Within the past few years, more and more significant issues have begun to be addressed. The environment and the impact we have on it has been a topic at the forefront of many individuals’ minds and many business missions, however we still have a long way to go.
To show our appreciation for those taking the long trek towards net zero and sustainable business practices, we are shining a spotlight on entrepreneurs who have made the leap to become more sustainable in their own life and their business practices.
Alongside our partners Starling Bank, the Great British Entrepreneur Awards takes great pride in supporting exciting entrepreneurs making a difference in the UK. Here is our collection of exciting eco-entrepreneurs to watch in 2022.
George Bramble – BECO
George Bramble seems to love the environment as much as he does animals, the founder of BECO ensures all his pet products are made through ethical and environmentally friendly means. BECO utilises the latest technology to have the least impact on the environment while still providing a large collection of goods for pets, including free range dog food, home compostable animal waste bags and even a variety of bamboo bowls, cat and dog accessories and hemp beds.
James Mellan-Matulewicz, Jason Arrowsmith & Rebecca Mellan-Matulewicz – Bobbi Beck
Co-founders of Bobbi Beck, James Mellan-Matulewicz, Jason Arrowsmith and Rebecca Mellan-Matulewicz provide a collection of sustainable solutions to wallpaper, accompanied with free samples! The eco-oriented business makes sure its products are made-to-order, removing the need for large warehouses to hold surplus stock that could potentially end up in landfill. On top of the usual sustainable packaging, Bobbi Beck offsets the carbon emissions produced by its logistics by supporting ecological projects around the world.
Ameenah Begum – Cos Watercolours
Ameenah Begum, founder of Cos Watercolours, has come up with an innovative solution for creatives when it comes to their carbon footprint. The business boasts a range of planet friendly paint that’s handmade from waste cosmetics and minimises the stress it puts on the environment for any eco-friendly artist looking for supplies.
Anna Priadka – Fills
Anna Priadka, founder of Fills, is breaking the mould in her industry by providing a beauty based business that keeps the planet looking as good as you do. As the name suggests, Fills provides refillable beauty products, allowing customers to send used products through freepost to be recycled correctly and refill their aluminium bottles with their chosen product, which are also vegan.
Susan C. Allen Augustin and Tara Chandra – Here We Flo
Bringing a natural solution to a natural problem, co-founders Susan C. Allen Augustin and Tara Chandra created Here We Flo. Here We Flo provides a natural and environmentally conscious solution to period products, their organic tampons consist of bamboo, organic cotton and biodegradable, planet friendly materials alongside their equally organic variety of bladder products.
James Hart – Kidly
James Hart, founder of Kidly, couldn’t find what he was looking for when it came to kid’s products after becoming a father. Finding inspiration from his 15 years at ASOS, he decided to solve the problem himself. Kidly provides products entirely focused around kids, offering a sustainable solution for those concerned about their environmental impact through the Eco Store, supporting and providing eco-friendly brands. Kidly also ensures its own brand products have the least impact possible, providing organic onesies and other low-impact products.
Lee Sutton – Myenergi
Lee Sutton has established a team of experts, activists and inventors at myenergi, a business leading the charge in eco-innovation by providing a variety of sustainable and environmentally friendly products to the British market. Well known for Zappi, Britain’s best-selling British made solar EV charger, Lee and myenergi are making leaps and bounds towards a sustainable future.
Ryan Mcsorley & Josie Harfield – Neat Clean
Neat Clean was founded by Ryan McSorley and Josie Harfield, who realised the cleaning industry wasn’t doing a good job of keeping the environment tidy. The duo and Neat Clean set their sights on single use packaging commonly used to ship water for cleaning products. They provide reusable products that function just as well, if not better than conventional cleaning products, that typically leave a hefty trail of waste in their wake.
Aisling Byrne & Ali Kelly – Nuw
Nuw is a platform that provides fashion lovers with the means to sustain through exchange. After seeing the devastating impact of the industry when volunteering in India, Aisling realised change was necessary and after recounting this to her friend Ali, they both knew they had to make that change. Nuw is an eco-exchange of clothing that embraces the era of sustainability in fashion, providing users of the app the opportunity to swap and exchange their clothes to encourage a great reduction in the environmental impact of fashion.
Wing Chan, Shiran Zheng and Mary Wang – Sourceful
Wing Chan, Shiran Zheng and Mary Wang, co-founders of Sourceful are challenging the supply chain status-quo. Embracing the idea that conscious consumers only make use of what is offered to them, Sourceful aims to provide businesses with the means to increase their sustainability and lower their environmental impact. Companies can use Sourceful’s variety of tools to find, customise and design sustainable products to improve the impact of their supply chain once and for all.
Charlotte Morley – The Little Loop
Charlotte Morley is making a big impact with The Little Loop, tackling the prominent problem in fashion of sustainability. The Little Loop grants parents – conscious of their consumerism – access to a collection of ethically and sustainably produced outfits and clothing for their children. Providing a platform to rent and therefore reuse outfits, the business is attempting to reduce the infamously large carbon footprint of the fashion industry in an affordable way.
Anthony Collias & Jacob Wedderburn-Day – Treepoints
Anthony Collias and Jacob Wedderburn-Day are the founders of Treepoints, a company that helps individuals and businesses understand the environmental impact they’re having on the world around us. Treepoints provides the means to calculate things like your direct impact from flights when it comes to business trips and picks projects for businesses to subscribe to that have a positive impact on the environment, including tree planting and plastic recycling initiatives.
Krisha Kotak – Tula & Tye
Krisha Kotak founded Tula & Tye after realising the significant lack of sustainable, affordable and trendy loungewear on the market. With both parents rooted in the textiles industry, it seemed like a natural fit for Krisha to tackle the problem. Tula & Tye offers a range of clothing and accessories, all with one thing in common; they’re all made with high quality and sustainable materials, including recycled plastic bottles that have been transformed into polymer. If you’re looking for sustainable socks, shirts or scrunchies, Tula & Tye’s got you covered.
Audrey Migot-Adholla – YALA
Audrey Migot-Adholla is the proud founder of YALA, the first jewellery company in the UK to become a certified B Corporation. The business provides its customers with a selection of African jewellery, made in Kenya, that ensures its products are the product of fair wages and healthy work environments. Choosing raw materials that are ethically sourced, re-used and recycled and choosing packaging that is designed to eliminate plastic and rid itself of any unnecessary material, YALA is a big contender in sustainability.
Gary Styles – Zellar
Gary Styles is nothing short of an energy market superstar, the founder of Zellar has 20 years of experience in the industry and is using that knowledge to help SMEs achieve the seemingly daunting task of reaching net zero. Zellar offers a wide range of resources for businesses to reduce their emissions and increase their sustainability, including a free carbon calculator, personalised plans and a variety of methods to reduce costs along the way through various green initiatives and tech.
Register your interest here for Great British Entrepreneur Awards 2022 here!
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