Why We Changed Our Pumps: A Better Use for Plastic Waste

We’ve never loved that our pumps are made of plastic.

Even though our pumps are designed to be reused again and again, just like our bottles, we’ve always known there was room to do better.

So we kept learning. And changing.

And now, we're taking another step forward: our new pumps are made with 39% Ocean Waste Plastic (OWP)—plastic waste collected from oceans and rivers.

From Ocean Waste to a New Pump

The plastic used to make our new pumps doesn't start out as packaging. It starts out as waste.

Our supplier works with local collectors in Jakarta, Indonesia, to recover plastic from oceans and rivers. The material is weighed, documented, and sorted by plastic type before being shredded, washed, and processed into new raw material.

The collection process is independently verified by Bureau Veritas, with each batch documented with information including its collection location, date, weight, and plastic type. The material is also tested by Intertek before it is released for manufacturing.

That recovered material is then used to make new packaging—including our pumps.

It's a different way of thinking about plastic: not as something we simply use and throw away, but as a material that can have another life.

Why We Didn't Make This Change Sooner

When we first launched Plaine Products, our pumps were black because black plastic was the industry standard.

As we learned more about the materials commonly used to make black plastic, we realized we could make a better choice. So we switched to white pumps.

But we didn't stop there.

We continued asking questions about our packaging and looking for better options.

That eventually led us to Ocean Waste Plastic.

What Does 39% Actually Mean?

We want to be specific about what we're claiming.

Our new pumps contain 39% Ocean Waste Plastic, meaning the pumps are made with OWP raw material produced from plastic collected from oceans and rivers.

The rest of the pump is made from other materials necessary to create a functional, durable pump.

We're not going to call these pumps “plastic-free”—they aren't.

And we're not going to suggest that changing our pumps solves the plastic problem.

It doesn't.

But using existing plastic waste as a material for something designed to be reused is, in our view, a better choice than simply relying entirely on new plastic.

What Happens When the Pump Is Finally Done?

Reuse comes first.

Our pumps are designed to be used over and over with our refillable aluminum bottles. But eventually, every pump will reach the end of its useful life.

When that happens, we have a recycling pathway through our partnership with Cincinnati Recycling & Reuse Hub.

That means we're thinking about the pump's life beyond the moment it arrives at your door—and working to keep that material in use for as long as possible.

We Haven't Always Gotten Everything Right

This is something we believe is important to say.

Sustainability isn't about finding one perfect solution. It's about asking better questions, learning as we go, and changing when we find a better way.

Even our supplier's journey reflects that. They openly acknowledge that early in the development of their Ocean Waste Plastic program, they discovered problems with their documentation. They rebuilt their collection and supply chain, added greater controls, and introduced independent verification.

We appreciate that kind of transparency.

Because we don't want to tell you that Plaine Products is perfect.

We want to show you that we're paying attention.

Our new pumps are still plastic. But now, 39% of the pump is made with Ocean Waste Plastic collected from oceans and rivers, with a documented and independently verified collection process behind it.

It's not perfect.

But it's progress we're really proud of.

And we'll keep looking for what's next.