This week we interviewed Alessandro Rocchi, the founder of natural oral care company Georganics. We stock a selection of their oral care range including toothpaste, tooth tablets, tooth powder, mouthwash tabs and silk floss, all packaged in glass. If you haven’t tried toothpaste in tablets yet, it’s a great way to get rid of plastic from your bathroom. Toothtablets are super-lightweight, so they’re brill for taking a couple on an overnight trip instead of a whole jar or tube of paste. We stock five flavours, including Activated Charcoal with peppermint, and fruity Orange.
When did you start your company?
Georganics started with one question: Are all these synthetic chemicals used in conventional oral care really necessary? It soon became clear from the research that nature already offers us everything we need to look after our oral health. The brand was founded in 2014 when I began making my own toothpaste and supplying my local farmer’s markets. Shortly after, in 2017, Charles joined Georganics. Being an existing Georganics customer, Charles left the banking world to join a more ethical business. Today we’ve grown into one of Europe’s most trusted brands of genuinely natural oral care.
Georganics, factory, 2019
Where are you based?
Our site is based on a farm in the beautiful Sussex countryside.
How long have you been using natural toothpaste?
I had been using premium conventional fluoridate toothpaste since I was a kid. I’ve switched in 2014 when I started making my own.
What inspired you on your journey to reduce your plastic waste?
At the beginning, I was focused on formulating a toothpaste that would have the same efficacy whitening and cleansing but without using conventional ingredients. It was easier for me to dispense my home made batches into glass jars, rather than plastic tubes.
What ‘ingredients’ are used to make your dental care range, and why?
We use only 100% natural ingredients and avoid any synthetic chemicals in our products. For example, we use high quality calcium carbonate which acts as a remineralising agent and mild polisher. We also use coconut oil which has been shown to naturally remove and prevent plaque formation that can lead to tooth decay and gingivitis. Our products contain essential oils such as Spearmint and Tea Tree which are known for their antiseptic, anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory properties whilst giving the mouth a refreshing aftertaste.
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Do you have a favourite flavour?
Eucalyptus, it’s a very delicate taste and refreshing.
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Are your products vegan?
Most of our products are vegan and we never test on animals. Our only non-vegan products include our Silk Floss which uses Ahimsa cruelty-free silk and is suitable for vegetarians.
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What are your top tips for someone starting a zero-waste lifestyle?
Try making small zero waste swaps to your everyday essentials. Then, as and when you need to, build these up. Living more sustainably can be difficult with so many products still relying on plastic on the market, so don’t put unnecessary pressure on yourself to change overnight.
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What are your personal highlights as a sustainable business owner?
The impact of large corporations and small companies is still extremely unregulated when it comes to sustainability and waste (areas that affect everyone’s lives). There are no standards so businesses can have a huge impact (negative or positive) on the environment, depending on how they are run. We are trying to show that a successful business can also have a positive impact on the environment.
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Do you have any dreams or goals for the company?
We hope to continue making natural oral care products by avoiding unnecessary ingredients and opting to work with nature in all stages of our production. We want to find even better ways to make an environmentally friendly product so that we can carry on pioneering the zero waste movement.
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Describe a typical work day at Georganics:
We work in a beautiful setting on the border of East and West Sussex, so it’s a pleasure to get into the office. Every morning we sit down for a coffee and catch up before each of us start their things. My time is mostly spent on new product development or improving what we do.
