East Bolton, June 6, 2022 – In the wake of numerous supplier stock-outs, and the soaring prices of gas and raw material, the Savonnerie des Diligences, with its 100 or so suppliers, is not immune to the complexities of the post-pandemic supply puzzle. In fact, in an ecological transition that it strongly believes will have a positive impact on the local economy as a whole, the Savonnerie des Diligences has decided, after more than 16 years of using olive oil as the main ingredient in most of its products, to replace it with a blend of organic and non-GMO Canadian canola and sunflower oils that have all in all similar properties.

That being said, the Savonnerie des Diligences could not ignore the impact this sizable annual purchase will have on the planet: in 2022, it plans on using roughly 20,000 liters of oil. With its anticipated growth in the coming years, the quantities needed will only increase. As its founder and president, Marie-Eve Lejour, has always been concerned of the imprint the company might have, it was important for her to push this reflection even further this year : "We could have simply increased our prices and followed the inflation movement that we are all falling victim to. Yet, that was not an option that was in sync with our core values. Rather, we could not help but ask ourselves the existential question: if we had to choose our base oil today, in 2022, for the manufacturing of our soaps, what would we choose?"

Consequently, with the consumer and the environment at the heart of the reflection, the company called upon the firm ADDERE Service-conseil to study the greenhouse gases (GHG) generated by the different oils available on the market. After a rigorous analysis, the results confirmed that by using canola oil, the company could reduce by more than 50% the GHGs that were specifically linked to the purchase of olive oil. With this information, the choice was obvious.

In addition to using an oil (canola) that has a chemical composition that is very similar to that of olive oil, the company will be able to promote a more local economy all the while reducing the distances traveled by the oils and therefore their environmental imprint. With these solutions in hand, the research and development department of the Savonnerie des Diligences is proud to have been up to the challenge by designing a quality blend of canola and sunflower oils. Marie-Eve Lejour is extremely excited by this new change, "Our testing phase was successful, the texture of our products is still great and our soaps are more local than ever!"

While Savonnerie des Diligences is now more local than ever, it is clear that recent challenges have also made it more conscious, more aligned and more in sync with its main values.