SPREAD THE LOVE
Posted on February 10 2022
SPREAD THE LOVE
Valentine’s Day is here again and this year we thought we would spread the love by highlighting some of our favourite brands and how they go above and beyond to spread the love in a positive way.
Valentines has a dark side which many are oblivious to. This highly commercialised day leads to the overproduction of plastic presents, balloons, cards, chocolates, and roses. The production of flower deliveries alone in the three-week period for Valentine’s Day burns approximately 114 million litres of fuel, emitting approximately 360,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. All together creating more carbon emissions than driving around the world 3,993 times.
But don’t fret, you can do something about this! Buy flowers from local, independent businesses, make sure it’s fair-trade chocolate, avoid environmentally damaging products like balloons and overall, just be conscious of what you’re buying and where it is coming from. We are here to help and make it simple this Valentines so you can gift something incredible to someone you love whilst knowing you’re sending the planet some love too.
REDUCING WASTE
This is not only about recyclable packaging but also about using materials that would otherwise end up as waste in landfills and clogging waterways. It’s not only important to know where your products are sourced but how they are made, and what they are made from. This doesn’t have to be time-consuming and can be as simple as reading the product label. Products will always be labelled with recyclable badges and a list of ingredients. So that extra 5 seconds checking the back of that bottle could mean one less piece of rubbish ruining an animal’s habitat.
Whether it's Valentines or Galantines, there’s always time to sit down and catch up over a cup of tea. Make it even better with TEA IN THE MOMENT. Made from cacao shells that would otherwise be discarded from the cacao industry, this not only helps reduce waste but gives a luxurious depth of flavour. This tea is also made in small batches and blended in the UK, producing only what they need to ensure ultimate freshness and zero waste.
Luxury skincare that's good to the environment too. Having recyclable packaging is only scratching the surface, SALT & STONE go that extra mile. They incorporate up-cycled ocean plastics and other recycled, biodegradable materials in their containers. They use Eco Smart technology, which is biodegradable in days, not decades! Plus, their products are manufactured only using renewable solar and hydroelectric energy. Talk about sharing the love!
Because Valentines is also about loving yourself, whether it’s a steamy shower or a long bath, KANKAN is what you need. They are on a mission to make refills mainstream. By making refills more convenient, they help to broaden the appeal and reduce single-use plastics in the home. They are also made with rich ingredients without the use of SLS, silicone, sulphates, parabens, artificial colours, and fragrances and are palm oil-free, vegan and cruelty-free. So, it’s a win-win this Valentines.
INGREDIENT CONSCIOUS
Ensuring customers feel the love each and every time they use these products, the brands below have thought about each ingredient they use to make sure it is doing good for you, your skin, and the environment.
Buying perfume is a thoughtful and personal gift that will really make someone smile. MAYA NJIE is a great London based brand that uses a combination of natural and synthetic ingredients, all blended by hand. Normally red flags would fly up at ‘synthetic’ but in some cases, this is the more environmentally friendly way of producing fragrances. Some scents are derived from animals therefore a synthetic alternative means the product is vegan and cruelty free which are green flags all around.
We’ve even got some more information on this in our NATURAL FRAGRANCES BLOG.
Now for the ones with four legs that we hold dearest in our hearts. BEAUTIFUL JOE'S has natural ingredients that are specially chosen to benefit your dog’s health. Plus, an extra helping of love as they have a ‘one-for-one’ business that means that for every pack of dog treats sold, BEAUTIFUL JOE’S donate one pack to a rescue home. The free treats given by BEAUTIFUL JOE’S are mostly used to train rescue dogs so that it is easier for them to find new, forever homes. Now that’s a great Valentine’s gift.
Whether you’re setting the mood with a beautiful candle or giving a wonderful gift, ORÉ MI candles are the perfect choice. All their scents are vegan-friendly, cruelty-free, made from soy wax, fine fragrance oils, cotton-core wicks, and come in reusable glass jars. They really are the gift that keeps on giving.
GIVING BACK TO THE COMMUNITY
We also have brands that go beyond their business and their customers to address how they can better the community around them. They look at the ways upon which they can give back to communities, the environment around them and keep accountability.
MAISON LOUIS MARIE not only have a variety of beautiful candles, perfume, oils, and diffusers, which could not make a more fitting Valentines present, but they are also part of the 1% for the planet movement. This means 1% of their profits goes towards environmental causes helping charities, businesses and organisations which make a difference in preserving our planet and looking after communities in need.
Take a look at the 1% for the planet website to find out more:
www.onepercentfortheplanet.com
Whether you’re just going for a romantic picnic or getting away for the weekend MAISON BENGAL bags come in all shapes, sizes and colours, the only problem is choosing your favourite! MAISON BENGAL goes further than beautiful bags; they work closely with local fair trade partner organisations to produce a range of handmade products. The company now employ over five thousand women throughout Bangladesh, who are happily able to work in their home environment, enabling them to care for and financially support their families.
All of these brands have a story to tell and do that little bit extra to look after our environment or give back to their customers and their community. and that is why they are on our shelves. We take great pride in the brands that we stock at ARDDUN STORES, and these are values we like to uphold. Each of our brands uniquely spread their love and no matter how small still makes a difference. Take a look at our website to see all of our brands.