As you can see at Gilly's, our environmental impact means a lot to us. In the last few years, we've positively honed in on what that means as a business. For example, our product recipes are based on natural ingredients, and we moved to recyclable bottles and packaging. BUT it's not just about the product; it's about making the change behind the scenes and choosing which business we want to work with and support.
Socially responsible companies should adopt policies that promote the well-being of society and the environment while lessening negative impacts on them.
Many companies these days are doing what's called greenwashing, and that's why it's essential to look for companies that have certifications or badges.
So to make things easier for you, we've put together Our Top 5 Sustainable Brands.
1 - ThankYou
Now this brand goes above and beyond, and their slog 'To change the world, we must change the system' couldn't ring more true.
ThankYou was created to bridge the gap between poverty. Right now, there are approximately 736 million people stuck in extreme poverty,with many dying daily, simply because they lack access to basics for their health, education and living standards. The funding gap to end extreme poverty by 2030 is estimated at US$2.5 trillion dollars a year.
Meanwhile, consumer spending totals around US$63 trillion a year.
ThankYou believe that to change the world, we must change this system. Remake it.
And their mission; amplifying impactful change-makers to better serve people living in extreme poverty by redistributing wealth from consumer spending.
Watch this incredible video for more.
2 - Who Gives A Crap
Three friends started Who Gives A Crap when they learnt that 2.4 billion people don't have access to a toilet (now 2 billion – yay for progress!). That's roughly 40% of the global population and means that around 289,000 children under five die every year from diarrhoeal diseases caused by poor water and sanitation. That's almost 800 children per day, or one child every two minutes. WOW!
So in July 2012, Simon, Jehan, and Danny launched Who Gives A Crap with a crowdfunding campaign on IndieGoGo. The story goes, Simon sat on a toilet in their draughty warehouse and refused to move until we had raised enough pre-orders to start production. 50 hours and one cold bottom later, the trio raised over $50,000 (see the video here!)
and delivered their first product in March 2013. They also donate 50% of profits to help build toilets and improve sanitation in the developing world.
3 - Ben & Jerry's Icecream
Yes!!! Who would have thought? Ben & Jerry's, creators of the legendary chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream, is actually one of 3500 companies globally that is a Certified B -Corporation. And being a B Corp is no easy feat. But, it set's the gold standard for good business and inspire's a race to the top, creating performance standards and legal structures.
4 - Cove
Clean out the pantry, kitchen cupboards, laundry, and any other cleaning products you have around and make room for COVE. Australian made in Geelong, Victoria, COVE specialises in natural plant-based cleaning products, and their bottles are refillable. Brava to this beautiful company.
5 - Huskee
There's one thing we can't live without, our morning brew, and thankfully, we have Huskee. Their vision is to design beautiful and practical products that transition to a waste-free world, whether repurposing a by-product of coffee processing, normalising reuse with HuskeeCup or driving more sustainable behaviours with their cafe focused swap system HuskeeSwap. This brand has done its bit and is Certified B Corp.
___
Although a long way off, these are brands that we look up to and hope to be just as authentically thoughtful as them one day. They are game-changers in this industry.
We are dedicated to becoming a Certified B Corp company. It is going to take time for effort, but we will get there.
So stay with us on this journey, and feel free to drop your favourite sustainable brands below, as we would love to know!
