Busy Co.: The World's First Zero-Waste Wipes

Design: SMAKK
Location: United States
Project Type: Produced
Client: Busy Co.
Product Launch Location: United States
Packaging Contents: Biodegradable Wipes
Packaging Substrate / Materials: Pre or Post-Consumer Recycled Paper

Sustainability takes center stage with SMAKK’s identity for biodegradable wipes innovator Busy Co.

Since its launch, Busy Co. has found enormous success with their single-use wipes -- perfect for women on the go, medical professionals, teachers, and athletes; as well as people with limited mobility or who can’t easily shower. Yet even as they refined their signature product, they met challenges -- they realized that because most single-use wipes are poly or plastic fabrics, which aren’t biodegradable, the environmental implications could be devastating. Taking on a new imperative to make the world’s first zero-waste wipe, Busy Co. worked with branding and marketing agency SMAKK, updating their brand to align with their sustainable mission.

For Busy Co., the need to redefine their brand came with more than just messaging. Changing meant developing a new manufacturing approach, including making sure that everything -- from their outer cartons to the cotton in their wipes -- is made from either pre or post-consumer recycled content. As a result, everything from Busy Co. is biodegradable (down to their shipping boxes) and created in a US factory powered entirely by wind energy, allowing them to offer high-quality products with a low carbon footprint. In partnering with SMAKK, they found not only boundless expertise in the personal care space but an agency similarly committed to sustainability.

“The co-founders Jamie Steenbakkers and Michael Leahy were in college when Busy Co. was born and needed help signalling how much they had grown and changed since then,” says SMAKK Founder Katie Klencheski. “While these wipes appealed to people for their convenience, they also wanted to give people a way to look and feel their best, without giving up their routine, schedule, or earth-friendly values. We’ve been helping brands navigate these concerns for years, so we knew we could help them stay true to that brand promise.”

Fittingly, SMAKK set out to create a brand that empowers and supports women and doesn’t take itself too seriously while also redefining Busy Co. as a brand leading the way in sustainability.

“We wanted the brand to have a strong POV that connects directly with consumers and jumps off the shelf to attract attention,” continues Klencheski. This included using handwriting and word art to infuse a unique, authentic personality into the product packaging and other touchpoints. As a result, the final brand matches its audience perfectly: playful, unembarrassed to take on life’s sticky, messy moments head-on, and uncompromising, including when it comes to protecting Mother Earth.

In the end, the collaboration proved to be an ideal pairing between two companies committed to building a brand with purpose. “Busy Co. knew they wanted to be the change-makers in their category, “ says Klencheski. “They saw a chance to carve a path forward for beauty brands in search for more sustainable ways of doing business, and seized the moment. It’s been an inspiring partnership and, we hope, the beginning of others in the space finding similar ways to make a difference.”