Laura Wald
Mina Siefeen
Meriyein Rodriguez
Sandy Nasr
Fairleigh Dickinson University at Florham
Aixa Ritz
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August period care makes feminine products, including tampons, pads, and liners. This innovation idea emerged from those friend groups who like being more sustainable in their everyday lives. As Nadya stated, "When we get our period, all that effort goes to waste because we inevitably have to use these products." The founders of August period care didn't want to feel trapped in these unsustainable ways because there was simply no other option.
The mission of this innovation is not only to contribute to a healthier environment but also to help reduce carbon footprint, spread the knowledge of clean ingredients, save water, and help other countries and areas in need. All their products are made with 100% organic cotton, which is better for the planet, and better for you! The company wraps the pads in biodegradable and compostable wrapping. Biodegradable wrappers “break down into nothing,” and compostable wrappers “break down into cellulose and water,” Nadya said. Compostable wrappers can be put into compost and help to fertilize the soil and grow plants. August manufactures tampons in biodegradable wrappers with recyclable applicators.
August uses packaging material made up of recyclable materials for packing the products. Their products “travel by boat from all over the world and meet at our fulfillment center in Middletown, Pennsylvania.” August is tackling goal #12 with the sustainable products, goal #3 with the materials they use that are better for you, and goal #13 with the transportation of their goods. They are also tackling goal #10 by donations they make to nonprofits every quarter!
Social and Environmental benefit- traceability
The original purpose for August period care products was to give all people another more environmentally efficient option. August also wanted to take this opportunity to help with other global issues. Overall, they wanted to create a brand that did more help than harm. They are stuck with this message from the ingredients they use in their products to the products they give back to others. The core ingredient in their products is organic cotton, and August has many reasons for using this ingredient, including environmental concerns, human rights, and quality reasons. Environmentally, organic cotton uses, as stated, “91% less water, produces fewer greenhouse gas emissions, and is farmed without pesticides to preserve healthy soil and nearby water.”
August period care uses good products for the body and our planet. August also stresses the importance of the distribution of organic cotton and that “Forced labor and child labor reporting in the top nine cotton-producing countries account for 65% of the world’s cotton.” Using organic cotton in their products makes the August customers trust creation of ingredients in a good working environment and that the workers are receiving livable pay. Lastly, Organic cotton is positively better for the body as, Nadya states, it has “longer fibers that are undamaged by using pesticides and chemical processing.” Organic cotton is a lot more breathable and softer to use. August period care’s inspiration was the billions of people who menstruate and providing them quality eco-friendly products that have potential benefits.
One major impact that August Period care has made on society and its consumers is that they are 100% tax-free. They have a big passion for removing the "pink tax," especially on feminine hygiene products, so much that Nadya said "$6,608.92 is covered by August in this quarter." August is a small business that is only going up from here, so they expect those numbers to get higher. In addition, August also offers educational opportunities to teach about menstruation health. They have created a service known as "Ask August- a free, medically-verified, and ever-growing period health Q&A database." Here customers can learn and get new information about their body health status. August also spends a lot of its earnings on giving back and donating menstruation products to its nonprofit partner called No More Secrets (NMS). First, August gives customers the options at checkout to donate, and for every $5, it contributes ten pads. Also, August donates “10% of all August profits at the end of every quarter.” It has donated about 50,000+ products since its launch of products in Summer 2021!
August period care company is unlike any other. Not many companies provide products like August and give back and keep sustainability in mind. While their business is small now, they are making a huge impact one step at a time. They have gained a lot of recognition through apps like Instagram and TikTok, where they share what they are. Here the company talks about its products and everything its company does and stands for. They are also calling to the Generation Z crowd, a generation that wants to help save our planet for the future. This company is just the type of innovation to get good business and take care of what they love the most- our Earth and keep it healthy one step at a time.
One of the many social benefits of August is the open conversations, sense of community, and inclusivity. For some people, menstruation seems a taboo subject, but the team at August wants to make it normal and actualize it. August also creates a sense of community with anyone who would like to join. Nadya states that "their products are made with, by, and for our community.” They have a website centering around their group called "InnerCycle," where members may join to "connect, share, and hang out with Team August." Team August also stresses the importance of inclusivity, meaning excluding no one. Nadya says that “August is for anyone who menstruates, regardless of how they identify.” Having comfortable customers is one of the team's number one priorities.
August makes their products and everything in their business very traceable. The company believes it very important not to leave customers in the dark about this type of information. They included a diagram on the website showing the manufacturing of the products, transportation, and how they end up at the customers' front door (see image above). Materials travel by boat from where they get the materials to the warehouse. From the warehouse to the distributor, the products also travel by boat. Then, delivering the customers' packages by truck. This way helps to reduce the carbon footprint. Traveling by boat helps reduce the carbon footprint, and so do the materials August uses to make their products. Their products produce "22% lower carbon emissions than generic products." They also try their best to ship only full containers of the product and always provide shipping options for subscribers to receive three months of the supply at one time to save on packaging and not create more pollution. When it comes to the products, they are all "biodegradable, and applicators made of BPA-free, recyclable plastic." August also released a relaunch of their pads wrapped with compostable wrapping instead. The best part of it all, August is very committed to being accountable and transparent to the extent that they provide customers with full impact and sustainability reports at the end of every quarter if they like to sign up!
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Nadya Okamoto, Cofounder
Nick Jain, Cofounder
August is a sustainable menstruation care brand that uses 100% organic cotton. The brand is also very earth-conscious, ethically sourced, and traceable! The environment is significant, so their products are biodegradable and traceable. Being traceable essentially means being held accountable for the components in their products. August period care is a brand that contributes toward sustainability and is “meant for anyone who menstruates.”