The planet is changing and it is becoming more obvious by the day that the responsibility can be shared between a handful of companies. After Greta Thunberg’s poignant speech at the UN Climate Summit, it seems the environmental conscience has been elevated significantly overnight, with unconvinced individuals globally starting to realise how serious the climate crisis truly is. And with this we can only hope each business and every entrepreneur is starting to take responsibility. To celebrate the glass full, here are some wonderful businesses and their founders who have made the choice to contribute positively to the planet, whether it is through sustainable fashion, green tech or strong business ethics.
Thrivve, the most eco-friendly hydration tracking bottle thoughtfully designed to help users feel better, do better, and live better. Mom of two and founder Cerise Bird recently announced the upcoming launch of Thrivve’s crowdfunding campaign, which will start on 22 October 2019. The Thrivve system is transformational in how it’s built, how it’s used, and how it will make users feel. The bottle takes the thinking out of drinking, so users can focus on the doing. The Thrivve hydration bottle is BPA and made to last. It comes with a smart lid connected to the Thrivve app, with an intuitive light ring that helps form healthy habits. Users simply double tap the light ring on top of the bottle to get progress snapshots without the need to look at the app, saving time and mental load.
“We only have one body and one planet – we need to take care of them both” says Cerise Bird, founder of Thrivve. “We believe by making thoughtful electronics that inspire and encourage people to think differently and do differently, that we can make a meaningful change to everyday lives and the future of our planet.”
eevie, the eco habit tracker helping you improve your carbon impact without compromising convenience. With the planet in crisis and time running out, eevie gives the power back to the people to take action against climate change with the help of their smartphones, one small eco-friendly change at a time. eevie was founded by software developers and data scientists Antonius Willms, Lennart Paar and Dr. Raphael Ferretti in July 2019. The first eco habit tracker to understand its users’ individual behaviour, eevie was carefully designed to suit their lifestyle and preferences instead of giving generic solutions, making it easier than ever to recycle, reuse bags, cups and bottles, shop local, organic and seasonal food, eat less meat or adopt a plant-based diet, be water and energy aware, waste less, go plastic or package free, compost at home, understand labels and travel sustainably. eevie provides users with information, resources, tips and gentle nudges right when they need them.
“In recent months, public concern about the environment has soared to record levels. The problem is that people want to save the planet but don’t know where to begin, or if their efforts will even have a meaningful impact,” says Antonius Willms, founding partner and CEO of eevie. “Change is hard. We may want to lead more eco-aware lives, but in the rush we often forget to do. eevie is designed to be a constant reminder, an ever-present coach helping you make eco-friendly decisions all day long.”
Loskey, the ethical and women-led clothing label founded by Lori Cunningham, offering a fully sustainable t-shirt range made from GOTS certified organic cotton. The core mission of Loskey is the empowerment of women through fair trade, education, training and opportunity. Loskey crafts each one of its tees for both comfort and style, and ensures they are made to last, wear after wear, to break the circle (and disastrous consequences) of fast fashion.
“Fairtrade is not simply about the price that is paid,” says Lori Cunningham, founder of Loskey. “It’s about the overall well-being of the workers. It means not just treating them with respect and care, but also protecting their culture and traditional artisanal skills, while helping them to share those skills with the world. We are proud to partner with suppliers who treat their workers with dignity, and value them as human beings.”
Gundi Studios, the streetwear label and progressive media brand that celebrates outspoken South Asian womxn in motherland, diaspora and beyond. The brand founded by creative director Natasha Sumant just announced its upcoming popup at Studio 220 Brick Lane, London, from 3 October to 7 October 2019. The Gundi popup will include an opening party for guests. Gundi Studios’ core mission is to honour and support women through fashion and art in partnership with suppliers that meaningfully impact them. Gundi produces a limited number of styles in small batches to build long standing relationships with suppliers, ensure fair wages, and reduce waste.
“We’re taking our collection on tour to give people the chance to experience our brand and what we stand for in person,” says Natasha Sumant, founder of Gundi Studios. “We’re a slow fashion brand and believe clothes are artefacts that should be maintained for a long time so we want people to have the chance to see them up close before making a purchase.”
Giki, the Social Enterprise and sustainable shopping companion, co-founded by Jo and James Hand in 2017. Giki’s mission is to help people cut their environmental impact (with the name Giki standing for Get Informed Know your Impact), and helps you shop sustainably with its app. The Giki mobile app launched on iPhone in May 2018 and on Android in October 2018 and now counts over 280,000 rated products from major UK supermarket retailers and brands, including own label, with 14 badges, including Low Carbon Footprint, Animal Welfare, Healthier Option, Better Packaging and the Hero badge. The Hero Badge rewards the most sustainable and healthy products available in major UK supermarkets, drawing together information from all of Giki’s badges. As of July 2019, the Giki app has 18,000 downloads.
“As the food and drink we consume makes up around a quarter of our total environmental impact, choosing sustainable food is a really good way to reduce our impact” says Jo Hand, co-founder of Giki. “In addition, a sustainable diet can cost less than a regular one, due to the reduction in meat and cheese which tend to be an expensive component of the weekly shop.”
Conscious House London, the 100% natural skincare and toiletries brand striving for zero waste and plastic free alternatives, founded by Rebecca Dallimore and Nicolle Barreiros. Conscious House is committed to sustainable and ethical sourcing and practices in everything from ingredients to product packaging. With a line of homemade home, skincare and accessories launched in September 2019, the business’s goal is to provide consumers with products that aren’t harmful to the planet, and show that natural and sustainable skincare can be affordable and luxurious.
“The skincare and beauty industry is plagued with plastic packaging and toxic ingredients, as well as very expensive naturals so we sought to create affordable, plant-based alternatives that also came in responsible packaging”, says Rebecca Dallimore, co-founder of Conscious House London. “We also want Conscious House London to be more than just a retailer, and hope to use the brand as a platform to arm people with the knowledge needed to make more sustainable choices.”
It can be easy to feel depressed by the increasingly worrying state of our planet, but we can also encourage entrepreneurs and individuals to keep up the good work (and fight the good fight). As Greta Thunberg says it herself, “the world is waking up, and change is coming”.