We put the care in haircare
At Tangle Teezer we care about hair, but we also care about our customers, and we care how we treat the planet. One of our mane goals is making innovative haircare in the most sustainable way we can, so we can all live life, untangled. We have made strokes towards sustainability, and we want to continue to reduce our carbon footprint and the amount of waste we produce, so we can keep making waves, not tangles – for you, for our planet and for the future. We don’t have all the answers right now – who does? But we’re all about making a positive difference and forever evolving.
Untangling our relationship with plastic
Strong, resilient, waterproof, flexible: plastic is truly an amazing material. But what makes a product long-lasting and durable also means that it stays for a long time in the environment and doesn’t naturally break down. Across the globe, we all use plastic products every day. And while plastic can be recycled, there aren’t enough effective waste and recycling systems in place. Consequently, plastic is not used or treated as the valuable material it is, and it’s tangling the earth.
As a brand, we think we must make careful decisions about what we produce, how we do it and how our products are disposed of, so they don’t end up as waste or in landfill. When we first started Tangle Teezer in 2007, plastic made entirely from fossil fuels was the only option available to make our brushes and our innovative two-tier technology. But with fossil fuels accounting for over 75% of all greenhouse gas emissions we knew we had to make a change.
Now, many years later, other innovative and sustainable plastic-like materials have entered the market, so we can start to teeze out fossil fuels from our supply chain. We look at this as a long-term commitment, as it takes time to get sustainability right – just look at how long it took to develop our Plant Brush, made from 85% sustainably sourced castor beans. From concept to final product, it took two years to develop our Plant Brush to make sure it detangled and styled to the same high standard as our plastic brushes. But it’s not just our brushes, it’s also looking at sustainability from every angle and at every point in our supply chain, so we can take the necessary strokes to leave a more positive impact on the earth
How we’re caring for the planet
Made-to-last brushes
Most of our brushes are currently made from plastic. Tough, durable and recyclable plastic. Giving you a brush that will last for many, many years. Our love of hair has driven us to design products differently, to perform brilliantly and that makes Tangle Teezer brushes unique and really long-lasting. The best thing you can do for the planet is to cherish and care for your brushes; because plastic is valuable.
Detangle, recycle, repeat
While our brushes are built to last, nothing lasts forever. That’s why we’ll recycle your well-loved Tangle Teezer (or any other plastic brush) for you, for free.
We’re in the early stage of our recycling journey, but we’ve got big plans for reusing plastic. In 2022, we recycled 500 hairbrushes, and in 2023, we more than doubled that figure to 1,200 brushes. In 2024, we want to keep doubling our efforts and we’re aiming to save 2,400 brushes from landfill. This is all part of our plan to recycle over 10,000 brushes by 2030. But we need your help to achieve our goal, so keep sending us your old plastic brushes and we’ll keep recycling them.
Brushes made from plants
Most plastics are made from fossil fuels, which we know contributes to climate change. But there are more and more plant-based alternatives being developed, which come from natural, renewable sources. It’s always been our mane goal to reinvent the way all hair is cared for, which is why we’re so happy about our newest tool
Made from 85% sustainably sourced castor beans, the only thing different about our Plant Brush is that it is made from beans. Everything else you know and love about Tangle Teezer brushes, including our two-tiered teeth technology and detangling power, is the same. It’s our eco-friendly brush that’s designed differently, so it performs brilliantly for you, and for our planet.
We launched the Plant Brush in March 2023 and it’s been growing great. In 2023, we sold 188,000 brushes, accounting for 1.5% of all our brushes sold. The Plant Brush was also recognised for its innovation, winning nine industry awards in the US and UK. In 2024, we want to grow our tools made from plants, so that by 2030, this plant-based renewable range accounts for more than 15% of our global sales.
Another stroke towards sustainability
We’ve thought hard about the plastic we do and don’t need. While our plastic packaging is made from recycled plastic and fully recyclable, not all plastic packaging gets recycled – with only 14% of all plastic packaging collected for recycling after use. One way we can contribute to a healthier planet is to get rid of unnecessary plastic packaging altogether, which is why we made the decision to switch all our packaging to cardboard.
The cardboard we use is made from renewable sources (as certified by the FSC and the CPI), and it’s fully recyclable. And in case you forget to recycle our packaging, cardboard breaks down naturally in the environment, so it won’t leave the planet in a tangle.
Our new cardboard packaging is already shipping out to shelves near you, and by 2025, we’ll have said goodbye to all our plastic packaging.
How else are we reducing our carbon footprint?
Closing the loop
Alongside our brush recycling programme and the changes to our packaging, we have adopted innovative practices in our factories to make sure that when making Tangle Teezer products, we recycle as much of the waste generated along the way – plastic or paper, big or small. This means we keep valuable resources in a circular system, which is better for the earth.
Emissions & energy
We’ve surveyed our workplace in London, and we have an energy rating of B, which compares favourably to similar properties. We have also switched to renewable energy sources wherever possible. And when working with outside-owned facilities, we only work with those that run highly energy efficient processes, and we review these annually.
Our sustainability progress
Each January, we’ll report on our progress so you can see where we are in relation to our commitments. We’re just at the beginning of our sustainability journey and we’re learning all the time, making improvements as we go. Read our sustainability summary to see our progress.
