By: Amy Carlberg
blogTO
Originally published: March 31, 2020
A Toronto mom just launched her own brand while stuck working from home and obsessing over cleanliness during lockdowns.
"I was working from home with two small kids and cleaning constantly, and I became hyper aware of all the trash we were accumulating, especially plastics," Guests on Earth co-founder Jackie Prince tells blogTO.
"I did some research and learned that only 9 per cent of plastic is actually recycled."
Continuing her research, she tried over 20 competing natural products and "realized there was an opportunity to approach this low interest, under-the-sink category in a smarter, more enjoyable way."
Enter Guests on Earth, her contribution to that category that's intended to make cleaning not only "smarter" and "more enjoyable" but also more sustainable, more fun to look at on your counter, and also a form of self-care.
She decided to start up the brand with friend Liz Drayton who she met in New York City but reconnected with in Toronto.
Prince has a background in tech and marketing, has worked for Meta, and was working for Tiktok while she started developing Guests on Earth while raising two kids. Drayton balances working on Guests on Earth with running her own personal consulting practice.
"Guests on Earth signals that we just live here. The Earth was here long before us and it will be here long after us," says Prince. "The brand name is meant to be a subtle reminder to us each day. To remind us to take care of it, ourselves and each other."
Right now their products consist of kits of vessels and refills for hand soap ($36) and all-purpose cleaner ($32). You can also buy vessels and refills seperately, and they've sold out of their microfibre cloths. The refills are actually concentrated, so you mix them with regular old water from the tap in the vessels and shake to use.
They're made out of ingredients like aloe vera, coconut, corn, and apple and come in scents like "Desert Dawn" and "Dunes at Dusk." The hope is to expand the line with products like dish soap, glass and window cleaner, and laundry products.
"Our purpose is to activate a world of good guests," says Prince. "Humans who like living on this planet and want to maintain delightful, sustainable homes for their loved ones."
You can currently buy Guests on Earth online via their website or at Coco Market, and they're looking to partner with more retailers.
Lead Photo by: Britney Townsend
Leave a comment