Meow Meow Tweet

Bulk refills / Source: Meow Meow Tweet

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5 MINUTE READ

Nate Tyler

WHAT WE SAY:

Meow Meow Tweet is an originator when it comes to plastic-free packaging for personal care products. The brand has been selling vegan, low-waste beauty and personal care products since 2009 and it made the first deodorant in a compostable tube in 2016.

The brand sells toners, soaps, shampoo bars, face oils, and skin creams in reusable, recyclable and refillable packaging, but its deodorant has undoubtedly had the biggest cultural impact, serving as inspiration for a host of other brands. If an independent, small-batch brand can do it, we’re sure the big players can follow suit.

KEY FACTS:

Meow Meow Tweet (MMT) is a US-based brand which hand makes vegan beauty and personal care products with a focus on reducing waste.
Much of MMT’s packaging is made from Glass and Aluminium, both highly recycled and recyclable materials, and refills are available for all packaged products.
MMT's refills come in bulk size – known as the brand's Bulk Aisle. This approach reduces packaging waste in the long term, allowing consumers to continuously refill a small pack with one large one. Bulk packaging can be sent back to the brand to be cleaned and reused.
MMT worked with MIT to ensure the bulk programme didn't have a negative environmental impact, and discovered that with the shipping emissions and resources taken to clean, sterilise and refill a bulk jar, each one needs to be used a minimum for three times.
MMT’s deodorant stick differs in that it is paper-based and made to be composted. It functions like a push pop: the user removes the lid and pushes the base to apply the product.
The tube and seal are made from Paper and the brand claims it can be composted either at home or industrially, breaking down within one year.
Like many refillable deodorants, MMT deodorants are natural, utilising plant-based ingredients and mineral powders.
MMT is not completely plastic-free as it uses plastic pumps and caps. The brand suggests that all plastic pumps are reused with refills. It also offers a returns system in partnership with Terracycle, but with recent findings showing that TerraCycle isn't all it's cracked up to be, this isn't the silver bullet it seems.

Selection of deodorant sticks / Source: Meow Meow Tweet

Range of bulk refills / Source: Meow Meow Tweet

DIVE DEEPER:

Meow Meow Tweet launched as a soap company in 2009. It introduced deodorant to its product mix in 2011, creating a creamy formula packaged in a glass jar which is applied by hand.
Its deodorant sticks were developed as a response to consumers who weren’t comfortable applying deodorant directly to their underarms.
The product mirrors conventional sticks and roll-ons in application. However, conventional products generally consist of a plastic body, cap and roller or twist mechanism. Gaskets, valves, threaded necks and reinforced bases add to the mountains of plastic which are inevitably discarded once the product is finished.
MMT’s packaging is 100% paper-based, featuring a lid, a body, an inner tube and a seal, all of which are home compostable.
The brand has also expanded the design to its range of balms.
Each paper tube costs USD 1.70 compared to approximately USD 0.10 - 0.25 for a plastic deodorant tube.
The tubes are constructed individually by WestRock.
As the sticks are not airtight, MMT states the products have a shelf life of three months and recommends storing them in an airtight container if not being used immediately after purchase.
A full size, 50 gram deodorant stick costs USD 14. Compared to a conventional product packaged in plastic, it represents a significant price hike. Other paper-based stick products range from approximately half the price to like for like, putting MMT at the more expensive end of the market.
The company offers a subscription service for a 10% discount, while its bulk refill items are 15% cheaper per ounce.
Natural deodorant accounts for 35% of all sales.
Its low-waste ethos extends to its shipping packaging, where it uses corn-based packing peanuts, FSC-certified paper, cardboard and paper tape.
The company runs small batch production from its own micro-factory. All deodorants are hand poured in batches of 70 and the team makes five batches per day. Production time is approximately ten minutes per product. By comparison, a conventional deodorant can take less than 30 seconds to make.
The company weighs its trash weekly and has a target of waste reduction of 15% YOY. Its website product pages include instructions on disposal for each element of the product. The options include recycling, reusing, composting and returning for recycling.
MMT works with regenerative farmers and its formulations are palm oil-free and utilise fair trade ingredients.
The company holds B Corp, Climate Neutral and Leaping Bunny certifications. It is also certified as being Plastic Negative, however, the goal should always be eliminating plastic, not offsetting it.
All team members receive living wages and are offered a yearly bonus for cycling, taking public transport or using a ride-share to at least 50% of shifts. Additionally, the company makes monthly donations to grassroots BIPOC-and queer-led organisations.

“Is it going to be just a marketing point, or is it going to... be something that brands embody behind the scenes?”

Tara Pelletier – Co-Founder, Meow Meow Tweet – as quoted in Glossy

Key Design Considerations:

Expand innovation to your entire product line

MMT completely overhauled the conventional deodorant design with its all-paper packaging but continues to use plastic pumps. Look to companies such as Haeckels who designed a keyhole dispensing system for accurate dosing without extra plastic elements.

Functionality trade-offs

MMT’s paper-based, push pop design requires gentle manipulation – the push action being much less smooth than twist mechanisms. Consider whether this kind of trade-off might pose too much of a barrier to the consumer and how you might overcome that.

Scaling your product

MMT hasn’t been able to automate its manufacturing process, so hand pours all products. Can you automate production in order to scale?

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Meow Meow Tweet

WHAT WE SAY:

Meow Meow Tweet is an originator when it comes to plastic-free packaging for personal care products. The brand has been selling vegan, low-waste beauty and personal care products since 2009 and it made the first deodorant in a compostable tube in 2016.

KEY FACTS:

DIVE DEEPER:

Meow Meow Tweet launched as a soap company in 2009. It introduced deodorant to its product mix in 2011, creating a creamy formula packaged in a glass jar which is applied by hand.

Its deodorant sticks were developed as a response to consumers who weren’t comfortable applying deodorant directly to their underarms.

MMT’s packaging is 100% paper-based, featuring a lid, a body, an inner tube and a seal, all of which are home compostable.

The brand has also expanded the design to its range of balms.

Each paper tube costs USD 1.70 compared to approximately USD 0.10 - 0.25 for a plastic deodorant tube.

The tubes are constructed individually by WestRock.

As the sticks are not airtight, MMT states the products have a shelf life of three months and recommends storing them in an airtight container if not being used immediately after purchase.

A full size, 50 gram deodorant stick costs USD 14. Compared to a conventional product packaged in plastic, it represents a significant price hike. Other paper-based stick products range from approximately half the price to like for like, putting MMT at the more expensive end of the market.

The company offers a subscription service for a 10% discount, while its bulk refill items are 15% cheaper per ounce.

Natural deodorant accounts for 35% of all sales.

Its low-waste ethos extends to its shipping packaging, where it uses corn-based packing peanuts, FSC-certified paper, cardboard and paper tape.

The company runs small batch production from its own micro-factory. All deodorants are hand poured in batches of 70 and the team makes five batches per day. Production time is approximately ten minutes per product. By comparison, a conventional deodorant can take less than 30 seconds to make.

The company weighs its trash weekly and has a target of waste reduction of 15% YOY. Its website product pages include instructions on disposal for each element of the product. The options include recycling, reusing, composting and returning for recycling.

MMT works with regenerative farmers and its formulations are palm oil-free and utilise fair trade ingredients.

The company holds B Corp, Climate Neutral and Leaping Bunny certifications. It is also certified as being Plastic Negative, however, the goal should always be eliminating plastic, not offsetting it.

All team members receive living wages and are offered a yearly bonus for cycling, taking public transport or using a ride-share to at least 50% of shifts. Additionally, the company makes monthly donations to grassroots BIPOC-and queer-led organisations.

Tara Pelletier – Co-Founder, Meow Meow Tweet – as quoted in Glossy

Key Design Considerations:

Expand innovation to your entire product line

Functionality trade-offs

Scaling your product

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