In a world where we’re throwing away 520 million shampoo bottles a year and we’re met with new climate reports on a seemingly daily basis, there’s one company looking to change the status quo. Indie are here to prevent our beauty waste from becoming the planet’s waste.
Less Plastic, Less Problem
Championing a circular economy and truly sustainable products (their products use 99% less plastic than traditional shampoo and conditioner), indie have launched into the sustainable haircare market with a bang.
With product names such as “Tea Tree ‘Em Mean” and “Orange You Glad to See Me”; indie show that they don’t take themselves too seriously. Although, with a recent sell out and month on month growth of 170%, they probably should.
Found in June 2021 after founder Jo lost her second job to the pandemic, and bootstrapped using savings, indie has managed to grow fast on minimal money. ‘I’d been fed up of having single-use plastic bottles in my bathroom for years. Not only is it terrible for planet, these are massive brands that I know aren’t actually looking to do good in the world. I was throwing away endless bottles, and the whole time never finding something that actually made my hair healthy.’ Jo continues, ‘Although I’ve had the idea for so long, it felt impossible to leave a steady income to do my own thing, so when I lost a second job due to the pandemic I thought, this is my shot’.
Indie’s products are ahead of the trend – natural, made in the UK, and targeted towards hair health. Since the beginning of the pandemic searches for hair repair and home hair remedies grew ten-fold. The trend for natural products is here, and indie specialises in natural products that repair hair without using nasties like Sulfates, SLS and Parabens, which are all quickly becoming curse words in the market.
How Does it Work?
Customers first buy a Starter Duo, which includes their aluminium bottle for life and 500ml shampoo and conditioner. They can then sign up for refills on a subscription model, or buy as and when they need. Indie has true sustainability at their core, using biodegradable refill sachets, and if customers no longer want their bottle for life, they can send it back free of charge for proper recycling with Terracycle.
What’s Coming Next for Indie?
They’ve got big plans to expand the team and grow across the UK and Europe. With SEIS approval, a funding round and new product development on the way, indie are anticipating a year of serious growth.
