We've always had a close relationship with the outdoors. The time lapse video on this page is from our personal collection from several nights spent in a remote location in the Olympic Mountains accessible only by backpacking. The wilderness in the Olympics is stunning and humbling, with the silence penetrated only by the whistling of a marmot or wind blowing through massive trees. We left the grounds the same way we found it - pristine and looking untouched by human activity.

 

Just as it is disheartening to see discarded plastic in our most beautiful wilderness areas, it is also very difficult to find the products we want without the plastic packaging and damaging chemicals. As business owners, we are even more culpable for environmental misdeeds, because we are the source of the problem. West Coast Mercantile has made it a mission to eliminate single-use plastic in our products. It's also why we are staunchly against microfiber fabrics. Soon, we'll be introducing a line of bed and bath products that will make it easier for you eliminate single-use plastic you your lives as well. 

 

In today's business environment, sustainability and fair trade isn't optional, or a marketing tool. In our company, it is a core requirement, just as important as innovation and our customer satisfaction. This belief system extends to every facet of our business, a full cycle of sustainability and responsibility. Our products are sourced from organic materials, constructed using fair trade wages, and are biodegradable when you are done using them. Even our packaging uses vegetable ink.

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We are a long way from being perfect in our sustainable actions, and sometimes our desires run ahead of our ability to claim environmental savior status as a company. It's expensive, but slowly getting better. It's sometimes exhausting, but less so each day. If that's the price to be paid to keep our favorite backpacking spot pristine, this is a really, really easy decision.

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Join us in our mission, keep an eye out for our new products.