Sourcing Sustainable Products: My Journey with The GreenHouse

We proudly claim - on our website, socials etc - that "we do the research so you don't have to". I want you to be confident that the products stocked in The Greenhouse are eco-friendly. But what does that entail?

There are many different aspects to an eco-friendly product so it can get a little complicated! Here are the five main principles I use when sourcing products for the store, and some common pitfalls to look out for when you're shopping too.

1. Eco-friendly ingredients

   This one's pretty straightforward. We know some of the common ingredients in many household and personal care products - sulphates, phosphates, enzymes and parabens - are harmful to the environment. Most mainstream cleaning products have a hazard symbol on the label to warn you! So we source products that use gentler, less harsh components to achieve the same results without the environmental impact. As an added bonus, they're kinder to you aswell.

   

   Miniml refills are free from sulphates, phosphates, enzymes and parabens

   Another fabulous eco-friendly approach is using products that would be waste as ingredients to create something new. For example, Beach Clean combine plastic from beaches with cork to make homewares, Weaver Green make blankets and rugs from plastic bottles, and Yorkshire Blankets use redundant yarn from the mills.

   
   

   What to look out for: "natural" doesn't always equate to eco-friendly. For example, diamonds are natural but you'll be well aware how unethical diamond mining can be. Not that we sell diamonds in The GreenHouse but you get my point. "Natural" is often used as a shorthand for eco-friendly and gentle ingredients, and whilst many of our products harness the natural power of plants to great effect, some ingredients in our Miniml refills are synthetic - but as long as they're sourced and manufactured sustainably and break down harmlessly, that's ok.

   
   

2. Locally sourced

   One of the simplest ways to reduce the carbon footprint of our products is to source locally. The vast majority of our products are made here in Yorkshire, some are even made in Ripon and delivered on foot! So although our Miniml refills are bulky containers, for example, they delivery once a week on a specific van route from West Yorkshire that works out the most efficient way to get to all their stockists.

   

   Cosy Cottage products are made in Malton

   Some great eco components don't grow the UK - such as cork (oak trees in Portugal), coir (coconut husks in Sri Lanka) and bamboo (the fastest growing plant, sourced from forests in Asia) . So we can't expect these to have a UK origin but we can still hold them to high environmental standards. For instance, the bamboo used for Bare Kind socks is harvested from a certified 100% sustainably grown bamboo forest, not one where pandas live.

   
   

   Look out for: "Packaged in the UK" can be a smokescreen for products manufactured abroad and given a "local" vibe.

   
   

3. Sustainable manufacturing

   As well as UK-based manufacture wherever possible, we look for eco-friendly practices here too. Many products are handmade, such as our soaps, candles and diffusers. Larger scale production facilities use green power (Miniml's new factory is solar powered) or offset carbon production.

   

   CAHM diffusers are handmade in West Yorkshire

   Outside the UK we look for ethical manufacturing practices too - a decent wage and working conditions, free from child labour. There are a number of certifications to look for, such as the GoodWeave label on our India-made rugs.

   
   

4. Packaging

   Sometimes we don't know how good this will be until we receive our first order but most of our suppliers use a mix of cardboard and soluble starch packing nuts. Occasionally new suppliers send unnecessary plastic coverings but most are willing to take feedback & leave this out - if they find this doesn't affect product quality and saves them money, its a win-win! We re-use packaging as much as possible, such as for online orders, and Miniml collect empty containers to wash and reuse.

   
   

   Look out for: "compostable" packaging - usually a good thinkg, but read the small print as this can sometimes mean only in commercial composters that reach a high temperature, not in your home compost.

   
   

5. Trustworthiness

   Possibly the most important quality of all! Many of our suppliers are small companies and it's great to be able to speak to someone, give them feedback, sort out any issues, and grow better together. I'm on first name terms with all our major suppliers, from Ecoliving to Baltzersens, and have met most in person. Local sourcing really helps!

   
   

   Transparency is key - it is clear what's in the products, why it's in there, where and how they're made? Miniml's ingredients page is a great example, as it Bare Kind's sustainability page. Some of our suppliers are certified B Corp, which essentially means they've ticked all of the above & more.

   
   

   Look out for: who ultimately owns the brand? Large household brands buy up small eco brands to access the 'green market' but by still buying from them, we're tangentially funding non-eco practices of the parent company. For example, Wild deodorant was recently bought by Unilever (use way too much single use plastic) and Ecover and Method are owned by SC Johnson (who produce toxic cleaning products too).

So was that helpful or mind-boggling?! It's a complex issue and I'm still learning too. Sometimes I get it wrong - I'm always happy to hear feedback, take recommendations and try to work through any complicated questions. Until then, happy shopping!