a conversation with… 1% for the Planet
Every business that makes products takes more from the planet that it gives back – ours included, despite best intentions. But environmental responsibility is one of the pillars of our brand. And as part of that, alott has joined the organization 1% for the Planet. That means 1% of everything we sell – not just our profits – will go to an environmental non-profit.
Plus it connects us with other members who can help us further reduce our footprint – by minimising waste, single-use plastic, packaging, air miles and more.
1%. It's a small thing – easy to do. But also easy not to do. This isn’t intended to be performative or us patting ourselves on the back. It’s us making a foundational commitment and putting it down in writing to hold ourselves accountable.
When we were looking into joining 1% for the Planet, we had a conversation with one of their membership team members, Morgan, to find out more about them…
Morgan, can you sum up the idea behind 1% for the Planet?
Yeah, put simply, we bring people together to increase smart environmental giving. It is a global movement inspiring businesses and individuals to support environmental solutions through annual membership and everyday actions – “dollars and doers”. We advise on giving strategies, we certify donations, and we amplify the impact of our network.
How big is the network now?
It’s growing a lot. It was started in 2002 by Yvon Chouinard, the founder of Patagonia, and Craig Mathews, the founder of Blue Ribbon Flies. We’re now up to 3,975 businesses and counting across 70 countries. So far the organisation has raised just over £200m.
Is it possible for our contributions to support a specific local non-profit?
Absolutely!
Cool, because our products are handmade in Anglesey, off the coast of Wales, with local Halen Môn sea salt a common ingredient. So we’d like to support a group that helps reduce sea pollution around the UK coast.
Yeah, that’s great. How about City to Sea, a UK organisation that works to reduce plastic pollution that ends up in the ocean?
Definitely! And that ties in with another thing we’d love help with: our packaging. We’re trying to minimise plastic as much as possible – especially single-use plastic – which is why our bottles are recyclable aluminium. But right now we’re struggling to source a workable pump for the shampoo and sea salt spray that isn’t plastic.
Plastic pumps are definitely a challenge. Actually before I joined 1% for the Planet, I was at a startup company rooted in environmentally conscious home and personal care products. So I’m familiar with that struggle of trying to figure out how to be as close to zero waste or plastic-free as possible and then also balance having containers that can sustain the shelf life of all-natural products. Because you're eliminating the chemicals and ingredients that would allow them to sit on the shelf indefinitely.
Exactly. That’s been one of our biggest challenges so far. And we’re trying to do things right, not cut any corners. We want to avoid falling into the ‘greenwashing’ trap where brands claim to be more “sustainable” than they actually are.
The concern about greenwashing is very valid and it’s something that consumers are paying a lot of attention to now. I think the best way to stand by what you're doing and what your mission is as a brand would be to try to partner with a nonprofit that is working to solve the issues that you guys are dealing with.
Click below to read more about the organisations we are partnering with. Thanks for supporting us so we can support them.
