#4 Weekly Round-up
Pela
Pela is the world's first fully compostable phone case brand, they are driven by their mission of making “Everyday Products Without Everyday Waste.”
Founded in 2008, by Jeremy Lang following a family holiday to Hawaii, where he saw the abundance of plastic in the sea. He dedicated years of his life to inventing a phone case that safeguarded our phones and our planet.
Unlike, the mass-produced, low-quality, inefficient cases that are now the norm, Pela are actively doing something about the waste generated by the phone industry.
On average Pela cases:
Emit 30% less carbon - they are also carbon-neutral and have the certification to boot.
To make the cases themselves they use 34% less water than the average cheapy cases.
Produce 80% less waste - they diligently analyse the product's life course so that they target where they can improve how they do things.
Pela cases are made from bioplastics and packaged up in FSC-certified recyclable cardboard. Pela are also a member of 1% For The Planet organisation, therefore they donate a portion of their annual revenue to grassroots environmental projects.
They are building awareness of the plastic problem by encouraging customers to compost their Pela accessories when they get worn out.
With every product, they shed light on challenges that the climate emergency presents us with, by raising the profile of campaigns working to protect endangered species.
Thrift+
Thrift+ are working to make pre-loved clobber the norm and shift the dial away from fast fashion for good.
They are much more than a marketplace, they take the pressure off your back. Selling your clothes for a bit of spare cash just got easier.
Here is how it works:
Scan the QR code on the bag to get clearing out your closet
Stuff the Thrift+ Bag with clothes
Download the returns label and post off your bag
The experts at the Thrift+ warehouse get your clothes recirculated by photographing, listing your clothes and getting them sold on to their new owners.
Once your clothes have been resold you will earn Thrift+ credits to spend on the site, redeem vouchers to spend with their partners, or even better donate to charity.
Through their partnerships with leading ethical fashion brands such as Fat Face, hush and ASOS, they are closing the loop on waste in the textile industry.
And it's completely FREE!
“Out of the 100 billion items of clothing produced each year, 70% is sent to landfill or burnt. In other words, we’re overproducing and under-using.”
Founder, Joe Metcalfe
Fashion is changing, join the revolution.
Tomorrow
Tomorrow, a B-Corp start-up, are taking on the challenge of depolluting the banking industry - one transaction at a time.
With Tomorrow your money goes to supporting environmental restoration projects around the world. Tomorrow account holders have peace of mind - they are safe in the knowledge that their money isn't contributing to the demise of our planet.
In the news recently, Emma Thompson, Stephen Fry, Chris Packham and Aisling Bea (among other celebs) have called upon the big banks in the UK to stop financing fossil fuel expansion. Maybe instead of waiting for a seismic shift in global economics, we can all start changing the way we bank.
"The Make My Money Matter campaign points to research by environmental charity Rainforest Action Network, which claims that between 2016 and 2021, HSBC, Barclays, Santander, NatWest and Lloyds funnelled almost $368bn (£298bn) towards the fossil fuel industry"
BBC News
"Every payment with your Tomorrow card finances climate protection. For every 5 euros you pay with the Tomorrow card, you restore 1 wheelbarrow of ecosystem in South Africa." You can even track your positive impact on their app, so far €142.5 million has been invested in sustainable projects!
Unlike the conventional plasticy bank cards there’s are made of sustainably sourced European cherry wood!
Their cards are VISA-approved and withdrawals and payments can be made all over the world free of change. Better still you can make mobile payments with Apple and Google pay!
It's time to join the 120,482 users of Tomorrow and make the world a better place.
Gusto
For the last few weeks, my family and I have been trying out some new dishes from Gusto.
Their recipe kits are packed full of healthy quality ingredients and super easy-to-follow recipe cards - minus the unwanted plastic packaging. All of their meals are nutritionally complete and portion controlled - so less food is wasted.
Gusto is also a proud B-Corp!
For the last few years, they have also supported the Trussell Trust, and in the face of the cost of living crisis, they have ramped up their support. Now they are partnered with one of the busiest food banks in Hammersmith and Fulham to deliver more meals to those who need it most.
You can pick from 75+ recipes and then the box of deliciousness arrives at your door.
On average meals work out at about £2.99 per serving which is pretty impressive for the quality and quantity of ingredients you get.
Climate TRACE
Climate TRACE, masterminded by Al Gore, is an organisation that independently collects data on greenhouse gas emissions. What's more, you can visualise emissions globally, and compare them. Climate TRACE are building up a global picture of our actions and their impact on the planet. The climate emergency is not an abstract theoretical concept, it's happening before our eyes, and it's not too late to take action.
I've had a play on their map, focusing in on Shropshire where I live, and the map is really accessible and easy to use - highly recommend that you have a look too around your area too.
“We make meaningful climate action faster and easier by mobilising the global tech community to track greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions with unprecedented detail and speed and provide this data freely to the public.'
Ecosia
I made the switch from Google to Ecosia as my default search engine a while back now and here is why:
Every time you surf the net you plant a REAL tree!
They grow 500 different native species to encourage biodiversity to return.
20 million people worldwide are Ecosia users and their community are supporting Ecosia’s 70+ active rewilding projects.
Ecosia is transparent about how much ad revenue they are generating and exactly how much of it is being spent on restoration projects - 0% greenwashing, 100% of profits mobilising climate action.
You can guarantee that your data isn't being sold to third parties.
Current projects:
Reforesting habitats for chimps in Uganda.
Over in Indonesia, Ecosia is planting alternative palm oil monocultures.
They are ‘re-greening’ the desert in Burkina Faso to make the lives of people in the desert better after the hardship they have faced.
Ecosia are taking on the challenge of cutting through the climate change jargon in a series of short and snappy videos, 1.5 Degrees of Confusion.
Individuals v.s Business - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qAWmnfu3p4c
Carbon Neutral v.s Net Zero - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2MbQD3quLrY
Making my workspace climate conscious - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a_xPP8BlI50
Allbirds
Allbirds despite being carbon-neutral are not stopping there, the shoes and apparel store know that that’s not enough - they have pledged to bring their carbon footprint down to 0, but how?
As outlined in their Flight Plan Allbirds are “cutting our carbon footprint in half by the end of 2025, then reducing our carbon footprint to near zero by 2030.”
“One year in, we’re nearly one quarter of the way to our goal. In 2021, we reduced our average product carbon footprint by 12% compared to 2020.”
Transparency is one of their key values, as a B Corp they are doing business better. Allbirds are recognised as one of the most sustainable companies in the world making them the obvious choice for conscious consumers.
They attach a label to every one of their products detailing exactly what materials and the carbon footprint associated with them.
To reach their target of net zero they are:
Practising regenerative agriculture - what does that mean? Well, they are sourcing their materials in a way that is sustainable by effectively taking CO2 out of the atmosphere.
Using renewable materials instead of using petroleum-based ones
Shifting to use cleaner fuel
What's more, they are establishing a community of Allgood members - a group of individuals who are shining examples of people who are rising to the challenges that the climate emergency presents.
“My mission is simply to get more women in the water. In the water is where the magic happens! I created Rise Fierce to empower women to rise up and jump in, to create a community immersed in nature.”
Sophie Hellyer
Founder of Rise Fierce and Allgood community member
When it comes to materials, yup you guessed it, they are sustainably sourced too!
They make their laces out of recycled bottles, their insoles from castor oil, and their packaging is made from 90% recycled cardboard.
I am also working towards running my own pop-up Climate Café next year, with the support of Force of Nature. I was looking at places where I could host one, and it turns out Allbirds opened up their store in Covent Garden to host a Café - it's a pity I live over 3 hrs away from London.
Look no further for your next sneaker!
