Becoming more sustainable and conscious in what we do.

Last week I visited the Sustainability Show for a dose of inspiration and ideas on how best to improve my business practices for Lost Land Interiors as well as some personal inspiration for general life-housekeeping.  I went searching for new paths and ideas to become a better, more environmentally conscious person and develop my business with a more positive impact.

I arrived for the first talk of the day, the well-known, Ben Fogel. Already such an inspiration for me, the compere reminded everyone of some his many achievements, from my personal favourite, New Lives In The Wild and many other TV shows like Animal Park and Castaway. Ben also has a commendable and impressive list of patronage for good causes, activism and campaigning (WWF, Campaign for National Parks, British Hedgehog Preservation Society to name a few).

Having just come back from Montserrat in the Caribbean filming a new documentary on the volcanic island, Ben is definitely not short of interesting stories. But he is very humble at the same time and reminds us, that just like him we are not flawless, and this applies to our environmental footprint too.
I agree with him when he says that no matter how much we try as humans we will never be perfect, we will always have an impact on the environment around us. His suggestion of a better path should not be to seek a picture-perfect existence. That inevitably leads to anxiety and guilt, because it is simply not achievable. But instead, take small changes that can still make differences in bettering ourselves and the impact we have on the environment around us.

One example Ben gives is the simple act of carrying a reusable water bottle, it took him shy of 10 years to ensure his reusable water bottle never leaves his sight wherever he goes. And just like him, we are inevitably all guilty of forgetting our water bottles here and there and perhaps having to turn to buying another or buying a plastic bottle. It’s the re-usable bag conundrum, many of us are guilty of having a stash of bags-for-live under our sink.

The positive thing to remember is that, more and more, as consumers we have increasing choices available to them, allowing us to choose things that are better for the environment, with smaller carbon footprints, better production methods and with better product life cycles. We can all take small steps to change our habits for the better, and as consumers we should be asking more questions about what it is we are buying, since we are more aware of better choices.

On the other hand, as suppliers and manufacturers, we should be able to answer questions from our consumers and be proud of our answers. We should also lead the way by offering consumers better choices, so that in turn they can feel good about the products they choose.

Hearing Mark Bloom, from Komodo clothing brand back on the main stage, echoes this; he reminds us that many giant clothing brands simply didn’t have a clue of the full product lifecycle only a few years ago and were publicly shamed because of the working conditions for factory workers, questionable production methods, cheap materials as well as harmful chemicals and waste produced.  Being able to trace production cycles but also materials and where they themselves are sourced is complex but paramount to being more open for consumers. By doing so and being open about it, it is empowering consumers to make better choices for them.

It’s encouraging that more corporations are addressing this responsibility, but I believe consumers must also play their part and demand information and unmask the truth behind brands who are still trying to hide questionable production methods and at worst greenwashing them.

Over at Chef’s corner, Mark Lloyd, reminds us that a vegan burger for example is not always better, not only for us but also our environmental footprint.  The many ingredients found in some vegan burgers can come from all over the world.  This in itself can have more of a carbon footprint that a local beefburger, but Mark also believes that the more hands our food goes through the more we lose quality and nutrients.

Talking to One Water (partly because I was thirsty and wanted free water as I had forgotten my usual refillable Chilly bottle at home)  I found out that within their range of bottled waters that include refillable aluminium bottles, cans, cartons and glass. They still produce plastic bottles, which seemed as a questionable choice for me.  But this remains their lowest carbon-footprint packaging for their water and it is easier to transport and recycle.  When I was asked which type of water bottle I wanted, I wasn’t sure anymore - do you choose an optionlike plastic which has less of carbon footprint but has an obvious environmentally negative impact - or something that can be recycled that has created more carbon to produce and even more in its recycling stages. The choices we make will never be perfect, I chose the aluminium refillable bottle.  Which sadly is now since gathering dust at home, as I am back with my Chilly water bottle.

Looking around the Sustainability Show, I see there is hope and it is inspiring to see many businesses working with new technology, better production methods and new ideas.

One key personal point I take home is to waste less, Max La Manna on Chef's corners is a positive reminder on how to achieve this with our home food consumption. With 1 million Instagram followers, and 1 billion online views of his recipes it’s clear the demand by consumers wanting less waste is there and we want to find out how we can be better consumers.

 
With over 20,000 products in Retail Group UK Ltd, including Lost Land Interiors, which is our more eco-conscious brand, we are not perfect. The Sustainability Show has encouraged and inspired me in leading better product sourcing, working with our suppliers more closely to understand their processes and how they can be bettered.

We are working in showcasing better transparency for our customers. Our December labelling project, will emphasis the country of manufacture, ethical production, eco-friendliness, transparency on materials, packaging and logistics methods used. Whilst we work on offering better products for a changing world, we also want our customers to have as much information as possible so that they can make the choices which feel right for them.

In January, we will be launching our partnership with OneTribe Global, to help reforestation through every purchase made on our website. Business like as in personal life, we hope each small step will make us better.

Max Letek - Owner at Land Land Interiors