Eco & Wellbeing September.
Remember when we said that September was as much of a fresh start month as January?! For us we’ve decided to take the opportunity to start something new: To give each month a clear focus. Which means each month we’ll choose to focus on a topic that’s important to us; we’ll chat about it on here and we’ll also be talking about it across our social media channels Instagram and Facebook and also in our newsletter too. We’ll make it a focal point in the shop and we’ll also be tying it into both our window displays and and shop layout too.
Consider it the Ashbridge & Brown way of starting a brand new and shiny notebook!
September sees us focus on two things that have become really important to us over the past year and a bit: Eco & Wellbeing. Whilst these two subjects sit quite nicely next to each other and overlap in many ways; we’re going to kick off with the eco aspect.
We try our best to make the most eco-friendly choices at home and we’ve been beavering away over the last 18 months or so to really work hard at making that also at the forefront of all we do at Ashbridge & Brown both in the shop and online too.
So what is Eco-friendly and how does that affect the shop?!
It’s a phrase that gets thrown about a lot these days, along with ‘green’ ’sustainable’ ‘clean’ ‘ethical’ and ‘conscious.’ So it’s easy to see why it might all get a bit confusing! In short: All of these things mean basically making better choices in general. The sort of choices that will benefit your well-being, other people, the planet and future generations to come.
Specifically though to be more ‘Eco-friendly’ (in shop terms for us at least) means to make choices in the shop that will protect and preserve our planet and look after the climate and area around us and beyond.
So for us this means:
* Using less plastic. Or re-using those things we can’t avoid. Why? Our over-consumption of plastic is littering our oceans and land causing damage to wildlife and our planet.
* Buying local. Or as close to local/from UK-owned small businesses as we can. Why? Less air-miles which equals less damage to our environment getting stock to us.
* Buying from brands and companies that support more eco-friendly choices and also use them in their own business. So brands that re-use fabrics, that recycle plastic bottles into something new or those that use zero or less chemicals in their production and even in their packaging too. Why? Because how can we buy from places that don’t if we are trying to do our best to help in our own ways. It would be a bit double-dutch.
* Encouraging you to try to do the same. But taking the hassle and the work out of it for you. Why? Because sharing is always caring and we’re happy to tell you about any of the brands we stock and where their products are produced, how they’re made and what from.
* Encouraging you to only buy the things you need and will use. We take time to carefully curate the items that line or shelves online and in the shop. We want you buy only when you need to and never feel pressured - it’s never been our style. Why? Because we’re a wasteful nation. So much of what consumers buy is no longer considered or valued in the way it used to be. Before we get into a rant about throwaway items or those made cheaply and terribly and at what cost; we always want you to buy something and use it and love it until it falls apart. We’ll always actively encourage a good long think and a cuppa over a rushed purchase any day.
We’re not perfect. And in many ways being a shop makes it all the more harder. Not only are these our choices but we’re choosing for you too. But we’re trying and for us that’s really important. We’ve come a long way and are proud of what we’ve achieved so far.
We’re proud of things like….
* We don’t re-buy until it’s all gone. Which quite often can mean gaps and empty shelves! But for us that’s just how we work. We buy all of our stock in, in manageable small volumes and don’t top-up until it’s sold through. It’s far less wasteful.
* We rarely run sales or promotions. We want you to buy something we love because you love it or have a need for it and not because it’s at a reduced price. Again that can sometimes encourage waste! We’re very grateful to our customers and will sometimes sneak in an odd discount to a certain brand or over a weekend. But that’s just thank you from us to you!
* We are now pretty much plastic-free in all of our packaging for all online orders and in the shop using our paper tissue, jute ties, old-fashioned brown paper bags and only recycled plastic carrier bags on heavy items and are proud that so many of you don’t take a bag at all.
* We stock some really beautiful eco-friendly brands and brands that are trying just as hard as us: Roka, Caroline Gardiner, Chilly’s, Good To Be and Seedball are just a few off the top of our heads.
* We’re genuine. We’ll never ever put anything in our shop that we wouldn’t use and rate ourselves. We buy what we believe, and to our best knowledge pop that out in the shop and make it easily accessible for you in one place - online or in the actual shop.
* There's a special ECO-FRIENDLY section on the website. It already contains some of our favourite Eco friendly BAGS, FLASKS AND CUPS, SOAP and CLEANING AND WAX WRAPS.
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