FAQ
Shipping
Where do you ship?
We ship worldwide!
If you're in the Tacoma, Washington region, we probably deliver to your doorstep. Check out the Delivery FAQ below!
How much does shipping cost?
Shipping costs are determined by weight and travel distance, and automatically calculated at checkout.
If you're in the continental US, we offer free shipping for all orders over $75.
How do you ship?
We ship all of our orders through USPS. USPS is already coming to your home, so by shipping through them we are able to minimize our environmental impact even more.
How long does shipping take?
We pack and ship your order within a few days of order placement. Depending on your location, shipping can take 2-8 days from the time your order leaves our hands.
Do you ship plastic free?
Yes, always! We use reused boxes from our vendors, neighbors, and friends, reused packing paper, 100% post-consumer recycled shipping labels, and paper tape. All of the packing from your order is curbside recyclable, although all of our packaging should have a lot of life left in them. We encourage you to reuse your shipping boxes or pass them along to someone else who can!
Is my shipment carbon-neutral?
In short - yes! But keep reading 'cause it gets better.
While we do not calculate the carbon footprint of every order we receive, each tree we plant for your purchase offsets 48 pounds of carbon - each year! Plus, if you checkout using the Shop Pay option, Shopify itself offsets the emissions from your order. So, while we don't calculate it exactly, your order can be up to double-carbon negative through Shopify's shipping offset and your planted trees.
I accidentally used an incorrect address for my order. What do I do?
Please send us an email with your order number to krystina@adropintheoceanshop.com as soon as possible with the correct address.
If we have already shipped your order we cannot change the address or re-route the order; it is in the hands of USPS.
If the package is returned to us as undeliverable, we will reach out to you via the email provided in your order to try to get your order to you. Unfortunately, we cannot cover any additional shipping fees associated with reshipping your order.
Tacoma Local Delivery
How does your local delivery system work?
We do all of our deliveries on Tuesdays. Orders must be placed by 5pm on Monday for guaranteed Tuesday delivery. For full details on our delivery system, check out our Local Delivery page.
Do you have a local pickup option?
We do not have a local pickup option, and that decision is highly intentional for the planet. Check out our post on the impacts of online shopping and why we don't have a local pickup option for the full details!
Is my delivery carbon-neutral?
Our local deliveries are actually carbon negative!
While we do not calculate the carbon footprint of every order we receive, each tree we plant for your purchase offset 48 pounds of carbon - each year!
Plus, if you checkout using the Shop Pay option, Shopify itself offsets the emissions from your order.
And, each year we offset every mile we drive with additional trees. So, while we don't calculate it exactly, your order is up to triple-carbon negative through our mileage offset, Shopify's shipping offset, and your planted trees.
Check out our Local Delivery page for full details on our delivery system and even more delivery FAQs.
Subscriptions
How can I manage my subscription?
You can manage your subscriptions by logging into your account using the person icon on the top right corner of your screen, or at the bottom of the menu on mobile. Once you’ve logged in, there will be the option to “Manage Subscription” under Account Details.
How can I add a one-time product my subscription?
With our current subscription system, you cannot directly add a one-time product to an upcoming subscription. Instead, you can either email Krystina (krystina@adropintheoceanshop.com) and she can add it for you, or you can submit a second order and use the code ADDON at checkout. This will cancel out any shipping or delivery fees so you don't pay extra. We will consolidate the two orders into one shipment or delivery.
Please note that if your order is being shipped and your one-time product adds significant weight to the package, we may reach out with an invoice for the shipping balance (if your total is under $75).
Can I cancel my subscription at any time?
Subscriptions can be cancelled after the first two charges have been processed.
Refilling
How does your online refill system work?
Check out the step-by-step guide to online refills here.
Can I refill my own containers?
Our refill system is designed to use the jars and bottles we provide, but you can always transfer your products into your own containers once you receive them. For liquid items, if you know you'd like to do so, choose the "Refill" option, and leave us a note on your first order that you just don't need the pump.
Check out the refill guide for details on how you can still get your essentials without waste, even when ordering online.
How do your bulk products get to you? Is it really a closed-loop system?
Yes, it really is a closed-loop system! And we're really freaking proud of that fact.
All of our bulk products are sourced locally in 5-gallon buckets or 1-gallon jugs, which means we're able to return the empty containers to our vendors to be endlessly washed and reused. Nothing goes to landfill, recycling, or even to our local Buy Nothing group. It's all reused over and over again.
General
Where are you located? Do you have a physical storefront?
A Drop in the Ocean is an online zero waste and sustainable living boutique based out of Tacoma, Washington. We do not have a brick-and-mortar shop, but we do offer local delivery around the South Sound region, including refills of your household essentials.
I've already placed an order, but the product(s) I ordered have gone on sale since. Can I get a refund for the difference?
All sales are only valid during the specified sale time. We cannot refund any orders placed prior to a sale.
Besides offering refillable and sustainable lifestyle products, what other environmentally-conscious activities do you practice?
We are committed to using business for good. For us, this means donating at least 1% of your purchase total to ocean conservation, and planting one tree for every item purchased. Learn more about our conservation partners and our eco-impact here!
We also offset all of the miles we drive each year, source our products as locally as possible, and share sustainable living and zero waste tips every week through our Make Waves Mondays email series and blog.
How do you select your products?
All of our products are hand-selected by our owner and founder, Krystina. Most of the products currently available are products Krystina was already using in her daily life before launching this shop, while the others she has found along her journey by talking to local business owners and community members to find the best products out there.
When selecting our products, we prioritize products that are: palm oil free or contain only sustainably-sourced palm oil, made by women, made locally, and cruelty free. We also prioritize companies that are using their business for good in the form of a give-back program, such as donations or volunteer hours, to support people and the planet.
Where do you source your products? Are they all made in the USA?
We've dedicated a whole blog post just to answering this question! You can read all about where we source our products over here.
In short, we're dedicated to sourcing products locally whenever we can. Every product in our shop lists its "Ethical Guarantees" - including if it's made here in Washington state or made in the USA. So while we're working hard to bring you local products, you can always confirm on each product page itself.
How does your tree planting work?
We do all of our tree planting through Trees for the Future, an incredible organization that plants trees in sub-Saharan Africa. Their mission is to improve the livelihoods of impoverished farmers by revitalizing degraded lands.
Working with local community members, Trees for the Future provides all of the tools the farmers need to grow trees on degraded land that bring valuable nutrients back to the soil so they can grow a variety of fruits and vegetables and earn an income and food security.
The Trees for the Future model has proven effective, even in the first year of working with a farmer. The average annual income for participating farmers increases by 400%. Your planted trees are doing more than sequestering carbon. They’re changing lives.
Why do some of your products contain palm oil?
There’s a lot of news surrounding palm oil, and rightfully so. Palm oil is in nearly every product on store shelves today, and since oil palm requires a rainforest climate to grow, these habitats are being destroyed and species such as orangutans and tigers are losing their homes at an alarming rate.
You will never find a product in this store containing non-sustainably sourced palm oil.
Some of our products do, however, contain sustainably-sourced palm oil. Palm oil is a highly efficient crop. If we stopped purchasing palm oil completely, these plantations would be transitioned to another vegetable oil, which would supply lower yields and may actually lead to more forest destruction.
We understand that some of our EcoWarriors will not purchase products containing any palm oil. We also understand that some of the regulations around sustainably-sourced palm oil can be controversial. For these reasons, we will always clearly specify which products contain sustainably-sourced palm oil and which do not contain any.
Check out our full blog post on palm oil and why it's important, too!
Do you offer wholesale?
We do not offer wholesale.
Returns
What is your return policy?
We thoroughly vet every product that we sell in our shop. We love them all, and truly hope that you will as well. However, due to the environmental impact of returns, we cannot offer returns on any of our products. In the US alone, approximately 15 billion metric tons of carbon are released into the atmosphere just from transporting returns.
Instead, we ask that you practice conscious buying habits, and only purchase items that you have reviewed and need at this time in your life. We’ve done the reviewing on our end to provide you with the best products available to reduce your impact on the planet, and stand by those products 100%. If you find yourself dissatisfied with any products you receive, please contact us at krystina@adropintheoceanshop.com and we will evaluate requests on a case-by-case basis.
I still have questions. How can I contact you?
Please reach out to us through our contact form or at krystina@adropintheoceanshop.com.