Our friends at Junxion, Adam Garfunkel and Shayla Meyer, who helped us become a Certified B Corporation, have put together this list of good Xmas goodies to inspire all of us when we go shopping. Merry Xmas everybody!
It’s that time of the year, when we dive into a holiday frenzy, searching for gifts that communicate the love and care we have for the most important people in our lives. But shouldn’t the gifts themselves be born out of love and care too?
We say ‘Yes!’, and so do many shoppers who are looking for more meaningful, responsible and impactful ways to give this holiday season.
We’ve put together this list of more impactful ways to spend money on 11 special people in your life. Apart from the last three items on the list (which are for charities), all the gift ideas are made by certified B Corporations, which are companies that meet rigorous standards of social and environmental performance. Junxion is one too. ‘Buy B’ – you know it makes sense!
The luxury fashionista (because men and women can be fashionistas!)
Elvis & Kresse is changing the tricky narrative surrounding high fashion and sustainability. In their renewable energy powered workshop, Elvis & Kresse creates beautiful luxury lifestyle goods from rescued firehose and reclaimed leather. So cool, right? They’re diverting tonnes of firehose from landfill each year and turning it into bags, wallets, cases and other accessories that will be loved forever. Really… forever… they offer free repairs on all of their items for life. And to bring it all home, they give 50% of their firehose products to charity.
The Baby (and the Mum!)
JojoMamanBebe makes the most ethical baby and maternity clothes in the UK, because clothing our babies should be as innocent and pure as they are. Our favourite? Their Recycled Polar Fleece, an adorable children’s coat, cleverly crafted by turning recycled waste clothing and bottles into fabric chips, which are spun into recycled yarn. They use sustainable materials and they hold their suppliers accountable too. And because JojoMamanBebe works with charities focused on reducing infant mortality and child poverty, the money you spend with them delivers value to more children than the one you are buying for. Aww! Get 10% off with discount code: HUB72
The Chocoholic
These two chocolate companies take sustainability seriously in an industry that is “rife with social imbalances, murky supply chains and dishonest product descriptions” to quote Doisy & Dam.
Their genuine dedication to sustainable chocolate screams through the goals they’ve set for themselves. They’re on their way to buying 100% of their cocoa directly form source by 2018 and they’re aiming to own their own plantation in Columbia by 2020. That will mean they will have end to end traceability and share value fairly with their farmers. Get 10% off their bundles or collections of chocolate with discount code: IMPACT10
Divine Chocolate takes the idea of ‘shared value’ and lives it large! They are 100% worker-owned by the very 85,000 cocoa farmers from Kuapa Kokoo who grow the cocoa. This model allows Divine to share profits fairly among the farmers and gives farmers a say in the company and in the global chocolate marketplace. Yea!
The Woof and the Meow
The clean eating revolution has been embraced by people all over the globe, and Lily’s Kitchen is bringing the revolution to our four-legged friends, ensuring that we can feed our pets proper food made with real, nutritious, responsibly sourced ingredients. We’re talking meat and fish ingredients, not over-processed and full of protein. Lily’s Kitchen is driving their purpose home through their community engagement programmes, which have supported over 100 charities with 650,000 pet meals, and homeless people and pets across London with good food and warm clothing for dogs. First-time shoppers can get 15% off with code: FIRST17
The Time-Crunched Foodie or Student
COOK is empowering folks to enjoy great food, in their own kitchens, without it costing a fortune or requiring a lot of time. A perfect gift for time-crunched or less able people. Their meals are handmade (!) using the freshest, most responsibly-sourced ingredients, and take it from us, these meals are DELICIOUS. These folks are doing too much good to cover it in just a few short sentences, but some highlights include donating 2 meals for every 1 kids meal purchased, creating employment opportunities for ex-offenders, and enforcing robust animal welfare policies and standards. Get 10% of with discount code: HUB.
The Beauty
MuLondon is taking skincare to the next level, offering all-organic cleansers and moisturisers that keep skin healthy, without the nasties. Their products are certified vegan, so you can rest assured that beauty does not come at the price of an animal’s life, and of course MuLondon doesn’t test on animals. MuLondon has dedicated 1% of their profits to the planet, so every pound spent with them helps make a better world. Up to the 24th of December, get 15% off using the discount code: JUNXION
The Adventurer
TYF Group creates incredible personal development experiences that help folks unwind, explore, reconnect and grow. Whether you have an adventurer who loves nature and a great thrill, or you’re a family looking for a break that truly removes you from the city, TYF crafts the perfect adventure. Among so many other good points, TYF 1) has moved to a 100% employee ownership model, 2) is carbon neutral, 3) audits the social and environmental performance of all of their suppliers, and 4) … lots more too!
The Tea Sommelier
| An influential industry, tea retailers are often criticised for exploiting tea communities and growers, while also disregarding the environment. Boo! But these two tea companies are changing the game, bringing beautiful, sustainable teas to kitchens all over the UK and around the globe. Pukka Herbs, newly acquired by Unilever, sells in most big-name grocery stores like Sainsbury’s and Tesco. And it’s their size and commitment to sustainability that allows them to have a massive impact. Their teas are 100% organic but better yet, in 2016 they invested £89,000 into their producers and tea communities and gave 1% of their revenue to environmental initiatives (£400,000). Nice!
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| BrewTeaCompany is bringing sustainability to the loose leaf tea market, and they blend and pack all teas right here in the UK. They are members of the Ethical Tea Partnership and certified by Rainforest Alliance, guaranteeing that their teas come from some of the fairest, ethical and sustainable farms. Get 20% off with discount code: B-BUDDIES (until 19th December |
The Stranger
When you shop at Soho’s Choose Love pop-up shop for Help Refugees, you leave with nothing at all. Instead, you buy something practical whether a children’s coat or safety kit or cooking supplies and the item gets delivered directly to a refugee in need. You can purchase items to help refugees at any (or all!) of three stages: Arrival, Camp and The Future. You can watch a massively successfully video about the pop-up shop here: http://bit.ly/2BS0WhV
Giving Back
Not a big fan of Christmas cards? Why not consider making a Christmas donation to one of our very own charities in the Hub instead, The Loss Foundation. Your donation will help fund their bereavement support groups for people who have lost a loved one to cancer. This time of year can be particularly hard for those who don’t get to spend it with their someone special. You can donate directly via Facebook or via the website.
Another Hub Charity that needs support this Christmas is Stand Alone. Stand Alone offers support services for adults that are estranged from their family or key family member. You can help them raise money to support individuals at a time when being estranged can be especially isolating here.
Wherever you shop this Christmas, always remember: there’s more that unites us than divides us. Choose Love people!
Adam and Shayla, your friends at Junxion
