Brand Rating:

Meow Meow Tweet

Top Choice

10/10

Score 10/10

The Shifting Gaia rating evaluates brands based on sustainable practices, ingredients and materials, and social responsibility, among others. Below are a few factors influencing this brand's score:

Certifications

B Corporation Certified

Leaping Bunny

PETA Cruelty-free

Plastic Negative Certified

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See how we rate.

Rated: October 15, 2025
Category: Beauty care
Subcategory: Haircare

Overview:

Sustainability 10.0/10

Non-toxicity 10.0/10

Meow Meow Tweet is a vegan personal care brand that makes low-waste deodorants, bar soaps, facial care products, body oils, and lip balms with a focus on ethical and plant-based ingredients.

Highlights:

100% backyard-compostable deodorant and lip balm tubes
Plant-based, sustainable ingredients
Non-toxic formulations
Cruelty-free
Plastic-free or circular packaging
Climate Neutral
Plastic Negative

Sustainability

score : 10.0/10

Packaging

The brand’s goal is that “your deodorant stick shouldn’t outlive you,” evidenced by its zero-plastic, compostable paper tubes for deodorant sticks and lip balms. These paper tubes are made from 90% recycled paper (80% post-consumer) and will biodegrade in a backyard compost within about a year. For other products, Meow Meow Tweet uses infinitely recyclable materials like aluminum and glass instead of plastic. Soap bars are packaged in FSC-certified, post-consumer recycled paper boxes printed with vegetable-based inks, which are fully compostable.

In the few cases where a plastic pump or cap is necessary (e.g. for liquid products), the packaging is designed for reuse: customers are encouraged to keep and refill the durable pump, and Meow Meow Tweet offers free pump return mailing so that used pumps can be sent back for recycling through TerraCycle. The brand also runs a bulk refill program selling products in larger aluminum bottles; customers can refill their original containers and even mail back the empty aluminum bottles to be reused by the company, at no shipping cost. For shipping materials, Meow Meow Tweet is similarly conscientious. Orders are packed 100% plastic-free using compostable corn-starch peanuts, paper tape, and reused boxes.

Ingredient Sustainability

Meow Meow Tweet’s ingredients are carefully chosen for environmental sustainability, with a strong emphasis on plant-based, organic, and ethically sourced materials. Notably, the company is 100% palm oil free, steering clear of a major driver of deforestation. They also refuse to wild-harvest endangered plants; instead, they prioritize cultivated botanicals and will reformulate if an ingredient’s supply becomes ecologically at-risk.

Many ingredients are certified organic and even Fair Trade, indicating lower pesticide use, better soil health, and more sustainable farming. Meow Meow Tweet highlights that their ingredients come from “strong or renewable plant populations” and support regenerative practices. For example, their cocoa butter and shea butter are organic and Fair Trade, produced in Peru and Burkina Faso respectively under programs that ensure sustainable harvesting and community benefit. Their coconut oil, cane sugar, and coffee are also Fair Trade certified.

The brand gives detailed sourcing transparency for key botanicals: their frankincense is harvested through cooperatives that protect wild Boswellia trees, and their patchouli, geranium, juniper, eucalyptus, rose, olive, and jojoba oils are all traceable to organic farms around the world with attention to biodiversity and regenerative impacts. This demonstrates a high level of supply chain awareness to avoid ingredients linked to deforestation, overharvesting, or habitat loss.

Across sampled products, Meow Meow Tweet exhibits a clear pattern: nearly all ingredients are plant-derived, biodegradable, and obtained via organic and fair trade channels, and the brand actively avoids ingredients known to have high environmental tolls (palm oil, non-RSPO palm derivatives, petrochemicals, persistent synthetic polymers, etc.). The company also adapts its formulas to sustainability concerns. For instance, it does not use endangered botanicals and pivots away from ingredients if climate change or overharvesting threatens their viability.

Energy Use and Footprint

Meow Meow Tweet addresses its energy use and carbon footprint with a high degree of responsibility, despite being a small company. The brand produces its products in a small-batch “microfactory” in California, which allows control over processes and minimizes waste and overproduction. They have taken steps to offset all operational emissions, achieving third-party Climate Neutral Certified status in 2021. As part of becoming carbon neutral, Meow Meow Tweet committed to and exceeded a goal to reduce resource use. For example, redesigning product packaging to cut down paper content by 60%, thereby shrinking its carbon and materials footprint. The company powers its facility with renewable energy credits (wind power) to offset electricity usage. In distribution, Meow Meow Tweet chooses lightweight packaging (e.g. switching from glass to aluminum bottles) explicitly to reduce shipping fuel emissions. All customer orders ship carbon-neutral (through offset programs) and plastic-free.

Waste Management

The company diligently measures its waste output, weighing trash weekly and striving to reduce waste by 15% year over year. It has implemented several innovative programs to mitigate waste at all stages. Within production, the small-batch approach means they don’t produce large surpluses or expired stock. They also look for ways to upcycle or reuse materials. For instance, their product formulas incorporate some upcycled ingredients (such as using mango seed butter, a byproduct of the food industry, in their cream). On the customer end, Meow Meow Tweet’s packaging strategy significantly reduces post-consumer waste. The company actively takes back packaging (like pumps and bulk bottles) for reuse or specialized recycling.

This “closed-loop” thinking is evident in their 100% zero-waste bulk refill system, which they encourage customers to use. The brand was one of the first to offer refillable solutions in beauty, and it continues to push for industry-wide change (publicly advocating for more reuse and even expressing a desire to collaborate with other small brands on custom plastic-free packaging solutions). In April 2021, Meow Meow Tweet achieved Plastic Negative certification: through a partnership with rePurpose Global, they fund the removal of twice their own annual plastic use (about 800 kg/year) from the environment, supporting waste management programs in India. This means even the unavoidable plastic (gloves, ingredient shipping bags, etc.) is effectively offset, rendering their net plastic footprint negative. Moreover, their products themselves are designed to reduce waste for the consumer: many are multi-purpose (e.g. the vegan lip balm can double as an all-purpose salve, the skin cream can be used head-to-toe), which cuts down on the total number of products (and associated packaging) a customer needs to buy.

Business Model

Meow Meow Tweet’s business model is deliberately oriented toward slow, sustainable consumption rather than fast-paced, high-waste retail cycles. The brand maintains a small, curated product line that remains relatively consistent (evergreen) and focuses on essentials for personal care. New releases are infrequent and driven by genuine need or innovation (for example, introducing a baking-soda-free deodorant for sensitive skin), not by fleeting trends or seasonal fads. In fact, the company openly states it makes products that are multi-purpose so you can buy fewer of them, emphasizing utility over variety. This is in stark contrast to mainstream beauty brands that launch dozens of products or limited editions each season.

Meow Meow Tweet’s marketing also avoids pushing overconsumption: it does engage in normal promotions (like free shipping over a certain amount, a rewards program, etc.), but the tone is educational and values-driven rather than “buy, buy, buy.” They even include messaging about mindful usage – e.g., advising how to store products to make them last longer and encouraging using every last bit (such as warming the compostable deodorant tube on skin to avoid wasting a cold stick).

Non-toxicity

score : 10.0/10

The five sample product formulas listed above contain no known controversial or highly hazardous substances: there are no parabens, phthalates, sulfates, PEGs, synthetic dyes or fragrances, petrochemical solvents, or any of the usual suspects linked to health risks. Instead, they rely on whole plant oils, clays, minerals, and essential oils that generally have low hazard profiles. The brand emphasizes transparency in labeling every ingredient (including Latin names) and even provides information on ingredient sourcing and benefits on their site. Independent evaluations have confirmed the safety of MMT’s formulations. For instance, Meow Meow Tweet’s products score low hazard ratings on databases like EWG. Looking at the ingredients: most are edible-grade plant materials (coconut oil, olive oil, etc.), which inherently tend to be low-toxicity. Even their preservative strategy is natural (using vitamin E and rosemary antioxidant instead of synthetic preservatives).

The essential oils used (peppermint, clove, etc.) are potent, but in these formulations they are in low concentrations appropriate for cosmetics and come with centuries of safe traditional use. Any ingredient that could be irritating to some (for example baking soda on underarms, or clove oil on lips) is disclosed and used judiciously; plus the brand offers alternatives (baking-soda-free deodorants) for sensitive individuals.

The entire product range is vegan and thus free from potential biological contaminants in animal ingredients (like allergens in lanolin or unpurified tallow, etc.). Notably, by being palm-free they also avoid ethoxylated palm derivatives that can carry residual carcinogenic 1,4-dioxane (a concern in some cleansers). The brand’s commitment to organic sourcing means fewer pesticide residues in the botanical ingredients as well. In terms of regulatory safety, all products meet or exceed EU cosmetic safety standards (the strictest globally) since the ingredient palettes are so clean.

Social Responsibility

score : 10.0/10

Fair Labor

Meow Meow Tweet shows a strong commitment to fair and humane labor practices both within its own operations and throughout its supply chain. On the home front, the company provides its team with living wages and generous benefits, far exceeding industry norms for small businesses. Employees are paid at rates determined by the MIT Living Wage calculator (adjusted to their location), which means wages are not just minimum or “fair” but truly sufficient for quality of life. Additionally, staff enjoy 6.5 weeks of paid time off, a 4-day work week, paid lunch breaks, 401k matching, and even a yearly bonus to encourage sustainable commuting (bike, public transit). These benefits indicate that Meow Meow Tweet treats labor as a key stakeholder in the business, aiming for a healthy work-life balance and financial security. he company is also an inclusive employer, explicitly encouraging applications from BIPOC, LGBTQ+, disabled individuals, parents, and others who often face bias in hiring.

In the supply chain, Meow Meow Tweet makes notable efforts to ensure ethical treatment of workers at the raw material level. The brand sources several key ingredients through Fair Trade certified cooperatives – for example, their cocoa butter comes from a fair-trade provider in Peru and their shea butter from a women’s cooperative in Burkina Faso. Fair Trade certification ensures farmers and workers receive fair prices and labor conditions, and often includes community development premiums. Other ingredients like sugar, coconut oil, and coffee are also Fair Trade according to the FAQ. Furthermore, Meow Meow Tweet prioritizes working with women-owned and operated ingredient distributors and cooperatives, which not only supports gender equity but often correlates with more socially conscious supply chains. They demonstrate transparency about sourcing: for instance, they discuss the challenges in conventional cacao farming (child labor, deforestation) and highlight that their cacao is conflict-free and ethically produced, indicating an awareness and avoidance of exploitative labor regions. The brand is a Certified B Corporation (since 2021), which means it underwent assessment of its social and environmental performance (including labor standards) and legally commits to high standards of conduct.

Animal Welfare

From its inception, the brand has been 100% vegan and cruelty-free. This is verified by independent certification. Meow Meow Tweet is certified by Leaping Bunny (the gold standard for cruelty-free) and has been since at least 2018. Leaping Bunny certification means none of the products or ingredients are tested on animals, and the company’s entire supply chain must comply (no animal testing by ingredient suppliers either).

Meow Meow Tweet’s commitment extends beyond avoiding harm; they actively support animal causes. The company donates monthly to animal justice organizations as part of its charity giving (alongside environmental and social justice orgs).

Community Engagement

A standout feature of the brand’s community efforts is their monthly redistribution of funds to grassroots organizations. Every month, Meow Meow Tweet donates a portion of its revenue to small, often underfunded nonprofits that align with their values in Earth & Nature, Social Justice, and Animal Justice categories. Rather than one-off charity events, this is an ongoing pledge, showing that community support is a continuous priority, not an afterthought. By prioritizing BIPOC- and queer-led organizations in their giving, MMT ensures its contributions support marginalized communities and intersectional environmentalism (recognizing that environmental justice and social justice are linked). This focused, regular giving amplifies underrepresented voices and projects, indicating a strategic approach to community impact.