Sustainable Consciousness...
The times they are a changing!
Not so long ago making a conscious effort to look after our environment on a daily basis was simply considered a nice, perhaps slightly hippie-ish thing to do. Fortunately or unfortunately, depending on how you look at it, the rapid and visible change in climate and population growth has fast forwarded us into a time where it is now essential for all of us to take small yet significant steps every single day that will help us care and preserve our fragile environment that we have taken for granted for so long. Whether you're a business, an individual or part of a large corporation, the pressure is on.
Sustainable Global Awareness...
Society is watching and people are demanding change!
More and more people are consciously seeking out and supporting businesses, big or small, that are making sustainable practices a priority and a core part of their overall strategies and procedures.
As with most change, it starts at the top. When a big corporation like Woolworths or Coles sets a precedence and stops their use and supply of single use plastic bags it affects us all and sends a pretty strong message. This one act has the ability to make a huge impact not only to our environment but individually, by highlighting the fact that one change can have such a positive and direct impact on our surroundings.
Sustainable Goals...
There is always room for improvement...
At Happy Go Ducky, we have been conscious of our social responsibility as a small business and have been incorporating sustainable choices and strategies into our operations, from the very beginning. It started when we chose to only partner with brands that shared the same goals and values as us and who also weave sustainable practices throughout their entire operation. Since then we have continually been looking at ways we can improve on this. For us one of the biggest areas we have to focus on is packaging. Being an online store it is such a large, crucial part of our daily running requirements, can be very costly and more importantly, have a pretty serious negative impact on the environment if conscious choices are not made. This is why we are always looking for greener ways when it comes to our packaging.
Currently our packaging materials consist of:
- 100% bio-degradable loose fill packaging (those little foamy cushion looking pieces that are packed with your purchase from us)
- Recycled cardboard and boxes
- Recycled paper and bubble wrap
- Green Bio Degradable bubble wrap
Continuously Sustainable Action...
There's always more that can be done...
This is just the beginning. As we progress, our goal is start shipping all of our stock from overseas using carriers that offer sustainable, eco friendly methods of container transportation that minimise the impact on marine life and have a lower carbon footprint. We will then extend this to our courier services both here and overseas by only partnering with companies that are committed to looking after the environment and cutting green house emissions through the use of carbon offsets and low carbon emitting vehicles.
Sustainable Movement...
Be part of the change!
With 'Plastic Free July' already in full swing, there is no better time to start making positive changes in your own home. The Plastic Free July website is a great resource full of information and inspiration on how to eliminate single use plastics from your everyday life.
Another great video to watch from a business point of view, as well as an individual is Ted Talks - Steve Howard. Steve Howard is Ikea's Chief Sustainability Officer and is in charge of ensuring that the company's 298 plus stores meet and adhere to their ethical and sustainable business goals and practices. If you have a spare 13 minutes, it's definitely worth watching how this billion dollar company is helping to lead the way towards a 'greener' future for us all. Click here to watch the full video.
Do you have any handy tips on how you've started living more sustainable? Does knowing that a company is not operating ethically or sustainable affect your decision on whether you purchase from them or not? Do you research a businesses operations and practices prior to buying from them? We'd love to know your thoughts! Leave us a comment below.
As always, thank you for reading!
Amy xx