Cristina and Katrina Legarza are attempting to make an ecological cultural change in TT. The sisters, along with their aunt, Christine Kausmann, are founders and directors of The Good Life Company TT – a small business that makes and sells eco-friendly cleaning and household products.
“One of the things we are really trying to do, in small steps, is to shift the culture in TT by encouraging people to think differently about the everyday products we use and how it affects us. While it’s easy to walk into a supermarket and pick up cleaning products from the range of choices, we think it has a very important to encourage people to use products that will not be harmful to them and the environment.” Cristina told WMN.
At its small factory in Maraval, the company produces a line, all-natural scented products including glass, stainless steel and granite cleaners; sanitising sprays; hand sanitisers and hand soaps; insect repellents; after-sun sprays to soothe sunburns; and bathroom cleaners.
She said all products are made using green chemistry – designing chemical products and processes that results in a reduction or elimination of the generation of hazardous substances.
[caption id="attachment_934780" align="alignnone" width="768"] Cristina Legarza, one of the founders of The Good Life Company, a small business that makes and sells eco-friendly cleaning and household products. Photo courtesy Cristina Legarza -[/caption]
“All our raw materials come from natural products, such as vinegar. All our stabalisers and preservatives are done following green chemistry rules – using nothing that is bad for you or for the environment.”
She said they try as much as possible to package using glass, but in the event they have to use plastic, it’s always recyclable.
“We have two different sizes – 500 ml glass bottles and two-litre plastic bottles. Customers can use the contents of the plastic bottle to refill the glass, and when the plastic is empty they can return it to us to have it sanitised and refilled. When the plastic bottle is no longer usable, we recycle it.”
She said customers can also choose from lemon grass, lavender or rosemary scents, and can pick up or have their products delivered to any part of TT.
Over the last few years, Cristina observed there has been a noticeable “obsession” with people in TT and their pets.
“We too come from an animals-oriented family, so that brings me to our very popular pet line. We make shampoos for pets, be it dog, cat, guinea pig etc. And because most people allow their pets on the couch, the bed and rugs we have an odour neutralisers for that. We also have a pet area cleaner and a grooming spray.”
The Good Life Company TT, she said, was started during the pandemic and most of the sales are done online on its website, and social media pages.
“Our Instagram page is quite popular. We are all in our 40s so still working our way around that,” she said with a chuckle. “But the products are available in a couple of stores. Peakes and Bone and Bow Pet Boutique.”
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