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With International Charity Day in mind, a selection of purpose-driven innovators who also support other charities
Although every innovation we cover here at Springwise is meaningful in some way or another, those that create impact at the same time as supporting other charities to do their work are some of our most impressive.
In honour of #InternationalCharityDay on the 5th September, we have curated 5 such innovations, those supporting charities ranging from men’s mental health and eco-education to feeding children impacted by school closures during the pandemic.
1. A FLORIST’S CAMPAIGN SPARKS CONVERSATION ABOUT MEN’S MENTAL HEALTH
In reaction to the alarming statistic that men make up 75 per cent of suicides every single day in Australia, florist Fig & Bloom partnered with the mental health charity Gotcha4life to launch a range of bouquets designed for men. Named the Broquet collection, it was developed in the hopes of encouraging men to send a bouquet to their male friends, ultimately sparking conversation about mental health and strengthening their social connections.
Fig & Bloom worked with Melbourne-based creative agency Thinkerbell to create three different floral arrangements for the Broquet collection. Firstly, the Pinnacles is a simple white arrangement named after the limestone pillars that stand in the Western Australian outback. Then we have the Daintree Broquet, which features deep emerald green and ash gold tones. Lastly, the Uluru has a rugged look with bumpy knobbles designed to stand out and is named after the rock in the outback’s Red Centre.
Read more about Fig & Bloom campaign.
2. RUSSIAN FASHION HOUSE DESIGNS EXCLUSIVELY WITH LANDFILL PLASTIC
Working with local charities, the St. Petersburg-based company 99Recycle creates clothing, accessories, bags, interiors products, skateboards and many more products, all from plastic waste sourced from several large landfill sites just outside the city. A number of the brand’s partners help to clean and sort the plastic, and unlike traditional fashion houses, this is what makes up the majority of time spent on each product.
Specialist sewers then hand-craft the items, often using castoff materials such as old trampolines and advertising banners. For larger pieces, the company built a custom 3D printer that works with plastic waste. The team plans to use the printer to expand its work into public spaces, with benches and other social works.
3. A SUSTAINABLE MODEL FOR SELLING SECOND-HAND SHOES
It’s no secret that the fashion industry produces huge amounts of waste each year. One reason is that returned and seconds stock often ends up incinerated or thrown away because they can’t be sold. In fact, it’s estimated that more than 300 million pairs of shoes alone are thrown away each year. Now, a small British company is working to reduce this footwear mountain. Their company, Sole Responsibility, sells only seconds or out of season shoe stock from big-name retailers, all of which were slated for destruction or the landfill.
Sole Responsibility was set up by couple Simon and Helen Payne, who started the business as a way to spend more time with their children. In the process of growing a business based on reducing waste, the couple has also developed a model that is not only environmentally friendly but helps others as well. A percentage of every purchase is donated to the charity Smartmove, which helps to house the homeless. The company also receives items such as sleeping bags and warm coats from retailers, which it donates directly to the charity.
Read more about Sole Responsibility.
4. NEW ZEALAND’S FIRST CARBON-ZERO, CERTIFIED B CORPORATION YOGHURT
New Zealand’s first carbon-zero Certified B Corporation yoghurt company has recently launched a new Kefir product range.
Known as Raglan’s Mr and Mrs Coconut, Latesha Randall and Seb Walter started Raglan Food Co after Randall made her first batch in their home kitchen for Seb, who is dairy-intolerant. Seven years later, the company now has 30 members of staff and produces over 25,000 jars of yoghurt that are shipped across New Zealand and distributors in Hong Kong, Singapore and mainland China.
The company has contributed over €27,000 to social and environmental causes, donated 50,193 jars of yoghurt to charities and has planted over 2,143 trees. They have also sponsored the local animal sanctuary and two rescued orangutans.
Read more about Raglan Food Co.
5. PURPOSE-DRIVEN LUXURY PLATFORM LAUNCHES DIGITAL PORTAL WITH EXCLUSIVE VR EXPERIENCES
Inspired by the COVID-19 global health crisis, fashion, beauty and home goods seller Olivela launched Olivela IRL, an online, one-stop digital destination for everything beauty, fashion, education and fun-related. They created and invited customers and guests to sign-up for exclusive virtual experiences, tailored sessions with fashion and beauty experts and informational talks with industry pros and designers.
Founded by Stacey Boyd in 2017 during a visit to a refugee camp with Nobel Prize laureate Malala Yousafzai, the company already regularly donates to Save the Children, Malala Fund, Global Wildlife Conservation and Project Glimmer, among many others.
At the onset of the global crisis, the brand also extended its commitment to supporting vulnerable communities by donating 20 per cent of each sale to a host of local, national and international charities. Since March, Olivela has provided over 70,000 meals to kids negatively impacted by coronavirus-related school closures.
Curated By: Holly Hamilton
