When we set out on our journey starting Sun & Flower one of the most important aspects of the business was that we had to try and source ingredients from suppliers who source their products ethically. So we’ve done a lot of research into which suppliers to use. Another of our aims is to use ingredients that are not sourced from any endangered species and ideally grown in the UK or Europe for a smaller carbon footprint.
This means that what goes into our soap bars has been chosen carefully from the base product to the essential oils and plants that go into them. This ethos runs through the heart of the business and will continue as we develop more products.
Earlier this year we went to Totnes for a weekend break and ate at The Bull Inn – highly recommended by the way! On the boards above their open kitchen they’ve written their ethos as their ‘rules’ which include where they source their ingredients from to how they treat their staff. They also have one relating to their suppliers – ‘Rules to Trade By’ which resonated with us as that’s what we’re trying to do in our very small way.
How we run Sun & Flower has evolved from the way we live and run our household. We’re very aware that we all need to live a more sustainable life with the impact us humans are having on the planet. Some of things we do at home and in our business include:
Making things last e.g clothes, furniture, everyday items – looking after them and not throwing things out unnecessarily
Buying less but better
Not wasting food
Eating less meat and fish but buying from higher welfare sources when we do
Supporting local and independent businesses
Buying from B Corps or businesses trying to make a difference – not big corporates that pollute the planet or avoid paying tax
Using a renewable electricity supplier - we’ve been using Ecotricity for many years
Trying to reduce the amount of plastic in our lives
Making our garden more wildlife friendly
Making our own cleaning products that don’t use harmful chemicals
Making many of our own skincare products – which led to this business
No doubt as the business evolves we will learn more and improve things as we go, but hopefully this is a flavour of where we’re coming from and the direction we hope to go in.
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