Sustainability is key.

At The Good Boutique, we have sustainability at our core. We thoroughly check our partners' credentials in terms of sustainability, and our checks range from production methods, social & economics, shipping methods, materials used, and carbon footprint.

In addition to this, we actively plant trees the following way:
  • We plant a tree for every order placed
  • Every year, we calculate the carbon footprint of all deliveries and plant trees to offset them
  • Every year, we calculate our website consumption in terms of energy and plant trees to offset our emissions

Our Ethos.

Before partnering with a brand, we conduct thorough due diligence focusing on the sustainability level of the brand’s manufacturing, packaging and distribution methods. Our due diligence focuses on the following criteria:
Reduced Plastic
Organic
Fair Trade
Low carbon footprint
Quality of soil
Living wage
Cooperative
Local produce
Cruelty-free
Eco-friendly shipping
Recycles
Reduced plastic

Reduced plastic.

Plastic pollution causes harm to humans, animals and plants through toxic pollutants. It can take hundreds or even thousands of years for plastic to break down, so the environmental damage is long-lasting.

It affects all organisms in the food chain, from tiny species like plankton to whales. Toxins work their way up the food chain when plastic is ingested and can even be present in the fish people eat.

When we partner up with a brand and they claim to have reduced plastic usage, we check they have the following labels:
  • Compostability Mark of European Bioplastics: Enables compostable products to be identified by a unique mark and channeled for recovery of their constituent materials in specially developed processes. The Compostability Mark thus conveys product information to waste-disposal plant operators and product image to consumers.
  • Compostable: Biodegradable Products Institute Label: The BPI's Compostable Logo identifies products that meet ASTM D6400 (for plastics) or ASTM D6868 (for fibre based applications) and will compost satisfactorily in large scale composting facilities.

Organic.

Organic products reduce public health risks to farmworkers, their families, and consumers by minimizing their exposure to toxic and persistent chemicals on the farm and in food, the soil in which they work and play, the air they breathe, and the water they drink.

Children are especially vulnerable to pesticides. Thus, offering organic food and fibre products into the marketplace gives parents the option of choosing products produced without using these toxins.

When we partner up with a brand, we check their products are organic by checking if they have the following labels:
  • Soil Association Organic Standard: Organic certification for farmers, growers, food processors and packers, retailers, caterers, textile producers, health and beauty manufacturers and importers, in the UK and internationally.
  • Natrue-Label: The Natrue-Label is a guarantee for cosmetic products. Their goal is to promote and protect natural beauty and skin care products. Any product with the Natrue label is intended to be as natural as possible, using natural and organic ingredients, soft manufacturing processes and environmentally friendly practices.
  • Global Organic Textile Standard: The Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) was developed with the aim to unify the various existing standards and draft standards in the field of eco textile processing and to define world-wide recognised requirements that ensure organic status of textiles, from harvesting of the raw materials, through environmentally.
  • Organic Farmers & Growers Certification: Organic Farmers & Growers label indicates product meets UK Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) regulations for organic production and processing in the UK.
  • Organic Food Federation: Certification of Organic operations and product.
  • Wholesome Food Association: The Wholesome Food Association local symbol scheme is a low-cost, grassroots alternative to organic certification for people in the UK who are growing or producing food for sale in their local region. Members of the WFA who abide by our food production standards and sell their produce locally are entitled to use our quality symbol to certify their production methods.
Organic
Fair Trade

Fair Trade.

By choosing Fairtrade products, farmers get a better deal and a more stable income to feed, educate and take care of their children.

When farmers sell their crops via Fairtrade cooperatives and plantations, they get more money to invest back into better farming methods, clean water, and improve their communities' health.

When we partner up with a brand, and they claim to be 'Fairtrade' or similar, we check they have the following labels:
  • Fairtrade: Fairtrade is an ethical trade system that puts people first. Fairtrade offers farmers and workers in developing countries a better deal, and the opportunity to improve their lives and invest in their future. Fairtrade gives consumers the opportunity to help reduce poverty and instigate change through everyday shopping.
  • Label STEP: The fair trade label STEP is awarded to handmade carpet dealers who commit to fair trade standards, including ensuring fair conditions of production; paying fair prices to ensure fair wages; fighting abusive child labour; promoting ecologically viable production methods; and authorizing independent verification.
  • HAND IN HAND: Private fairtrade program of the company Rapunzel Naturkost GmbH which is a supplier of organic products. From the very beginning of dealing with producers from the Southern countries (the so-called developing countries) not only the quality of the organic products but also the quality of the cooperation with the producers was important for us.
  • EQUITRADE: The EQUITRADE logo is found on products with raw materials originating from a poor community, and which it also tries to ensure are manufactured, packaged and marketed from there too.
  • LEAF Marque: The LEAF Marque brings you food produced by farmers who are committed to improving the environment for the benefit of wildlife and the countryside. Their mission enables farming that enriches the environment and engages local communities. Everyone can be involved with LEAF, farmers, the food chain and the consumer.

Low Carbon Footprint.

One of the most significant benefits of reducing carbon emissions is that it would decrease the number of deaths related to air pollution and help to ease pressure on healthcare systems.

When we partner up with a brand that claims to have a low carbon footprint, we check they have the following labels:
  • Carbon Neutral: CarbonNeutral® is the registered trademark of The CarbonNeutral Company and is a global standard to certify that businesses have measured and reduced their CO2 emissions to net zero for their company, products, operations or services. Permission to display the CarbonNeutral mark is only given to clients whose carbon reduction programme is implemented in accordance with The CarbonNeutral.
  • Carbon Reduction Label: The Carbon Reduction Label is a public commitment that the carbon footprint of a product or service has been measured and certified and the owner of the product or service has committed to reduce that footprint over the following two years. The footprint that has been calculated will have been rigorously measured and be comparable based on the PAS2050 standard and Footprint Expert™.
  • Carbon Trust Standard: The Carbon Trust Standard is a certification mark of excellence, designed to recognise organisations for real carbon reduction. To qualify, organisations must measure, manage and genuinely reduce their carbon footprint and commit to reducing it year on year.
  • UPS Carbon Neutral: The UPS Carbon Neutral shipping label indicates that UPS customers have offset the climate impact of the GHG emissions produced by the transportation of that shipment. UPS calculates the emissions and purchases carbon offset credits equivalent to the GHG emissions created in shipping the package to make it "carbon neutral".
  • Green-e Climate: Green-e® Climate is the first and only consumer protection and certification program for retail carbon offsets. It complements project certification programs by ensuring that offset sellers: (i) Source only verified and properly tracked and credited reductions from high-quality projects certified under project standards that meet a high standard of quality, (ii) Retire correct volumes and types of emissions reductions on behalf of customers based on an audit of sales and supply, and, (iii) Provide customers with sufficient and accurate disclosure and do not mislead customers with inaccurate advertising.
Low carbon footprint
Quality of Soil

Quality of Soil.

When we partner up with a brand that claims to preserve the quality of soil, we check they have the following labels:
  • Soil Association Organic Standard: Organic certification for farmers, growers, food processors and packers, retailers, caterers, textile producers, health and beauty manufacturers and importers, in the UK and internationally.

Living wage.

The real Living Wage is the only UK wage rate voluntarily paid by over 7,000 UK businesses who believe their staff deserve a wage that meets everyday needs - like the weekly shop or a surprise trip to the dentist.

Over 250,000 employees have received a pay rise due to the Living Wage campaign, and we enjoy cross-party support.

When we partner up with a brand claiming to have Living Wage, we check they have the following labels:
  • Living Wage: Guarantees a business pays its employees the living wage in the region they operate in.
Living Wage

Cooperative.

Cooperatives are people-centred enterprises owned, controlled and run by and for their members to realise their everyday economic, social, and cultural needs and aspirations.

Cooperatives bring people together in a democratic and equal way. Whether the members are the customers, employees, users or residents, cooperatives are democratically managed by the 'one member, one vote' rule. Members share equal voting rights regardless of the amount of capital they put into the enterprise.

As businesses driven by values, not just profit, cooperatives share internationally agreed principles and act together to build a better world through cooperation. Putting fairness, equality and social justice at the heart of the enterprise, cooperatives around the world are allowing people to work together to create sustainable enterprises that generate long-term jobs and prosperity.

When we partner up with a brand that claims to be a cooperative, we check their registration status before partnering up with them.

Local produce.

Consuming locally made products promotes the quality of life of people near you and reduces transportation and pollution.

When we partner with a brand, we make sure their products are made locally (within 20 miles) and most of the supply chain is made locally.
Local produce
Cruelty Free

Cruelty Free.

In the animal rights movement, cruelty-free is a label for products or activities that do not harm or kill animals anywhere in the world. Products tested on animals or made from animals are not considered cruelty-free, since these tests are often painful and cause the suffering and death of millions of animals every year. When we partner up with a brand and they claim to be cruelty-free, we check they have the following labels:
  • Good Shopping Guide Ethical Award: The aim of the Ethical Company Organisation is to set an independent benchmark for corporate social responsibility. The Ethical Accreditation scheme enables companies and brands to display an independently-verified bill of health across the fields of people, animal welfare and the environment.
  • Leaping Bunny: Companies certified through the Coalition for Consumer Information on Cosmetics' (CCIC) Leaping Bunny Program make a voluntary pledge to eliminate animal testing from all stages of product development. The companies’ ingredient suppliers make the same pledge and the result is a product guaranteed to be 100 percent free of new animal testing.
  • Dolphin Safe / Dolphin Friendly: The Earth Island Institute monitors tuna companies around the world to ensure the tuna is caught by methods that do not harm dolphins and protect the marine ecosystem. In order for tuna to be considered “Dolphin Safe”, it must meet the following standards:
    1. No intentional chasing, netting or encirclement of dolphins during an entire tuna fishing trip;
    2. No use of drift gill nets to catch dolphins

Eco Friendly Shipping.

Delivery methods play a huge part in the carbon footprint of a business. More and more transaction occur online. This means there are more and more deliveries, hence more and more pollution linked to deliveries.

This is the reason why we think it is essential for our partner to use more Eco Friendly Shipping methods such as electric vehicles or local pickups.
Eco Friendly Shipping
Recycle

Recycles.

We also partner up with brands, mostly electronic brands, that give a second life to our every day phones, tablets and computers.

The reason we accept electronics brands is linked to the fact that the electronic products they sell are recycled and refurbished, which goes hand in hand with our ethos.
Why not start your sustainable living journey today? The more you give, the more you get.

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