BY BETH WEITZMAN
Amid the rising tide of plastic waste, Community Goods is making waves. Founded by Jamie and Molly Wiecks, the brand proves that personal care can be both sustainable and effective without compromising quality or environmental integrity.
A 2020 NPR exposé sparked their mission. Reading the article titled, “How Big Oil Misled The Public Into Believing Plastic Would Be Recycled,” “felt like a kick to the stomach,” Jamie recalls. “The story showed landfill workers in Oregon burying all plastic waste except milk jugs and soda bottles because recycling the other plastic items wasn’t cost-effective.”
For Jamie, a native Oregonian who grew up sorting his family’s recycling, it was a shock. “That led me to dive deeper and realize the extent of the global plastic crisis, which ultimately led to us founding Community Goods.” Motivated by their love for Oregon’s beaches and concern for their children’s future, the couple set out to create exceptional products without plastic.
“Everyone has places that are special to them, that have meaning. And knowing some of those places around the world are being overrun with plastic pollution just breaks my heart,” Jamie shares. “Kids deserve clean beaches and clean water where they can swim and play. Community Goods’ mission is to make amazing products without the plastic, to help protect these places and give the next generation the same opportunities we had.” Community Goods’ lineup — concentrated shampoo and conditioning bars, toothpaste tablets, deodorants, and bamboo toothbrushes — isn’t just plastic-free. It’s also vegan, cruelty-free, and crafted with clean, natural ingredients, free from harmful substances like SLS, aluminum, phthalates, parabens, toxins, and palm oil.
“Community Goods is built on the belief that we can do well by doing good,” Jamie explains. “That means creating products that are good for both human health and planet health.” The company partners with 1% for the Planet, is certified cruelty-free and vegan through PETA’s Beauty without Bunnies program, has achieved carbon-neutral shipping via EcoCart, and supports ocean conservation efforts through The Surfrider Foundation and Ocean Conservancy. “We knew from the beginning that just being plastic- free wasn’t enough,” Jamie states. “If this was going to be our company, it had to stand for more than that.
” Despite the challenges of sourcing plastic-free materials and designing effective products without conventional packaging, Community Goods has persevered. The company has successfully crafted its products and packaging with sustainable, recyclable materials like paper, cardboard, glass, and aluminum. Even the packing tape — made of paper, of course — is entirely plastic-free. Jamie jokes that the company has overcome these obstacles with, “Patience, and a healthy (unhealthy?) dose of stubbornness.” Looking ahead, Community Goods plans to expand. “We are already seeing more sustainable brands emerge and more serious sustainability efforts from larger brands,” Jamie notes. “This will continue as more people recognize the importance of a circular economy and the dangers plastics represent to human health and our planet.”
Jamie and Molly remain dedicated to a plastic- free future in personal care and are considering becoming a certified B Corp. once eligible after one full year in operation. Jamie’s advice is simple: “Don’t take my word for it,” he advises. “Instead, do your own research from legitimate sources. If you end up feeling like us, that this is a major issue for our planet, then think about those small, simple steps you can take to make a little change towards something better, one step at a time.”
For more information, visit www.communitygoods.co or follow Community Goods on Instagram, TikTok and FaceBook @communitygoods_.
