Today we’d like to introduce you to Angie Ringler.
Angie Ringler is the founder of the environmentally-conscious business Tangie LLC, doing business as WasteFreeProducts.com. She is a third-generation Floridian living in Central Florida with her husband of 20 years. Angie graduated from Nova Southeastern University with a BA degree and undergraduate in Law. She worked as a paralegal for many years before founding her company in 2012. Most of her life, Angie, a redhead, had always been prone to sensitive skin and would often break out into allergies and rashes. Soon she began realizing that these were being caused by the myriad of chemical-laden soaps and detergents she was using day-in and day-out. That, and the lack of many viable alternatives in the market at that time, she started tinkering and coming up with her own recipes created from things she found in her pantry. The first and easiest switch was to use vinegar to clean her mirrors and windows instead of a market-bought product and that worked beautifully for her.
Along this interesting path of discovery, Angie found out that laundry soap labels rarely carried a list of ingredients. She thought the chemicals used therein could be the cause of her discomfort when freshly washed clothes reacted to her skin. That’s when she began surfing DIY laundry soap techniques on the internet and began making her own soap. It is pertinent to point out, that as a solution oriented person, when grating and melting regular soap bars did not do the trick, Angie progressed to experimenting with more ancient ingredients like yucca root and soap nuts. One thing led to another and she started making and giving away gallon jugs of liquid laundry soap to her mom, friends, and neighbors. When people figured out how these soaps contained only natural and organic ingredients and were completely produced indigenously, the good word spread. It was almost like a signal from the universe in 2010 when Angie had a moment to pause, take a step back and assess her life. She asked herself if working in a corporate office was in alignment with the person she was inside. Some introspection and instinct egged her to contact SCORE.org and the local Small Business Development Center.
During a casual conversation with one of the people there, Angie just happened to mention she was brewing these natural cleaning concoctions in her kitchen. The gentlemen whom she was speaking to immediately leapt at the idea and advised her to start planning her personal venture specializing in these products. That little tete-a-tete actually set the ball rolling and Angie began toying with the idea of her very own business, knowing there was a real demand for chemical-free products. With her husband’s encouragement, she put together a business plan. Luckily, she found bulk suppliers in her area, and quickly began manufacturing a variety of liquid products ranging from laundry soap to window cleaner; all packaged in plastic bottles. It didn’t take long for Angie to realize that shipping the water weight was costly and quite wasteful so she solely focused on selling to local stores within a reasonable driving distance. That is not a good business plan for one who wants to grow a big business.
As a conscious and conscientious manufacturer, Angie soon realized how the plastic bottles were the biggest environmental hazard in her program. Not only are they non-biodegradable but also end up in the oceans and landfills, where they sit unhindered for hundreds of years. This piece certainly did not resonate with her sensibilities and beliefs of conserving the environment. She even had a bottle return program where her mission of refilling was printed on each label asking customers to return their bottle for $1.00 off their next purchase. Sad fact, very few bottles actually came back. That was the proverbial fork in Angie’s road. If she could not operate a business that was in alignment with who she was on a daily basis, then she would have to close the business. Her attitude was to discover a solution, just like she did years ago to solve her own personal health and skin issues. She had confidence but felt like she was starting back a square one. Research and development indicated she would have to invest more money and time into the business while not making consistent cash flow. She could not keep selling bottled products now that she knew how wasteful it was. In agreement with her husband to invest some of their savings into her business, Angie worked endlessly as “a mad scientist” trying to figure out how to change a liquid soap into a solid one and sell it without a bottle. Working in the garage lab her husband lovingly built for her, Angie eventually cracked the formula of making a paste form of laundry cleaner. Today, it has evolved into a little brick of paste. Upon dissolving that soap in about a gallon of water, it dissolves to make a gallon of liquid laundry soap. That small brick of paste is now packaged in a lightweight cardboard box which is compostable at-home and recyclable, no more plastic bottles! That’s amazing.
Along the journey, Angie also found the importance of using vegan ingredients and partnering with companies that support her values. Tangie LLC is proudly Leaping Bunny certified and a carbon neutral company! Most recently, Angie has enrolled with an eco-conscious agency to consult on growing her business vertically and horizontally and is still holding to her commitment of no plastic packaging or plastic shipping for any of her products. Tangie LLC offers wholesale, private label and white labelling services to retail store owners. To discover more about her and her mindful products, check out her website WasteFreeProducts.com, subscribe to her podcast, The Grateful Redhead, and follow her business on social @WasteFreeProducts.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
The choice to stop making and packaging products in plastic. It was not an easy road but one that is well worth it. It forced me to have to reformulate all my liquid products into a solid or paste form so I could remove the plastic bottle from my business plan. Reducing plastic waste is what I choose to do in my daily life and it is the right thing to do as a manufacturer, retailer and wholesaler!
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
In addition to selling our complete line of Tangie household cleaning and body products which include zero waste laundry soap, stain remover bar, pet shampoo, zero waste shampoo, conditioner bars, shave cream, and refillable hand soap; I’m excited to say we have three new zero waste products planned for roll out this year.
I recently completed my first book called Going Plastic Free: A Room-By Room Guide. The entire book was downloaded to my brain during a massage. It is magical what can happen when we are truly relaxed 🙂 I saw the book all so clearly in my mind. The content, the chapters, the layout. The book is laid out simply and is meant to be used as a reference guide. It gives the reader the chance to see different ways to reduce plastic waste around them and take it in manageable steps by choosing one room at a time. Changing our consumption habits can feel overwhelming. The book is my way of getting to share my journey, plus the reader won’t have to go through all the obstacles and or spend time doing all the research I’ve done for myself and my business over the past 10+ years. In January 2021, I started my podcast, The Grateful Redhead, to talk to and highlight people who are being kind to others and the environment. It gives me a chance to ask my genuine questions and give listeners the opportunity to hear about others who are doing very cool and interesting things. There are so many inspirational people out there, so much genuine kindness and creativity. It is nice to focus on the good, especially with all the negative we are bombarded with each day.
Any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general?
Finding a mentor is not easy. For me it was important to find someone who already understood the eco-lifestyle I live and how those ethics are entwined in my business. What has worked for me was hiring a business coach who could see my vision and give me ways to work through my problems/questions/growth. I don’t want someone giving me their answers to my problems, I want to work through them myself and find solutions through reflective questions and accountability. Everyone learns differently, but I encourage people to work with someone who is already in alignment with your ethics. You don’t want to spend time explaining or dragging a mentor to understanding why you believe the way you do it important. Currently, productive networking for me is contacting the businesses I already work with to see how we can help each other. I am on the board of the newly formed Zero Waste Business Alliance and look forward to networking with more people on the similar journey of living in sync with nature while trying to reduce their footprint on the Earth.
Pricing:
- Because our products have no water weight, are concentrated, and compact, we can ship several items for less than $5.00
Contact Info:
- Email: angie@wastefreeproducts.com
- Website: https://wastefreeproducts.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wastefreeproducts/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/562779794179962
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_UbHPDjeKss&ab_channel=WasteFreeProducts
- Other: https://link.chtbl.com/IGu0VLrL
