MY SUSTAINABLE LIFE
Sebastian Cox on preparing for a new normal
As the entire human world grapples with a new normal, the non-human world might be anticipating our next steps. Mother Nature could be wondering if we have received the forest fires, disastrous flooding or the pandemic virus as a signal that our pre-2020 normal was a little out of control. There have been many calls for a better world on the other side of coronavirus, and as we dust ourselves down we are offered an opportunity to consider the systems of consumption we rebuild.
During lockdown, we have been forced to re-evaluate our purchasing, often building relationships with local small suppliers who offer an appealing degree of transparency and trust. It’s possible to ask your local greengrocer where its goods have come from. I think that in the coming years there will be an appetite for greater business practices than before, and accreditation will be essential. Certification, if it’s a rigorous label, will help distinguish those who back their claims up with action.
Just before the lockdown, my wife Brogan and I, with baby Sorrel and dog Willow in tow, headed to rural Lincolnshire to isolate among greenery. We invested our time in formalising the green and good stuff we do as a business, writing it all down in reports, self-assessments and policies. We were doing this under the guidance of the B Impact Assessment, a resource set up by the B Corporation Certification scheme, whose aim is to create a global economy that uses business as a force for good. They certify any business that balances purpose and profit, and I’m excited to find a growing number of products with the ‘B’ label on. The Body Shop, Innocent, Abel & Cole, Method and Danone are all examples and the appeal of a B Corp label is that it is a standard that can be applied to any product or business of any size.
There are many labels that carry weight through rigorous scrutiny; Soil Association Organic and Fairtrade are recognised benchmarks for sustainable and fair food, and indeed fashion. When it comes to interiors, WELL standard and Declare labels offer reassurance that the product or building is designed around human wellness, not emitting toxins or volatile organic compounds (VOCS). Benchmark (whose Muse sofa with integrated side table is pictured here) and Another Country have both led the way in WELL standard products in the UK, with beautiful certified pieces of furniture.
In my June column, I noted how rare organic fabric is in interiors; the homeware industry lags behind food and fashion in positive labelling, yet some products made for the home are also capable of environmental damage. We must back labels, voting with our wallets to steer companies to do good and prove it by certifying themselves. Navigating the complex and nuanced ethics of production and distribution is a task that’s probably much too time-consuming for most people, so labels can act as essential guides in shaping that better world through the products and goods we buy.