VOYA

Foundation Member | Tracking Since December 2022

VOYA Sustainability Actions

As at February 2024, 1,850,398 plastic bottles prevented from entering the ocean.

VOYA is partnering with Plastic Bank to support their mission to stop plastic before it enters the ocean. The equivalent of one rubbish truck full of plastic enters the ocean every minute, and by 2050 there will be more plastic in the ocean than fish*. We are proud to have made several commitments as part of our Ocean Steward partnership with Plastic Bank and over the next two years, VOYA has pledged to help stop the equivalent of over 2 million single-use plastic bottles from entering the ocean. This is equivalent to over 45,000 kg of plastic and means for every VOYA product sold, we will help to prevent 3 plastic bottles from entering the ocean. *Source: Ellen MacArthur Foundation

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Fully Renewable Resource

Seaweed is a fully renewable natural resource in Ireland. From sea to skin, we go to great lengths to maintain the unique purity of our seaweed. We do not need to use any of our precious freshwater resources for irrigation; we do not require the use of fertiliser, pesticides, or even soil. Every step in our process is natural and sustainable. Seaweed naturally absorbs carbon dioxide from the atmosphere acting as what to refer to carbon sinks, as its growth rate is about 30% to 60% times the rate of land-based plants. All scientific research indicates that seaweed will play a huge role in fighting climate change by absorbing carbon emissions, regenerating marine escosystems, creating biofuel and renewable plastics as well as generating marine protein for years to come.

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Sustainable Harvesting

VOYA help to protect the biodiversity of the west coast reefs through sustainable and traditional harvesting practices. At VOYA, our expert harvesting team check the tide levels of the Atlantic Ocean weeks in advance to strategically plan which type of seaweed to harvest based on tides and weather conditions. They only use sustainable harvesting practices, which simply means that the seaweed is selected by eye and harvested by hand. No machinery is used so as not to harm the delicate seabed or marine life. Only a small portion of the seaweed is cut at a time to ensure it grows back within 6 - 24 months. The harvesters, like farmers, move on to the different parts of the reef to allow it to fully grow back and replenish, thus creating sustainable harvesting. This allows species of juvenile algae to flourish and regrow, the team then monitors how the reefs and species are regrowing in different locations.

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Packaging

Our products are packaged using recycled, recyclable, or biodegradable materials. Our carton packaging board is a special blend of FSC certified pulps using our own harvested seaweed and our packing chips are 100% biodegradable and dissolve in water. VOYA use glass or 100% recycled plastics where possible.

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Cruelty-Free

VOYA is proud to be a cruelty-free brand, we are totally opposed to the practice of animal testing in cosmetic research. We do not test any products on animals and have an agreement with our contract manufacturers that they do not or will never be involved in animal testing of any kind. Many customers do not realise that if your product is certified under the COSMOS organic accreditation that your products are automatically deemed cruelty free due to the intense auditing process that takes place. Here at VOYA, we wanted our customers to be 100% sure of this. That is why we have also acquired our PETA Cruelty-Free status and logos. If you are unsure if a brand is testing on animals, you can search PETA's cruelty-free database.

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Certified Organic

Unlike food, there is no legal regulation in place for health and beauty products to prove their actual organic content. This means brands can label their product as ‘organic’ or ‘natural’, but they may contain as little as 1% organic ingredients. Here at VOYA, we’ve known this for years, but only recently other brands have started to realise that if you don’t see that all important logo on beauty products, it’s not actually certified organic at all. Always look for the logo! VOYA products contain as many organic ingredients as possible and we voluntarily submit our products to be certified by both the Soil Association COSMOS and the Irish Organic Association (IOA). For a product to be labelled organic 95% of all ingredients must be organic. VOYA is committed to using only natural and non-toxic ingredients and all our products contain a minimum of 70% certified organic ingredients. Looking for COSMOS or Soil Association logo on your cosmetics means so much more than just using organic ingredients. It means saying NO TO: Animal testing GM ingredients Controversial chemicals Parabens and Phthalates Synthetic colours, dyes, or fragrances YES TO: Sustainably sourced organic ingredients Using natural colours and fragrances from plants and flowers Transparent manufacturing processes Biodegradable ingredients Minimal packaging with maximum recycled content Protecting wildlife and biodiversity

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Carbon emissions offsetting

The negative results of global warming will eventually affect us all, in every corner of the world. Therefore, every year since 2012 VOYA through the World Land Trust offset our carbon emissions. These funds are then invested in the protection and restoration of threatened tropical forests to combat the devastating effects of global warming. The WLT is working through local project partners to restore biologically important habitats throughout the world. Carbon Balanced projects are currently taking place in Vietnam, Ecuador, Paraguay and the portfolios continue to expand. Through the generous support of individuals and organisations, the World Land Trust has been instrumental in the purchase and protection of over 500,000 acres of tropical forest and other threatened habitats which would otherwise have been lost. Offsetting of CO2 emissions through WLT is a voluntary action demonstrating a corporate commitment to addressing climate change and threatened biodiversity through credible conservation projects. We are proud to say that from the 1st January 2013 – 31st December 2017, 483.79633 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions associated with the general operations of VOYA have been offset.

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Transparency

In an aim to showcase our product’s organic accreditations, VOYA displays the individual product accolades on our website under the FAQ section alongside their full ingredients list. We want to bring transparency to beauty and wellness at a time when the public hungers for integrity and clarity. Through the tradition of sustainable seaweed harvesting, VOYA’s native knowledge of this natural resource is second to none. Seaweed in our eyes is and always will be a health remedy. We know our harvesters, scientists and suppliers by name, and we guarantee that our products are the most pristine on the market. That is why, after you use our Lazy Days seaweed bath, we recommend you add it to your own organic garden to share its goodness back to the earth.

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95% Vegan Friendly

95% of our skincare products are vegan-friendly, apart from a handful of products that contain sustainably sourced beeswax. You can clearly see which VOYA products are Gluten Free or Vegan-Friendly by clicking on the FAQ section on each of our product pages.

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