Blocking London Bridge to stop car traffic in peak hour is an unlikely activity for a typical North London Mum. But those Mums taking part in Extinction Rebellion protest, together with teen sons and daughters, took to the street to say Enough Is Enough.
We have asked a few of them what on Earth prompted them to do such a thing. The answer was: The Earth. Mums control the purses of family spending and want brands and retail to sell ethical and sustainable products not wrapped in miles of plastic that ends up ruining the ocean. Basically Mums and teens together want brands to Cut The Crap.
Retailers must welcome these new rebels. GreenHaus.Eco is a new Popup in Newspeak House in East London that is showcasing the leading edge sustainable products with proven provenance, eco appeal with a hipster twist.
Cut Le Crap
In Green Hause we found new fully sustainable and ethically sourced cosmetics from Cut Le Crap. Operating from pop ups like Green Hause and a webshop, this new brand focused on doing everything right, including all their office materials being recyclable. We loved their male grooming (fully organic beard wax anyone?) as well as recyclable packaging. Plastic can be fantastic, if made of sugarcane waste (100% biopolymer). Hats off.
Noodle Martini o’clock
Green Hause also introduced Stroodles, with their ingenious idea for cocktail straws made of pasta (or actually pasta waste). Maxim Gelmann, The Chief Stroodel Man is offering lovely biodegradable straws made of this totally compostable material to home users for kids’ milkshakes as well as to bars and pubs. The straw lasts about 60 mins but that is a lot longer than the paper ones, and can handle thick and dense milkshakes as well as thin liquids. Try and join the movement.
Sipping calorie-free
What are you drinking when you are not drinking? Good question to which usually there is no good answer as soft drinks are true enemies of calorie-counters like us. Here comes a solution, Seedlip Drinks , Lincoln-based drinks company produced a range of non-alcoholic herbal remedies from a book dated 1651, modernizing them a fraction for the modern Millennial (add olives). Instead of gin-and-tonic, try Seedip – and-tonic, tastes exactly the same, calorie-free and you can earn love by driving your work mates home. We found them in another pop up, this time in Oxford Foundry, home of those very few non-nerd Oxford residents that are of entrepreneurial bend. Remarkable.
No rabbit harmed
Oxford pop ups are usually full of local beer and general tourist fodder plastic stuff. We were extatic to discover in Oxford Foundry pop up with a real gem of a beauty product sold by Wow You! Our favourite was their Sea Hydrate boosting serum, made of seaweed and hyaluronic acid, with antioxidant grapefruit which keeping us moisturaised. No rabbits were used in testing and is made in UK. Ella, the alchemist of the brand, studied materials engineering in Oxford and noted how shoddy is the materials selection in many supposedly ‘sensitive-skin oriented beauty products. Ella and her co-founder Leo spend 2 years creating their magic but it has launched now and is making Oxfordians glowing with beauty, and not just brains.
Cultured diamonds are forever
Our love for sparklies is well known and we have travelled far and spend silly money on diamonds for special occasions. Alas, many rocks that your friends are sporting on their fingers come from countries that just can’t sort out their ethical standards for diamonds sourcing. Consumers however have made a move and cultured diamonds are taking over the market. Unique fine ear piercing jewellery collection from Lark & Berry combines edgy urban design with clear sourcing policy – all their diamonds are cultured, simples. If technology is good enough to create diamonds blood-free, the wise consumer with vote with their feet. Book appointments for new piercing at their welcoming Marylebone store.
And the winner is…
Sweden is still the clear leader on ethical and sustainable clothing, particularly in kids category. A self-respecting Swedish Mum would not even consider buying any other type of kids product, from clothing to skincare. So it is not a surprise that this year Winner of Babyccino Kids competition for The Most Ethical Brand was easily won by Polarn O’Pyret. Jo & Mats Nielsen kids’ range and their baby product is made of unique natural fabric and their rainwear is a great combo of fun Scandi design and functionality (keeps kids dry on those occasions you actually managed to pry their iPads from their cold fingers and pushed them to the Great Outside).
Bottom line – consumers want to spend their money with brands that have done their homework. Brands and retailers who are not listening, will be left behind. Nuff said.
Signed,
Retail Eco Warriers – Rebels with a cause