Public Goods Review
About Public Goods
Public Goods is a one-stop retail subscription experience for healthy and sustainable everyday essentials.
The company believes that collective small differences (like sustainable household products) can change the world. They want to provide you with everything you can possibly need in a sustainable form and delivered in minimalist packaging.
Public Goods sells environmentally friendly cleaning supplies, groceries, pets supplies, and even CBD oil, all loved by their 182k followers on Instagram. You have have heard of them because of their iconic Public Goods tree free toilet paper.
This Public Goods review will focus on the personal care product line to really show you what they’re all about. Let’s get to it!
Overview of Public Goods
Public Goods founder Morgan Hirsh had a vision for a minimal, sustainable lifestyle from a young age, but his father wanted him to take over the family manufacturing business.
At the time, Hirsh wanted to learn more about business but was hesitant to inherit stewardship of his father’s company. Of course, that was a decision he wouldn’t have to face for years.
At 19, Hirsh started his own call center business and sold it to his business partner at 21 to embark on his worldly travels. He ended up in Shanghai and started working for an advertising agency to better understand the market.
During that time, he met Public Good’s to-be co-founder and chief operating officer, Mike Ferchak. Ferchak has a background in engineering, product development, and manufacturing, all of which made him the perfect pair for Hirsh’s sales personality.
While brushing his teeth one day, Hirsh came up with the idea for a subscription service that provided consumers with all of their basic toiletries in a convenient and sustainable manner.
So he created just that, a service that makes healthy, affordable, and high-quality products, like toothbrushes, daily care products, and the popular Public Goods free toilet paper. Each order is shipped directly to consumers (no distributors or retailers involved).
Hirsh and Ferchak reconnected in New York and began collaborating again on a part-time basis, until eventually, Ferchak joined Hirsh full-time to become Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer of Public Goods, launching the company officially in 2016.
After struggling for about a year, Public Goods conducted a successful Kickstarter campaign with a fundraising goal of $20,000. Within 38 days of their launch, more than 10,000 people had backed Public Goods, raising nearly $700,000.
From there, the investments just started rolling in, landing Public Goods where they are today, successfully delivering sustainable and healthy goods to consumers all over the United States.
Before taking a look at some of their amazing products, this Public Goods review will provide a brief overview of the brand’s pros and cons:
Pros
- Offers a wide variety of items covering personal care, household, grocery, vitamins, and more
- The brand’s essentials are vegan, cruelty-free, organic, natural, and environmentally friendly
- Public Goods products all have low prices
- The Company is partnered with Eden Reforestation Projects to plant a tree each time an order is placed
Cons
- Annual membership is affordable but the cost is separate from the actual product purchases
- Products arrive in a lot of packaging despite the company’s reputation for sustainability
Public Goods Personal Care Review
This brand sells a wide variety of essential and wellness products, including Public Goods vitamins, paper products like paper towels and toilet paper, oils, and candles like the popular Public Goods lavender candle, plus much, much more.
Want more? The company also sells travel-size essentials like the Public Good facial line (cleanser, moisturizers, etc).
Even better, they’ve also begun selling Public Goods K95 masks to help curb the pandemic.
Going forward, this Public Goods review will focus specifically on best-selling personal care items, daily toiletries, cleaning supplies, and health products for an at-home Public Goods public facial experience.
Public Goods Shampoo Bar Review
The Public Goods Shampoo Bar is a solid shampoo bar that lasts up to three times as long as the average liquid shampoo bottle. All you have to do is wet the bar and lather into your hair.
This product is proudly vegan; made with sustainably sourced organic palm oils, organic olive and coconut oils, and enriched with aromatherapeutic lavender oil, volumizing rosemary extract, and aloe vera. How’s that for a do-it-all shampoo?
The $6 Public Goods Shampoo Bar is 3.25 oz of sustainable, sulfate-free goodness that’s made in the state of Vermont. No need to throw away any of the product unlike shampoo bottles, but if you did, the Public Goods recycled trash bags would be a great choice.
Public Goods Floss Review
Public Goods Silk Dental Floss is made from 100% biodegradable silk and peppermint candelilla wax coming to you live in an environmentally-conscious glass bottle.
This product is made with your health and comfort in mind, so you can rest assured that your teeth and gums are in good hands. It also doesn’t include any nasty substances like parabens, synthetic fragrance, sodium lauryl sulfates, or phthalates.
Public Goods Silk Floss is 30 ml of sustainable product and retails for $3.
Public Goods Refillable Hand Soap Review
The Public Goods Hand Soap is an oil-infused, non-irritating liquid soap that is hard on dirt but gentle on skin.
This vegan soap is made with essential oils of orange, geranium, cinnamon, mandarin, nutmeg, petitgrain, rosewood, celery seed, grapefruit, and vetiver.
It smells like fresh grapefruit and juicy mandarin, so you’ll be looking forward to washing your hands again and again. The bottle is recyclable so you can easily purchase a Public Goods hand soap refill when you run out. The environment and your wallet thank you.
A 12 oz bottle of Hand Soap rings up to a cool total of $5.
Public Goods Toothpaste Review
Public Goods Toothpaste is an all-natural toothpaste with dual-grit abrasive that’s extra effective on anything that’s made its home on the surface of your teeth.
This vegan toothpaste is made with peppermint essential oil that tastes good and counters odors at the same time. What more could you ask for from a toothpaste?
This handy product comes in a 6 oz squeeze-tube for only $6.
Public Goods Hand Sanitizer Spray Review
In these trying times, it’s important that we all come together – nope, sorry, we’re not here to sell you a new car. What we do have to show is a pandemic-appropriate item that should be a purse essential anyway.
Public Goods Hand Sanitizer covers all the claims of regular hand sanitizer and then some. This product is carefully made on a farm in Colorado’s High Plateau and is chock-full of natural, fragrant ingredients.
It contains 65% organic ethyl alcohol, cinnamon leaf oil, and the botanical essences of juniper berry, lavender, and rosebud. We can smell the cleanliness already.
According to Public Goods, the Hand Sanitizer goes on light and isn’t sticky or oily. It is packaged in a reusable 2 oz bottle. It’s also vegan and free of sulfates, parabens, and gluten.
Public Goods Hand Sanitizer comes in a 2 oz bottle and sells for $4.
Public Goods Agave Syrup Review
Need a little bit of extra sweetness in your life? We all could, but going for pure sugar isn’t always the greatest idea.
The Public Goods Agave Syrup is made from the blue agave plant and delivers a sweet experience however you want to use it. Throw it in a drink, cook with it, the choices are endless.
An 11.75 oz bottle of Public Good Agave syrup will run you $4.
Public Goods Extra Virgin Olive Oil Spray Review
Public Goods calls their Extra Virgin Olive Oil spray “a healthy cook’s secret weapon.” The non-aerosol spray can help ensure that you apply a perfect portion of fine Mediterranean olive oil every time.
This product is certified organic. It also contains no CFCs, silicone, additives, or preservatives, so you can feel safe and secure adding this tasty oil to whatever dish catches your fancy.
An 8 oz bottle of the Extra Virgin Olive Oil sells for $6.
Public Goods Surface Cleaner Review
Public Goods’ multi purpose Surface Cleaner is a potent plant-based product that effectively cleans up the messiest of problems that come up (grease, dirt, grime – you name it) while being gentle at the same time.
For a bit of background information, this cleaner is made with purified water, coconut-derived actives and jasmine essential oils.
This product is also vegan, biodegradable, and environmentally friendly. Get it in a 24 oz reusable bottle for only $6.
Public Goods Glass Cleaner Review
Public Goods plant-based Glass Cleaner is made with purified water, coconut and corn active ingredients, and citric acid.
It is proven to leave glass surfaces bright and streak-free without leaving behind chemical residues that may be harmful.
Don’t worry about using this substance to clean sensitive surfaces like your glasses, as the Glass Cleaner is vegan, biodegradable, and environmentally friendly.
The 24 oz reusable bottle of Public Goods Glass Cleaner sells for $6.
Public Goods Subscription
Public Goods is a membership subscription platform. For $59/year, members get access to hundreds of healthy, sustainable goods at direct-to-consumer prices, as well as free shipping on orders $45+.
If you’re hesitant to jump in, you can try a free 14-day trial and cancel your subscription at any time.
With that in mind, you’re unable to purchase individual items without a subscription. To start one, all you have to do is register your email and Public Goods will send a link so you can activate your account and start shopping.
Public Goods Reviews: What Do Customers Think?
No Public Goods review would be complete without taking a look at what customers have to say about the brand and their products. We took to their official website, Influenster, and Reddit to get the scoop on what people really think about them.
On publicgoods.com, products average 4+ star reviews with lots of happy feedback from satisfied customers.
In particular, the Silk Dental Floss is one of the more reviewed products on the site, with a 4.2/5 stars rating out of 236 reviews.
Users frequently call this product “sturdy” and “easy to use.” One buyer was pleasantly surprised with their purchase, writing, “I thought it would be fragile since it is silk, but it worked just as well as regular floss, plus it’s eco friendly!”
The Hand Soap is another highly reviewed product, with a score of 4.5/5 stars of 192 ratings. Customers note that the scent is pleasant and “not overwhelming.” Multiple reviewers also mention that they like the aesthetic of the bottle in their bathroom.
One 5-star Public Goods review writes “I love the TEXTURE of this soap! I’ve gotten many compliments from guests. The scent is light and sweet.”
Other products we looked at in this Public Goods review are also highly rated:
- Shampoo Bar: 4/5 stars out of 78 ratings
- Toothpaste: 4.5/5 stars out of 88 ratings
- Hand Sanitizer: 4.6/5 stars out of 48 ratings
- Surface Cleaner: 4.5/5 stars out of 106 ratings
- Glass Cleaner: 4.6/5 stars out of 215 ratings
On Influenster, Public Goods averages a 4.5/5 stars rating from 40 verified reviews.
So all things considered, is Public Goods a good company?
Is Public Goods Worth It?
This Public Goods review has determined that generally, this subscription service is worth the cost. So yes, it’s good to #shoppublic.
Whether or not you enjoy all the products the same, the brand consistently promises to be organic, vegan, and environmentally-friendly. Plus, the products are delivered to your doorstep, so it’s hard to imagine anything more convenient. All in all, this brand is on the up-and-up.
Public Goods Promotions & Discounts
Public Goods is a subscription service that totes low costs. For that reason, there aren’t many promotional discounts because the company is already striving to give you the best price.
They do, however, offer a two-week free trial if you want to try the service and individual products before committing full throttle.
You can also earn a 10% discount towards your first order when you sign up for an email subscription. And, if you’re a student, the brand offers a 20% discount towards your purchase. As a student. The Public Goods paper might catch your eye as well.
Public Goods Lifetime Membership
When Founder Morgan Hirsh launched the Public Goods Kickstarter campaign, they offered a number of incentives, including the option to back the project with a lifetime membership: a one-time payment of $99.
While this membership is no longer available, you can continue to subscribe to Public Goods for as long as you want at a yearly rate of $59. The subscription will renew automatically each year unless you decide to cancel it.
Public Goods Free Trial
The Public Goods free trial allows you to purchase from the entire product line with no membership fee for 14 days. At the end of the period, you will be automatically charged a $59 annual fee.
To avoid this, you have to cancel your free trial before it ends.
Canceling your free trial or annual membership account can be done by emailing customer service at service@publicgoods.com.
Where To Buy Public Goods
Public Good products can only be purchased online at publicgoods.com. The brand ships within the contiguous United States and Internationally. Costs and policy will be broken down in the following sections of this Public Goods review.
FAQ
What are Public Goods?
Public Goods is a member subscription service that delivers healthy and sustainable household essentials, including but not limited to Public foods, cleaning supplies, pet supplies, and toiletries.
Is Public Goods eco friendly?
This Public Goods review found that the majority of the brand’s products are organic, vegan, and naturally-sourced, as specified on each product information page.
The company advertises minimalist packaging as well, but customers complain that this is an aesthetic choice that doesn’t appear to reduce packaging waste.
Where is Public Goods located?
Public Goods is based out of Brooklyn, New York.
How much is Public Goods shipping?
This Public Goods review is happy to report that within the contiguous United States, the brand offers free standard shipping on orders over $45. Orders placed to Canada over $100 also qualify for free shipping.
Public Goods ships with UPS, USPS, or FedEx depending on your location and which shipping option you choose. Orders are typically processed and shipped the following business day.
Domestic shipping takes an average of 2-6 business days to arrive, but there are expedited options as well (next day, second day, or three day).
Shipments to Canada typically take 5-10 business days to arrive. You will receive an email with tracking information as soon as your order is processed.
Since shipping and taxes depend on weight and location, the best way to determine your payment is to add a few items to your cart with your address. You will not have to confirm your payment to see the total.
What is Public Goods’ Return Policy?
Need to return your Public Goods free paper? The brand doesn’t typically accept returns unless the product is damaged or defective.
If your order has one of those issues, Public Goods will honor your return within 30 days of purchase. Your refund will be issued as a credit via your original payment method.
How to Contact Public Goods
You’ll notice that there is a chatbox on the Public Goods website so that customer support can help you with any questions you might have on the spot.
You also have the option of filling out a question form on the Contact Us page. There doesn’t appear to be a Public Goods contact phone number, but if you prefer direct correspondence, you can email customer service at service@publicgoods.com.
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