It’s no secret that climate change is wreaking havoc on our planet. From an impact on food supply to ever-stronger hurricanes and the projection that London will have a climate equivalent to Barcelona’s before 2050, it’s evident that Mother Earth is experiencing some considerable shifts. That’s why it’s so critically important that Bluebird Botanicals goes green.

As with our approach to health and wellness for our own bodies, Bluebird Botanicals strives to take a holistic approach to sustainability and environmental health. Read on to learn more about how our company seeks to make a positive impact on our planet through sustainable best practices. We’ll also leave you with some ways you can help us support sustainability by reducing your own carbon footprint.

Sustainable business practices

When it comes to Bluebird’s business practices, sustainability starts at the source. We work directly with farmers who are true caretakers of their land and hemp crops. We partner only with those who participate in sustainable farming practices that don't use harmful chemicals or other potential contaminants. This helps ensure that Bluebird Botanicals CBD products are always immaculate.

Bluebird Botanicals is committed to sustainability throughout our production and manufacturing operations.

Our farmers grow Bluebird hemp in greenhouses or outdoors, which generally has a lesser energy use impact than growing hemp at an indoor facility. They also practice crop rotation techniques that prevent soil erosion and restore nutrient balance. 

Related Article: From Seed to Bottle - The Bluebird Botanicals CBD Journey

Related Article: Regenerative Agriculture for the Earth - and Hemp!

Bluebird looks for sustainable packaging options for our products wherever possible. Our product boxes are recyclable, and the wrap we use in our product shipments is made from 100% post-consumer recycled goods and is also recyclable. Even the packing peanuts included in our orders to our wholesale suppliers are biodegradable. 

How you can help

We can all do our part to reduce our environmental impact. If you’re already a member of the Bluebird flock, chances are you are already making an effort to curtail your carbon emissions. Here are a couple Bluebird-born ideas to help you enhance your impact.

Be thrifty

We know that you can pop some tags with only $20 in your pocket by shopping secondhand, but did you know this can protect the environment just as much as your budget? 

By cutting back on purchasing new, you cut down the demand and, by extension, the production. This is especially true of resource-intensive products - like cars - or products that come with a lot of single-use plastic packaging.

You can also shop with reusable containers to further cut down on litter by finding a zero waste store in your area. 

Reduce usage 

We’re talking water and energy here. 

By switching to low-flow shower heads and water efficient toilets and appliances, you can cut down on both your water bill and your environmental impact. Look for WaterSense and Energy Star designations on these items, which are both EPA-run programs. 

One of the most effective ways to curb energy use is to focus on efficiency and reducing the need to use certain energy channels in the first place. This can be done through ensuring equipment is regularly maintained, improving insulation and sealing - particularly in drafty areas - and even unplugging appliances when not in use to reduce “phantom load.” 

Many utility providers now even offer the ability to switch over to utilizing wind power or other alternative energy sources to power the accounts you already have in place. Colorado electricity provider Holy Cross Energy offers their PuRE program, which gives the option to power your home with wind, water, or solar power for a marginal fee per kilowatt hours used:

• Wind: customer pays $0.76 per 100 kWh 
• Hydro: customer pays $1.07 per 100 kWh 
• Solar: customer pays $1.22 per 100 kWh 

Check in with your local utility provider to see if they have a renewable energy alternative!

Buy local

Shopping at your favorite farmer’s market or finding a local Community Supported Agriculture program is one of the best ways you can shop green - and it adds a nice spice of variety to your diet because you’ll only get the best of what’s in season.

Worried about things going bad? You can plan to minimize food waste by meal-prepping ahead of time and freezing what you might not get to. 

Travel greener

When planning your next trip, try to book accommodations at a green hotel, or encourage your favorite hotel chains to green up their business practices.

Traveling by air? You can make a donation through various airlines carbon offsets programs to help mitigate the impact of your trip.

And, don’t worry, you can bring your bottle of CBD with you when you fly: the TSA has officially given the green light. 

Upcycle Bluebird Bottles

While Bluebird’s glass CBD bottles are recyclable, there’s quite a few other fun ways to repurpose your bottles. Let’s get crafty!

As beautiful as Bluebird’s branding is, whatever upcycling project you choose, you’ll want to start with cleaning and peeling the labels from your bottles, for versatility’s sake if nothing else. Labels can be pesky to remove, but here’s a few simple steps to help ease the process: 

1. Peel away what you can. Don’t worry about getting it completely clean - the next step will help with any residual stickiness left after this step.
2. Let bottles soak overnight in a bowl of warm, soapy water. 
3. Remove the rest of the labels. If any pesky spots remain, lemon essential oil is your friend. Rub a little on those bad boys and they should peel right off. 

Once you’ve got your bottles clean and polished, you can move onto exploring the following projects.

Mini flower vases

This is a fun and simple way to add a little flair to everything from your desk at work to a sunny windowsill in your home. The best part? It doesn’t take much time at all to set up.

You can choose to collect some wildflowers and sprigs from your own garden or local park, or even pick up some faux plants from your local craft store if you’re worried about forgetting to fill the water (don’t worry, we won’t tell anyone). 

If you want a bit more glamour for your flower vases than the natural amber bottle, you can slick on a coat of paint and tie some ribbon around the top. 

Windchimes

This one takes a bit more skill and a good deal more time, but makes a beautiful addition to your backyard or an unexpected gift for a friend. Here’s what you’ll want to gather prior to starting this project:

• dowel or other strong stick
• fishing line or thin, pliable wire
• empty CBD bottles
• beads or other decorative items like metal buttons or sea shells
• hot glue
• twine or hemp string

The how-to:

1. Wrap twine or hemp string around both ends of your dowel or stick to get the craft party started.
2. Using fishing line or wire, wrap the objects and hang the objects from dowel. Make sure that the segments are long enough and the pieces close enough that they’ll strike each other when the wind blows.
3. Add hot glue to secure the fishing line knots or wire wrapped segments. 
4. Let dry overnight.
5. Hang outside and enjoy!

Mini candles

This is a fun project for the more ambitious DIY-er. It can make an especially fun project to do with friends or family as the scent combinations you can create are limitless. Here’s what you’ll need to snag from the craft store:

• Soy wax flakes 
• Candle wicks with metal bottoms
• Essential oils of your choice

You’ll also need to make sure you have the following items on hand:

• Shallow pot or pan or microwave-safe bowl
• Measuring cup or other spouted item
• Straws 
• Pen or other strong, narrow object
• Tape
• Old Bluebird CBD Capsule bottles

The steps

1. Affix tape to the metal bottom of your wick. Place the wick in your empty CBD bottle, using a pen or other object to press firmly to the bottom
2. Rest a straw over the jar opening so that it lines up perpendicularly with your wick. Tape the wick firm and straight to the middle of the bottle and then the straw to the bottle edges to keep it locked in place.
3. Heat soy flakes in a pan on the stove or in microwavable dish. Microwave for one minute, then in 30 second intervals until melted or simply heat over low/medium heat, keeping a careful watch on your pot and stirring occasionally.
4. Pour wax into your measuring cup or container with a spout, then let cool for two minutes. 
5. Blend in your essential oils. You can choose any combination you like - get creative - but be aware the scent will be less potent once the candle has cooled. Some of our favorites are wild orange, bergamot, and cypress for an uplifting, citrusy kick or vanilla and lavender for a classic, soothing scent.  
6. Pour soy wax and essential oil mixture into your bottle. Be sure to go slow so as not to disturb the centered, vertical position of the wick.
7. Let sit and harden overnight.
8. Trim the wick down to your desired height.
9. Enjoy at home or gift to a friend or coworker!

Have your own clever idea for how to repurpose Bluebird bottles? Share on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter and tag Bluebird Botanicals in your post!