Frequently Asked Questions

All of our products are made in the USA. The only exception is the razor blade cartridge.  The cartridges are assembled in Mexico from US-made parts.  We chose to make this exception based on the integrity of the supplier and the fact that they do not test on animals. 

Preserve razor blades are made from titanium-coated stainless steel in the case of the Shave 3 blade, and ceramic coated stainless steel in the case of the Shave 5 and POPi Shave 5 blades. The clip wires (on the ends of the cartridge) are manufactured using rolled aluminum. The aluminum is then coated with plastic so as not to come into contact with skin.

Our bristles are made from virgin nylon.  They are not made from recycled materials.

The lubricating strips on our razor blades are made up of a plastic compound, with lubricating ingredients embedded that are designed to release over time.  The strips do not contain any animal ingredients and are free from parabens, sulfates, and silicates.

In addition to a vegan colorant, the featured ingredients vary by which blade you choose (Shave 3, Shave 5 or Wave.) We source our blades from a long-term partner who we chose for their good manufacturing processes, the fact that they manufacture primarily in the USA and for the fact that they do not test on animals.  If you need to learn more about our lubricating strip ingredients, please reach out to us at info@preserve.eco.

We seek to be vegan to the best of our ability but want to be as transparent as possible regarding the degree to which we’ve been able to verify.  We are able to confirm that the zinc stearate, used as a mold release agent for our plastic products is exclusively from vegetable sources.  It is important to note, however, that since we use recycled plastic, non-vegan mold release agents may have been used in an earlier “life” of the plastic.  Additionally, much of the plastic we use comes from yogurt cups and other products that may have been used to hold non-vegan foods.

For products for which we source components through long-term, trusted partners (specifically our razor) we have assurances from our partner that the cartridges and components are vegan.  There are no listed animal ingredients in their bill of materials, and we have been able to verify one step up in the supply chain, that the Vitamin E in the lubricating strip is derived from vegetable sources.  However, for the other plastics and metals that make up the shave cartridge, we have been unable to review documents that verify the specifications and processes behind their production.

-        Nickel is a specified component in stainless steel. Because of this, it may be present in our razor blades in trace amounts, but the amount is usually too small to detect with standard testing equipment.  We do often hear that some people sensitive to nickel can use our blades with no problem but realize that everyone is different so recommend caution if you are highly sensitive.

Preserve’s plastic products are made with recycled polypropylene (#5) plastic, which does not require BPA to achieve its necessary material properties. BPA is typically found in some #7 plastics.  

We use two different types of recycled #5 plastic and while both exceed US standards for BPA, we use slightly different language for each.

Post industrial recycled #5 plastic 

Preserve consistently tests our feedstock for BPA. Extraction tests for BPA show less than 1 ppm (detection limits for our methods).  We use the term BPA free here because BPA is not detected in our tests.    This also applies to our POPi products which contain HDPE plastic.

Post consumer recycled #5 plastic

Preserve uses post-consumer recycled #5 plastic in some products such as our lunch kit. While the recycling process removes inks, the removal process is not 100% complete and because direct print inks may include BPA, BPA can be unintentionally present in trace amounts in our post-consumer recycled plastic in the amounts of 1-2 parts per million (detectable since the detection limit is 1ppm).  This is well below the FDA’s No Observable Adverse Affects limit of 5 mg/kg of body weight per day. In the case of our lunch kit, we do not use the term BPA Free.

Preserve kitchen and tableware are dishwasher, microwave, and freezer safe. When using a dishwasher, we recommend a low-temperature setting in order to avoid exposing the products to the heating coil that heats up during the drying cycle. However, we have tested Preserve products in commercial washers that run at around 180 degrees, with no ill effects.  Most home washers run at around 120 degrees, so you should be able to run Preserve products through your dishwasher without any problems.

In regards to microwave use, Preserve's kitchen and tableware have been tested for microwave durability and will not break, crack, warp or get too hot when used to reheat food in the microwave to a comfortable eating temperature. The strength of microwaves varies, so please follow your manufacturer’s instructions to determine the appropriate times and power levels to reheat food in your microwave.  Preserve plastics can melt or warp when used to cook food in the microwave.

Preserve products are also freezer safe. However, please be aware that like all plastics, polypropylene can become brittle at very cold temperatures.  The container can crack or break if dropped or bumped hard when frozen.

While our Everyday tableware is durable and can withstand many uses, continued microwave use under high heat over long durations of time may form a white residue on the surface. This does not in any way affect the product’s performance, nor does it pose risks for continued use.

Occasionally our customers report seeing tiny crystals on their Preserve toothpicks.  This is normal and safe and can occur naturally when the flavoring warms, and then crystallizes as it cools.

Because of our style of packaging (the “lightweight pouch”), Preserve Toothbrush bristles can at times appear “squashed” upon opening the package. This is just a temporary state and the bristles should return to a normal alignment after wetting and using the brush.

-        Our retail online store (preserve.eco) ships within the U.S. and to most countries internationally.  We offer international shipping through our partner BorderGuru, which allows you to pay duties and taxes at the time of checkout, simplifying the process.

The shipping charges assigned to each order are based on the weight of the shipment and the location of delivery.  We do display a list of shipping options once you have added items to your cart and entered your billing and shipping addresses. 

Final shipping charges are displayed for review on the next page shown before the checkout process is finalized by selecting "continue to payment”.   We offer free standard shipping on U.S. orders over $50.  Please note that in order to qualify for free shipping, you cart total must be $50 or above AFTER any sale coupons are applied.  
 

We aim to process orders 1-2 business days after they placed. However, during a sale period, high volumes mean that fulfillment can sometimes take a little longer. We’re a small team and we work to pack boxes as quickly as we can.  

Please note that stated shipping estimates for various carriers do not include our packing time.  For example, if you choose a quote for 2-day shipping, your total estimated delivery time is 3-4 days (possibly a little longer during a sale). If it’s critical that your package arrives by a certain day, please call us at 888-354-7296 or email us at info@preserve.eco. We’ll be glad to help you find the best shipping option.

You can make changes to your subscription by logging into your account, and clicking on ‘manage subscriptions.”  From there, you can make changes to your account as needed. If you need further assistance to make changes to your account, please contact us via info@preserve.eco.

We choose to use #5 plastic (polypropylene) as our source material because it is a versatile and benign plastic. Preserve obtains our recycled plastics from a network of trusted sourcing partners and we test each new source that we reprocess. The recycled plastic in our Preserve products represents pre-consumer recycled material or a mixture of pre- and post-consumer blends. 

We identify the origins and intended use of all our plastics and work with our material suppliers to ensure that we know the first application of each material source. We follow FDA guidelines for use of post-consumer plastics in our products and all our sources of recycled plastic are tested for foreign elements, such as heavy metals, to ensure that there are no harmful chemicals migrating from the plastics that we use.

You can recycle your Preserve toothbrushes via our Toothbrush Takeback mail-in program.  Please note that we can only accept Preserve brand toothbrushes through this program and can’t accept toothbrushes from other brands.    You can find information on our recycling program here: https://www.preserve.eco/pages/toothbrush-takeback

Unfortunately, no. Right now, there is no straightforward recycling option for blades due to a number of factors, but primarily the many different materials contained in a blade and the difficulty of separating those out efficiently when volumes are small.  We are investigating many options, from working with electronics recyclers who are used to separating materials, to waste to energy plants.   Our goal is to find a solution that is markedly better than the current disposal method – tossing the blades in the trash.  We’re not there yet though, and don’t want to announce a solution until it is one we’ll be proud to share with the Preserve community.  We appreciate your patience and understanding as we continue to look for solutions.

We have three different types of toothbrush packaging and each has a slightly different situation:

Our lightweight pouch is a film and can be recycled anywhere plastic bags are accepted (typically grocery store drop off.)  

Our paperboard packaging is made from 100% recycled paperboard and can be recycled anywhere cardboard/paper is accepted.

The travel case is intended to be used for a long time, but it is made from PETG and is unfortunately not recyclable.