expensive even. A lot of people can't afford to buy a liter of shampoo so companies have come out with sachets. Even mayonnaise bottles have their sachet little brothers.

Too much trash. That also means there's not many things readily available to reuse if I have to get it from others. We at home have greatly reduced plastics. The few we do use, like milk n yogurt cartons are made into eco bricks.

Our lotion bars at home rests on whatever surface we forget them on lol, or on little plates that are the last of their sets. 

I have looked into paper. My issue is, with the sweating that goes on here, I've experienced ink transfers on some of my soaps. It's the same issue for lotion bars. Unless it's traveling a very short distance, all the oil will seep through the paper.



melinda48 said:


> Wow!
> where do you live where you can still get paper grocery bags? I envy you that option!


The Philippines 
They've stopped single use plastics in supermarkets several years back. If you don't take your reusable eco bag with you (a lot forget still lol) you'll have to lug your stuff in handle-less paper bags, or a big box that they dispose of by giving it to you haha.

Some fast food chains have stopped single use utensils as well when you dine in. They'll give you a straw if you ask, but biodegradable bamboo straws and reusable metal ones are trending now. People bring their own when they go out. In fact, a lot of people bring their tiffin boxes in for their takeaway orders too.

@DeeAnna I've seen people use cloth. Cute ones. Makes me wonder where they got em. Old clothing in this house gets given to the poor or cut up to use in the kitchen, which I'm hoping people will do when they receive something from me wrapped in cloth. That's another of my issues - using something others can safely throw, in case they're not as eco conscious as we are. I will go through the bin and see if there's something there I can use, thanks for the reminder 

@Tourmaline thanks, I did not think of fabric stores. I should order glassine to try, but I'm not sure if the lotion bars will withstand the heat. I do make round soaps but not sure yet if I want to buy coffee paper hehehe

@Lindywine and @CatahoulaBubble, same answer as the above for the glassine but I do use local materials to tie my soaps up once they're wrapped in paper. We have lovely abaca or sinamay string, looks better than jute in my opinion, and I've used colorful paper yarn as well. 

@SideDoorSoaps the danger is, if people are like my mom they'll forget that bag and then eventually toss it hahaha. Also, it'll up my customer's costs hehe. I'm trying to get handmade soap to others who can't readily afford the other "premium" ones so I'm keeping my costs low. 



SoapSisters said:


> I love the idea of wrapping soap in catalogs, book pages and magazines. Is there anything in the ink that would cause DOS?


Good question. 

@Lin19687 the paper grocery bags are getting thinner here as well lol



TheGecko said:


> Outlawing 'single use bags' is stupid in the fact of all of the rest of the plastic we use.


It's a start at least. Here people are finding ways to stop using plastic. I mentioned utensils and straws and tiffin boxes above. I also sell biodegradable bamboo toothbrushes and bamboo cotton buds. I've used cloth wipes and diapers instead of disposable ones on my baby. We've not bought bottles of shampoo, conditioner nor lotion in years. We use loofahs even in the kitchen. People are urging companies to do something about plastic use. One small thing multiplied by many will make a difference.

@LilyJo you are right. It has to be in legislation, like with the plastic bags. They can slowly do it with other things too. I hope they do sooner than later, for my kid's sakes.


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## Kiti Williams

I recycle my single use plastic bags into a knitted tote bag.  One tote eats up over 90 bags!  So far, none of the trial bags have gotten a hole in them or any type of damage to render them useless.


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## dixiedragon

@TheGecko - gonna have to disagree with you. We have to start somewhere, right?

I would love love love to get back to the re-usable glass bottles, where you turn them in and get a deposit back.


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## Dawni

dixiedragon said:


> I would love love love to get back to the re-usable glass bottles, where you turn them in and get a deposit back.


I would love to experience that. They stopped doing it here while we were elsewhere and by the time we actually lived her they've switched to plastic.


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## TheGecko

dixiedragon said:


> @TheGecko - gonna have to disagree with you. We have to start somewhere, right?
> 
> I would love love love to get back to the re-usable glass bottles, where you turn them in and get a deposit back.



I live in the original 'bottle bill' state and today we are one of only ten states that have such a program.  Originally the program covered beer and soda/pop cans (5 cents) and bottles (10 cents), then was later changed to include plastic soda/pop bottles, then plastic water bottles, then all plastic bottles except for milk and infant formula, and most recently the amount was changed to 10 cents for all.  The later was a response to the fact that redemption had fallen to an all-time low despite self-serve redemption machines and now, redemption centers.

While there was a huge resurgence in redemption when the price first changed from 5 to 10 cents (who wouldn't want to get double your money back), the simple fact is, for the majority of people, 10 cents a bottle or can is just not worth the effort to store, transport and redeem.


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## Tourmaline

@Dawni: Wow, it's great to hear about all the things the Philippines is doing to combat plastic waste! Makes my environmentalist heart go pitter-pat.  Colorado really needs to get onto this train. Denver has decent recycling programs but the rest of the state? Not so much. My mom and I have to drive half an hour to recycle stuff. And single-use plastic bags are still a thing here, unfortunately. I bring my own reusable bags to stores but sometimes people look at me funny.

Check out fabric stores immediately after a holiday, or at the change of seasons. I'm not sure if this is the case in the Philippines, but here fabric stores will often have the previous holiday's or season's prints on sale when they're trying to make space for the new season's stock.

@Kiti Williams: Awesome, do you have a pattern for that? Any photos of the finished product? I suck at knitting, but I have a friend who knits and loves the environment as much as I do.


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## geniash

Dawni - I’m with you on simple and eco friendly packaging. I print my labels on home printer on brown paper - they look simple, cool and stylish. Check them out on my Instagram. As far as lotion bars - my idea was to wrap them in homemade beeswax wrap and tie with jute twine, however for now I’m just wrapping them in wax paper and place them in small recycled carton boxes.


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## sirtim100

I go swimming in the sea off the north coast of Galicia, Spain, and discarded single use plastic bags are a common sight in the waters round here. There's something badly wrong when non-perishable materials end up in a delicate ecosystem like the sea, and the outcome is self-evident, the number of marine life forms that are killed outright or damged from consuming plastics is scandalous, and the upshot is that we're on the receiving end sooner or later, in the form of the fish on your plate. So I feel it does make sense to oblige people to not use single use plastics, any steps taken in that direction strike me good ones. Spanish law forces stores to charge for bags (0.05€) and it seems to be working.


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## BattleGnome

SoapSisters said:


> I love the idea of wrapping soap in catalogs, book pages and magazines. Is there anything in the ink that would cause DOS?



Traditionally, some inks have used metal to get their color (black or reds come to mind). I’m sure the consumable nature of society has changed some of that due to cost, especially with news papers being lower quality in general because they know it’s a consumable product. If you only use your local paper for wrapping you can ask about the ink composition to be sure.


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## Zeb Lisik

Have you ever heard of rice glue? You can easily make it yourself. It's been used in Asia for literally ages. It's still used in modern times. Kids make paper kites with it here. It's acid free and so cheap! I have no idea how long it would last but we used it for a paper packaging test tonight and it dried very securely.


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## Mobjack Bay

Has anyone tried glassine bags for lotion bars? They’re made from paper, but have a very smooth finish due to the process used.  I ordered three sizes to use for soap and the smallest ones are too small, but the size looks like it would be right for a small lotion bar.


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## Sharon Patterson

Mobjack Bay said:


> Has anyone tried glassine bags for lotion bars? They’re made from paper, but have a very smooth finish due to the process used.  I ordered three sizes to use for soap and the smallest ones are too small, but the size looks like it would be right for a small lotion bar.


I haven't used glassine bags for my lotion bars but I do use kraft paper deodorant tubes for them and everyone seems to love them.


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## Kiti Williams

I put my lotion bars in a tin.  It keeps it from going all over the place and also keeps out any nasties.  I use a coconut oil with a 92 degree melt point in lotion bars that go to hot climates


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## Dawni

@Ex-ArmyChick how sweet, thank you for thinking of it. We do however get the stuff here.... It's more my unwillingness to use em lol

Less is more, yes?

I wonder if your friend donates or sells the stuff here? We have a lot of second habd shops selling stuff they've opened from "US bales." I actually buy most my clothes there, on the rare times I think I need a new shirt or something haha

Check this out. I posted it on Instagram and got a DM from someone telling me they now know what to do with their kid's school sheets. 

A lady ordered soaps for her prayer group. This lady had previously "donated" to me a whole box of their lectures, songs, etc. printed on what we call groundwood paper. I used those to wrap her soap, clean side down hehe

I like your idea about kids decorating paper! 

Re: lotion bars. I started with more beeswax than I'm using now and they were too difficult to use according to me and my testers lol so far no one has carried them in pockets or bags coz it's just too hot n sticky once you leave the house to use or reapply haha so for home use I think my current recipe is ok.

@Mobjack Bay I looked into glassine bags.. Maybe I'll order some as my lotion bar isn't square that's easily wrapped in glassine sheets and making the bags would be too time consuming.

@Zeb Lisik you mentioning rice glue takes me back to my and my teenager's preschool years lol. We used those a lot back then, don't know why I didn't think of that. But the soap I wrapped in the pic has no glue whatsoever and it works in my opinion. What do you think?

Ms. @Sharon Patterson unfortunately kraft paper tubes won't be cost effective for me. I've only found two suppliers so far and they're not cheap here. Maybe when the demand goes up prices will go down but until then..... Also, I haven't found anyone who can tell me if they hold up in our climate.


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## Zeb Lisik

@Dawni  Looks pretty good. I guess you'll know if it stays with just a tie by using it for a while. I'm finding paper wrapping bars of soap so tedious for my big dumb fingers hahaha Let me know how well it all stays together


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## Dawni

Zeb Lisik said:


> @Dawni  Looks pretty good. I guess you'll know if it stays with just a tie by using it for a while. I'm finding paper wrapping bars of soap so tedious for my big dumb fingers hahaha Let me know how well it all stays together


I guess this is another advantage of being small - tiny hands lol

I will update. I have an order that has to travel some distance and I'll know after that.


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## earlene

I have soap wrapped in paper and bound by ribbons that have been stored that way for a good 3 or 4 years and they are holding up just fine.  Of course our humidity is not what it is in the Phillipines, but I think it depends on the type of paper used, too.  I was using any paper available to me.  The one that doesn't hold up is thin tissue paper, the kind used for wrapping gifts or presents (weddings, birthdays, Christmas, etc.)  The humidity gets to that paper pretty fast.

But craft paper, thin decorative paper and plain newsprint paper holds up pretty nicely even when the humidity rises and drops repeatedly.  Still, I don't live in a monsoon-type climate.  And my recipes are probably somewhat different, and I am sure that is a factor as well.


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## CatahoulaBubble

I've switched to glassine bags for soap and lotions. They biodegrade faster than the cardboard and paper boxes and there's no plastic. You can even put them in the compost bins. I ordered the larger sandwich bags for the soap and just cut them down to size and got smaller ones for the lotion bars. I do have tins for the lotion bars if requested and people who have bought the Lotion in a tin can then order just a refill that I give them in the glassine bag later. I'm trying to switch to a completely sustainable business and have everything be either compostable, reusable, or recycleable.   I even re-purpose my oil buckets into chicken waterers for those local to me.


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## Elizabeth Driver

Dawni said:


> I've only now started to think about whether there are any cheap yet eco friendly (biodegradable preferably, we don't have facilities for recycling many things yet in the country) options for packaging soap, other than what I use currently.
> 
> I recycle the brown paper bags from the supermarket for friends and friends of friends. My extended family receives their soap wrapped in my teenager's old school papers, clean side touching the soap (they'll unwrap and use once they get home anyway lol so I'm not too worried about the ink from the other side).
> 
> I currently don't use any tape or glue, but I'm searching for biodegradable alternatives to both.
> 
> Anyone has suggestions for better packaging?
> 
> By better I mean it would look nice yet still kinda rustic.. Won't be as time consuming as cutting paper to size and wrapping the soap.. Would not up my costs too much.. Would not need additional bags of any kind if they're getting more than one piece.. Yet still be something I won't worry about people just throwing away.
> 
> Or am I asking for too much? Haha
> 
> Since we're here.. Any ideas for lotion bars? Tins n jars are there but they're not that cheap....


I have the same question about packaging - I want to be eco friendly, and so many people want to avoid plastic - but I only use EO’s in my soaps - and I find the scent often so mild.....that I think plastic wrap is the only way after curing to preserve their scent....What did you end up using?



CatahoulaBubble said:


> I switched to glassine bags and jute twine for my lotion bars and my soap. I wanted everything to be completely biodegradable.



How do you find the glassine bags for helping soap keep their smell? And can you smell through the glassine to know what the scent is like? Thx,


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## Dawni

Elizabeth Driver said:


> I have the same question about packaging - I want to be eco friendly, and so many people want to avoid plastic - but I only use EO’s in my soaps - and I find the scent often so mild.....that I think plastic wrap is the only way after curing to preserve their scent....What did you end up using?


Still just paper. I use only EOs too. I'm looking into biodegradable plastic, made of cassava but it'll up my costs a bit. I'm probably due for a price increase anyways, from my into prices but I haven't tested them, sorry.


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## Mobjack Bay

@Elizabeth Driver not @CatahoulaBubble, but I use both glassine bags and tissue paper to wrap soaps.  I can barely smell scents through the glassine bags, but can easily smell them through the tissue paper I’m using.


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## CatahoulaBubble

The glassine bags keep the scent in quite well. You can't really smell the scents through the bags. I always have a tester bar available if people want to smell the scent. I use glassine for my lotion bars as well but I sell a tin with the Lotion bars for $1 more if people want a tin.  What I find is what most people buy is a few lotion bars and then a tin to refill with the lotion bars.


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## Christine McKnight

I’m just starting out and I’ve made some lotion bars using wax from my bees and I’ve decided to get tins for mine.  I want to be able to keep a bar at work, but I work in a workshop office and it can get a bit grubby at times.  Also I can keep a bar in my bag if it’s in a tin and it won’t get covered in bits of fluff, etc.


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## Lin19687

Elizabeth Driver said:


> I have the same question about packaging - I want to be eco friendly, and so many people want to avoid plastic - but I only use EO’s in my soaps - and I find the scent often so mild.....that I think plastic wrap is the only way after curing to preserve their scent....What did you end up using?


Use cardboard boxes, they can be recycled and have a hole to smell through


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## aquamorgan

Dawni said:


> I've only now started to think about whether there are any cheap yet eco friendly (biodegradable preferably, we don't have facilities for recycling many things yet in the country) options for packaging soap, other than what I use currently.
> 
> I recycle the brown paper bags from the supermarket for friends and friends of friends. My extended family receives their soap wrapped in my teenager's old school papers, clean side touching the soap (they'll unwrap and use once they get home anyway lol so I'm not too worried about the ink from the other side).
> 
> I currently don't use any tape or glue, but I'm searching for biodegradable alternatives to both.
> 
> Anyone has suggestions for better packaging?
> 
> By better I mean it would look nice yet still kinda rustic.. Won't be as time consuming as cutting paper to size and wrapping the soap.. Would not up my costs too much.. Would not need additional bags of any kind if they're getting more than one piece.. Yet still be something I won't worry about people just throwing away.
> 
> Or am I asking for too much? Haha
> 
> Since we're here.. Any ideas for lotion bars? Tins n jars are there but they're not that cheap....


I am the same, I want zero waste packaging. Instead of glue, you can use rice and a bit water — natural glue.


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## newlife

I wrap my soaps in paper I cut from paper pad used for scrapbooking. I used to be able to buy the 8 1/2 X 11 pads but they are few and far between now. Most are 12x12. The 8 1/2 x 11 were easier as I just had to cut in half to fit my soap. This is not cardstock but paper. Cardstock was too thick. I wrapped as you would a present with double stick tape but had to hot glue the ends as they would come undone. I then put a belly band on. Easiest way for me right now as I didn’t like shrink wrap. You can smell the soap in the paper wraps. See the attached photo


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