b'ENVIRONMENTEYE ON THEENVIRONMENT By Andrew SnookF o u r e - c o m m e r c e c o m p a n i e s t h a t t a k e a g r e e n a p p r o a c h t o b u i l d i n g t h e i r b u s i n e s sS ustainablepracticeshaveas well as 600 JCPenney stores in theshift is not easy, and were a small brand. been a hot topic over the pastUnited States.Thankfully, there are a lot of larger brands decade.Whileconsumersworking on this as well because I think it have been pushing companiesJenn Harper, the companys founder andhas to be a collective.to offer more environmentallyCEO, says Cheekbones path for sustain-friendly products and processes for theable products has evolved over the years,Jumping from an e-commerce company creation and shipping of their goods forstarting with adjusting the types of mailerssellingbeautyproductsdirectlyto many years, the recent focus on climatethey send out to consumers. That wouldconsumers, to mass production of sustain-change has made these demands greaterhave been the first choice we made toable products for global brands, has not than ever before.really focus on making better, morebeen an easy transition. In addition to Fortunately, there are many Indigenoussustainable choices in terms of packaging.all the planning required, it takes signif-business owners that have made sustain- And now, its grown to the componentry,icant access to capital. Fortunately for ability a key part of their operations. ForHarper says. The raw ingredients that goCheekbone Beauty, Harper was able this article, Aboriginal Business Reportinto the products, how we operate as ato find an investor in Raven Indigenous spoke with a few Indigenous companiesbusiness, and just thinking a lot moreCapitalPartnersheadquartered that offer more sustainable options. deeply and seriously about why we madein Vancouver.choices in terms of packaging. CHEEKBONE BEAUTY Theyre certainly the only reason we could Cheekbone Beauty Cosmetics Inc. is anFor their launch into Sephora, Cheekbonego down the sustainability route because e-commerce beauty brand that is sellingBeauty is producing lines of refillable lipwere talking minimum quantity orders directly to its consumers.The populargloss and lipsticks. Obviously, reusingwhen youre purchasing your own compo-Indigenous-owned makeup companyand refilling are at the top of how to trynentry. In some cases, that is 25,000 units. is now featured in some of the largestto stay sustainable in terms of beauty andSo, you cant do that as a small endeavour and most prestigious storefronts acrossthe kinds of products we bring into ourby yourselfand thats just the compo-North America. Founded in 2016 in St.homes, Harper says. We know that itsnent without any product in it, Harper Catharines, Ontario, Cheekbone Beautybeen talked about as a trend but its thesays. Its not a small investment; its a launched in 50 Sephora stores in March,consumer that is key. Creating a behaviourserious venture. CHEEKBONE BEAUTY32A CCAB PUBLICATION2023'