French organic beauty brand Melvita puts
nature at heart with every endeavour and to celebrate Earth Day this year,
Melvita Malaysia hosted their very own eco-bike cycling event at
Taman Wetlands, Putrajaya. The event was
joined by 41 press members including the
bloggers, local celebrities Tan Ley Teng, Chai Xin Le, Wang Qie, MayJune and
Jae Yu, as well as kids and teachers from Persatuan Dyslexia Malaysia. The eco-cycling event is Melvita Malaysia’s second locally-based green initiative.
Melvita
was established back in 1983, and the brand
name symbolizes “honey” and “life”. Melvita’s commitment to ecology and nature originates from its
founder, Bernard Chevilliat, a biologist and beekeeper, who is also a
great lover of nature’s beauty.
From its eco-factory in the Ardèche to the fair trade
sourcing of its ingredients and a permanent focus on controlling its carbon
footprint in terms of packaging and transport (for instance: reducing the weight of its product packaging,
providing transport services for its employees as well as introducing a new
environmentally-friendly production plant), Melvita works constantly and diligently to lighten
its environmental impact on the planet.
This year’s event aims to promote
and highlight the brand’s commitment on preserving biodiversity, environmental
balance and organic beauty, to build awareness on the importance of reducing
carbon footprint and pollution by cutting down the use of fossil fuel-powered
vehicles, and to heighten public appreciation of Mother Nature and to grow
towards a sustainable future by instilling eco-friendly practices amongst the
community, particularly the
children, to encourage
responsible citizenship at a young age.
To kick-start
the event, participants were equally separated into two groups. One group
proceeded to cycle around the park
after choosing their respective bikes, while the other group hopped onto
a tram to begin their nature exploration. Each person received a Melvita Belle &
the Bee cotton tote bag, a Melvita cap for protection against the sun’s rays, a
Melvita face towel and a storybook (which is also available at RM49.90 at all
Melvita Boutiques).
The storybook – called The Bee Who Spoke, was a joint effort between Melvita and renowned illustrator, Rebecca Gibbon to turn Melvita’s signature icons, Belle and The Bee into a book. The book features a curious Parisian girl and her philosophical guide to the natural world around her.
Participants passed by a total of
five checkpoints, namely the
Swan Lake, Flamingo Pond, Lookout Tower, Padang Semarak and the Nursery. At each
checkpoint, they were tasked with a fun challenge that requires strategy,
creativity and observation skills. They were required to acquire as many scores
as possible and ensured checkpoint cards were marked off with a score by the person
manning the check point. At the end of each checkpoint, they opened up
Melvita’s bee mailbox in which letters for the next destination and action were placed.
Along
the journey, participants also had the opportunity to stop and admire the
beautiful surroundings of Taman Wetlands, Putrajaya. Taman Wetlands is
Malaysia’s first constructed freshwater wetland and plays a number of roles
in the environment, principally water purification, flood control, and
shoreline stability. With an initiative like today’s eco cycling
event, not only can the participants get back in touch with nature,
they can also learn more about what wetlands are and how wetlands can help with
the environment.
Participants then sat down to a
nutritious and scrumptious organic lunch, packed in a recyclable plastic food
container, thoughtfully prepared
by the brand. Ms. Coco Lee, Retail Operations
& Training Manager of Melvita Malaysia thanked everyone present for being
supportive of Melvita’s effort to commemorate Earth Month with a meaningful
outing.
“To try and sustain our rapidly changing environment,
it is essential that we all attempt to reduce our carbon emissions as far as is
feasibly possible. Although this might sound like a daunting task, there are
many small ways in which we can play our part. For example, try using public
transport or carpooling as much as possible, or alternatively take to walking
or cycling as an alternative means of getting around. When out buying food, try bringing reusable
plastic containers. Avoid plastic bags altogether and bring your own tote bag. Throughout April, we also urge everyone to recycle
your cosmetic empties at any Melvita outlets and get rewarded - Each effort will entitle you to a 10% discount on normal
retail priced items; and those who recycle
Melvita skincare bottles will be given an extra 5% off. This is part of our pledge to help the
local community realize how important it is to self-initiate an effort to make
the earth a better place to live in,” she
said during her speech.
After spending an eventful morning
at Taman Wetlands, although we the participants were feeling exhausted, we felt so much better and feeling more energetic after the cycling workout. Thanks to Melvita for giving us the opportunity to spend time amidst
nature on this meaningful day. We have learnt to cultivate the habit of being
environmentally responsible, as well as to do our part for the planet, no
matter how modest it may be. Prizes were given away to teams with high scores
before the event ended and returned to Kuala Lumpur. I told my team members I was very proud of them for building a great team spirit we have bonded that day. They also felt very motivated and uplifted with the end result of the activities we have accomplished together. Bravo Irene, Nadine, Seow Hui, Aneda and Novel!
THE STORY OF MELVITA
Leading
French organic skincare brand Melvita was founded in 1983 by French biologist and beekeeper, Bernard Chevilliat. Besides being one
of the pioneers in the world to gain the French ECOCERT and BIO certificates
for organic products, it has been leading the world in setting trends of
organic beauty care, with its unique formulas developed using more than 600
types of quality natural organic ingredients. It is known to be the organic
beauty care brand with the largest range of organically certified product
series in the world.
Melvita’s
organic products include skincare, men’s skincare, hair care, body care, mum and baby, and beehive products. Its signature products include Floral Waters,
Bio-Excellence organic flowers and fruits anti-oxidant series, Apicosma honey
moisturising series, and etc. All Melvita’s products are certified by ECOCERT
France, and fulfill the standards of COSMEBIO France (Professional Association
for Ecological and Organic Cosmetics).
Melvita’s
organic products have a high ratio of organic ingredients. We believe that
using organic products is a crucial approach to maintain the earth’s future
ecosystem, and insist on ‘NO paraffin, silicone, PEG (polyethylene
glycol) or PPG (polypropylene glycol), ethoxylated products, parabens or phenoxyethanol, formaldehyde or chlorine derivatives, synthetic fragrances or
colourings’, ‘Protesting
against any tests on animals’ and ‘Using recyclable packaging to the best we
can.’
In
recent years, reports have shown that bee population all over the world has
dropped dramatically. Ecological experts have also warned the ecology of bees
will have a great impact on the future of plants or humans. Due to the close
relationship between Melvita and bees and its pro-active approach in promoting
the awareness of bee ecology, Melvita Foundation has been established to help
local beekeepers, bee ecology research, and organic farming from different
countries, to further increase the awareness of the public towards bee
conservation, organic farming and environmental protection. Care for nature,
professionalism in the organic industry, and environmental preservation are the
THREE main philosophies of Melvita.
What is ECOCERT? What
is BIO?
ECOCERT is an organic certification organization founded in France
in 1991. Its Ecological and Organic Charter is considered as the
standards of the organic industry. Its certification standards are extremely
stringent, completely prohibiting disputable ingredients and most synthetic
preservatives in products. Detailed analysis is also carried out. This is to
ensure the ingredients, place of origins, production methods, refining methods,
quality preservation and other aspects fulfil relevant eco-friendly organic
standards before being approved for certification.
BIO is the certification dedicated to
beauty care products, to certify there is at least 95% of the total ingredients
are from natural origin, and at least 95% of the total plant-based
ingredients are organic, while at least 10% of the total ingredients are from
organic farming.
*Generally, beauty care products contain 50% – 80% water. Water
cannot be listed as certified-organic ingredients.
