In recent years, there has been a significant increase in ecological consciousness, as well as social integration. More and more companies, institutions, and administrations are incorporating socially excluded or at-risk individuals into their workforce, providing them with access to an increasingly competitive job market.
Located on La Milagrosa Street, number 3 in La Orotava, La Jabonería a granel is a prime example of achieving both goals. By selling cleaning and personal hygiene products in bulk, some of which are crafted by individuals facing mental health challenges, they act as a socio-labour bridge for disadvantaged individuals referred by social services to learn and develop skills.
Established in September 2021 by the Rayuela Association, this non-profit enterprise reinvests all profits back into its activities, ensuring no profit-sharing takes place.
Furthermore, La Jabonería a granel sources its products from small, family-owned, and artisanal businesses to strengthen its ties with the local community. This sustainable approach helps reduce environmental costs associated with transportation and shipping while offering high-quality products.
Among the cosmetic and hygiene product brands available, customers can find The Soap House, a family business founded in 2007 in Los Silos, producing natural soaps, scrubs, shampoos, and salts with enticing scents, innovative designs, centuries-old recipes, and natural ingredients.
Additionally, aromatic candles and air fresheners under the brand Armanio are locally manufactured in the municipality of El Rosario by Gaia Canarias, using soy wax and essential oils to create unique and aromatic designs.
Another local option is Maybeez, originating from Vallehermoso in La Gomera, offering cosmetic and hygiene products such as deodorants, lip balms, body creams, facial creams, soaps, and solid shampoos made from environmentally friendly ingredients like St. John’s wort, rosemary, horsetail, and olive leaf, giving them a distinctive touch.
La Jabonería a granel also showcases soap dishes and cloth bags created by 150 participants in the Ida y Vuelta craft project run by the AFES Mental Health Association in their occupational workshops.
Starting with one or two brands of cleaning products, the store now offers almost a dozen brands and has introduced three new product lines with shared characteristics: biodegradable, eco-friendly (free of sulfates, parabens, or silicones), and cruelty-free. Before being sold, each product undergoes scrutiny to ensure they carry organic, eco, or vegan certifications, signifying artisanal production that aligns with the company’s ethos of promoting sustainability and reducing pollution.
At the initial stages, La Jabonería a granel stood out as an anomaly for selling cleaning products in bulk. However, an increasing number of people are recognising the importance of protecting the environment and opting for local products, notes the manager, Roberto Martín Fernández.
“Once the habit of buying and refilling containers becomes ingrained in residents’ daily routines, it becomes a lifelong practice,” he added.
Offering online sales, the store provides free shipping above a certain amount and collects empty containers to contribute to plastic reduction efforts.
A Fair Approach to Consumption
Unlike supermarkets that overpackage products using environmentally harmful materials, La Jabonería a granel allows consumers to purchase only the required amount of products, promoting a more sustainable purchasing model. Moreover, their packaging has a lifespan of up to 60 years, encouraging customers to buy once and reuse the packaging when refilling the products.
In its two-and-a-half years of operation, the company has reused over 11,000 containers, with a focus on raising awareness and sourcing local products, as highlighted by Martín.
With approximately 1,500 annual customers, including individuals and businesses, the store caters to rural homes, small to medium-sized hotels, and nursing homes. The shift towards this model is primarily led by young people and women, who constitute the majority of followers on social media platforms like Instagram, where they exceed 3,000.
While most sales are concentrated in Tenerife, the store also fulfils orders to other islands in the archipelago, ensuring the cost of transportation is justified by the quantity.
One of the nine dedicated insertion positions in the store is held by a woman who is also part of a personalised employment and training programme. Her experience at La Jabonería a granel serves as a stepping stone towards other job opportunities in the future.
Besides Roberto and a production technician managing suppliers, the project involves several other individuals.
Although embracing comfort and sustainable consumption is challenging, La Jabonería a granel has successfully adopted measures to contribute towards a greener, more sustainable, and inclusive planet.
