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Purpose Champions

In our final instalment of our Purpose Champions series, we asked Poppy, our brilliant intern, to share her Purpose Champions.

After a month working at GOOD there is no doubt that Purpose is the root from which all their work flourishes. It has made me appreciate that what may start off as a small idea to reduce waste, boost inclusion or become more sustainable can really make a huge impact on the world we live in and so I present my Purpose Champions.

Dash Water

Food waste is an ever-prevalent problem. Here in the UK, we throw away 9.52 million tonnes of food per year; this waste leads to the emission of 25 million tonnes of CO2. Shockingly, approximately 67.2% of this wasted food was completely edible when it was thrown away; specifically, 40% of all fruit and veg grown goes to waste. We are all guilty of avoiding the ‘uglier’ looking produce but its time to celebrate the brands are changing these statistics for the better.

Dash Water, a certified B-Corp, are ‘reducing waste by accepting misfits’. They are all about judging their ingredients on taste rather than appearance. They produce British sparkling water infused with ‘wonky fruit’ and by 2025 they intend to have saved 2500 tonnes of bent, crushed or misshapen fruit in the process of creating their delicious, healthy drinks. I think this is an inspiring way to get people to appreciate imperfect produce by celebrating the quality of the product in ways other than its looks.

Dynamos Cricket Intros

As the cricket season comes to a close in England, it’s a good time to look back at all the great work the ECB have been doing this year to make cricket more inclusive. 2021 brought the first year of ‘The Hundred’ – a new type of cricket created to encourage a new, broader fan base as well as gender equality within the sport.  It’s great to see that work has also been done to make cricket a more accessible sport to play.

Sky Sports teamed up with the ECB to launch a new grassroots initiative called Dynamos Cricket intros. This is an exciting 3-year programme for 8–11-year-olds that will allow schools and community centres in underprivileged areas to provide courses for free. The scheme also offered training to 300 coaches free of charge and a number of fun, educational YouTube videos hosted by England cricket stars including Jofra Archer and Tammy Beaumont to introduce adults and children to cricket.

As a cricket fan it’s so exciting to see more kids having the opportunity to partake in such an amazing sport despite their gender, background, or ability.

Loom

Loom Pyjamas are made from 100% Irish Linen. Linen is one of the most environmentally friendly fabrics available.  According to The European Confederation of Linen and Hemp (ECLH) the lifecycle of a linen shirt uses only 6.4 litres of water compared to 2,700 litres for a cotton shirt. Flax – the plant from which linen is produced – grows in low quality soil that is unable to be used for food production. The ECLH have said European flax fibre retains 250,000 tonnes of CO2 every year, preventing these potential emissions from reaching the atmosphere.

Loom are an Irish brand through and through with products designed and manufactured in Ireland. This means carbon emissions are kept to a real minimum. Loom also has a plastic-free policy, the buttons on the pyjamas are made from corozo – tightly wound organic fibres which are long lasting, and biodegradable reducing plastic waste. All their packaging and labels is either made from recycled materials or are themselves recyclable. The use of sustainable, durable fabrics with a timeless design combined with locally sourced materials is a fantastic move away from fast fashion and Loom are setting a precedent for other brands to follow.

After having the opportunity to explore purpose much more deeply at GOOD, I have reconsidered my day to day consumption of brands and products. I endeavour to seek out more brands with a core of genuine purpose and I will make sure to question the authenticity of purpose claims to ensure I can trust my custom is contributing to meaningful change.