True Stories
Sustainable and 100% natural skincare products: Meet Happy Earth
Martijn Bruijning, Founder and Chief Shepherd at Happy Earth
Martijn Bruijning studied Business and Marketing at the University of Groningen. He has accumulated extensive experience in the Fast-Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) market before founding Happy Earth in 2021 with Niels Brouwer.
Niels Brouwer, Founder and Chief Shepherd at Happy Earth
Niels Brouwer studied Business Economics at the Erasmus University of Rotterdam. He has accumulated extensive experience in the FMCG market before founding Happy Earth in 2021 with Martijn Bruijning.
Happy Earth’s mission is “to bring a dose of joy and optimism and the best products to the consumer and to the planet.” All HAPPY EARTH products are produced in the Netherlands with green energy and only include 100% natural ingredients.
NATRUE: How was Happy Earth created? What are the values of this brand?
Martijn and Niels: Happy Earth was launched in the Dutch market at the beginning of 2021. It was created with the mission to bring a dose of optimism by offering the best sustainable skincare products for consumers and our planet earth. In our HAPPY EARTH products. We also only use 100% natural ingredients, we use sustainable packaging: 100% recycled plastic, plastic-free or biologically degradable cork. And, in addition, we produce locally using green energy.
NATRUE: Why is cork important for Happy Earth?
Martijn and Niels: To start off, cork has a fascinating story! The cork forests “montados” are indispensable to our ecosystems, forming a natural dam against deforestation also hosting a variety and unique sorts of animals.
Cork, as we use it, is made from the bark of cork trees. Cork trees are usually “peeled” 9 times a year. As trees are peeled, trees are not needed to be cut down to be utilized. A peeled tree has also longer longevity than an unpeeled cork tree (more or less 200 years versus 80 years) and absorbs 3-5 times more CO2 than unpeeled cork trees.
Cork trees are also renowned for having no waste. All parts of the cork material can be used in endless applications (packaging, flooring, fashion, music instruments, etc.). Cork can also be granulated and pressed so that all remains during production can be reutilized.
We are therefore proud to have cork packaging for our Pure Crystal Deo stick, with a potassium alum stone, not to forget being a 100% effective deodorant.
NATRUE: What can you tell us about your packaging?
Martijn and Niels: HAPPY EARTH products stand for no concessions. This is translated into three main pillars: sustainable ingredients, sustainable packaging, and sustainable production. Regarding the packaging we strive to have the most sustainable possible packaging, currently with 100% recycled plastic, plastic-free (tins), or biological degradable cork.
NATRUE: What do consumers look for in natural and organic cosmetics in the Netherlands?
Martijn and Niels: Not only in the Netherlands but on a worldwide level we are seeing a conscious shift towards sustainable and natural products. Mass and industrialized productions with chemical ingredients are making space for natural and sustainable products. Our distress towards the development of our planet is the main driver; consumers are rightfully becoming more and more conscious of their footprint and effect on the short and long-term existence of our planet.
There is a significantly growing demand by Dutch consumers in consuming natural products, this is also noticeable throughout all stakeholders; retailers, suppliers, and consumers.
NATRUE: What would you say to brands that want to join NATRUE? And to consumers that look for truly natural and organic cosmetic products?
Martijn and Niels: Joining NATRUE, being the strictest in its form of certification, and joining this path to transparency is key in making a significant difference. We are proud to be wearing the NATRUE label and we invite other companies to do the same.
In terms of consumers, we invite them to the discussion. Properly aligning consumer expectations and knowledge with suppliers is key to moving forward. When deciding what products to buy we advise them to take a deep look at the whole value chain; ingredients, packaging, and production!
For more information about Happy Earth, visit
https://www.happyearthcare.com/
Download this interview here.