GREEN PRINCIPLES

the eco-conscious foundations we continuously build upon

 

we’re committed to caring for you, and the planet

Tierra & Lava is closely tethered to the earth - “tierra” is the Spanish word for earth, and “lava” is an homage to the 37 volcanoes in Guatemala that enrich the soil with the nutrients that grow our unique ingredients.

 
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zero waste

We are a zero-waste company - any unrecyclable plastics (such as some food wrappers) are repurposed into eco-bricks that we use as borders for our garden. About one eco-brick is produced every two weeks. A local recycling company, Reciclemos.gt, picks up any materials and by-products that can be easily recycled.

We buy in bulk to reduce waste and source as many local raw materials as possible to reduce the carbon footprint of any unnecessary outsourcing from abroad.

conscious packaging

The principal packaging materials for our products are glass, aluminum, paper, cardboard, all of which are easily reusable or recyclable. We offer zero waste bulk supply options to stores carrying our products and bulk refill options for hotel and spa amenities reducing the use of single-serving plastic. Our gift presentation uses hand-spun, hand-dyed and hand woven cotton produced by a womens’ cooperative from Lake Atitlan.

Being located in Guatemala does, however, limit our options of sourcing materials and we are currently using plastic lids and pumps on a few of our products. We are actively searching for zero-waste alternatives that won’t require outsourcing that increases our carbon footprint.

resources

We use a solar-powered server for our website and email. We also conserve our water usage on-site by using a ‘loveable loo’ compost bathroom. All of our grey-water is disposed of through a natural filtration system using different stone and gravel before feeding the property.