We are all consuming more mindfully: our purchasing behaviour has changed and even small changes like taking your own bag, using refills, and perhaps even considering an EV (electric vehicle). We are all making changes with regards day to day purchases but what about the celebratory times of the year like birthdays and Christmas, are we taking these times less seriously? Is this a time when people fall off their perch? At Natural Spa Factory we don’t believe in compromising on your principles at any time and conscious consumption is possible all year long.
There is a constant noise and pressure around net zero, carbon emissions, recycling, biodegradable, planet saving, less waste, less harm, more good et al. So, you may feel that at Christmas you can just go guilt free but at a time when consumption is at a peak, this year could be the perfect time to try not to buy the plastic tinsel, not to overdo the food and to check the environmental impact of your purchases.
In 2021, according to the Centre of Retail Research, Christmas retail sales rose by 7.3% year on year. Although this was off the back of a life in lockdown it appears our appetite for gifting and consumption isn’t waning…So, should we stop spending altogether, does being ‘green’ mean being mean and not buying anything at all?
Not in our opinion, we think you can have your Christmas cake and eat it but, purchases need to be smarter, mindful and more considered with thoughts on less impact on our natural resources. This is not because it’s the worthy thing to do but because it’s the right thing to do. Even if you don’t believe in the diktat of climate catastrophe, from a purely common-sense perspective allowing our waste to pollute the shores and oceans, harm our wildlife and create mass landfill in the countries that didn’t create the waste in the first place, is simply unacceptable. Christmas should be a happy time, but it should be enjoyed in the spirit it is meant and not to the detriment of those less fortunate. Choose wisely, choose quality, and choose sustainably.
At the Natural Spa Factory headquarters, we use business as a force for good, and this matters even more during the silly season when we want to embrace this wonderful time of giving and receiving gifts.
Some of the most ethical, mindful and sustainable gifts are homemade, jars of homemade treats and baked goods, a crochet scarf or hamper with food from artisan producers. Donating to charity instead of physically handing over a gift. Buying local from smaller businesses and craftsmen and women and spending your £££ wisely opting for quality over quantity is a happy medium.
If you are looking for a luxury and sustainable option then our self-care spa gifts set may be up your electrically modified vehicle street! All our Christmas Gift set boxes are grown and made from mushrooms, which naturally biodegrades in your garden waste and is the perfect compost. These outer boxes serve to protect and present our products and this year you can choose from Sleep Gift, Self-care Gift and Hand Care Gift.
Product Spotlights
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Self Care Gift
£46.50
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Sleep Gift
£46.50
Also, we don’t use outer cartons on our products to reduce packaging and our bottles and jars are either made from glass, and after a good wash can be recycled or reused or returned to us for re-use, or plastic that is fully recyclable or made from post-consumer recyclables (PCR) so they are made from plastic milk bottles and returned to make further plastic bottles. We never use single use plastic.
Finally, the most important part, our products are prepared by hand in the UK, lower carbon emissions with no heavy energy guzzling automation. The ingredients we use are mostly plant based and natural, sourced responsibly from ethical suppliers that tap into smaller farms who don’t use harmful automated, land dredging processes that ruin plant life, landscapes, soils and the natural world.
And, we only make what we need, we don’t take part in the mass consumerism events like Black Friday in fact, this year we will be closing our store for the day as we hope to take a stand against the giants that prey on our pockets in turn, fuelling the requirement for cheap, products made overseas that still practice animal testing and excess waste.
We know there is more to do and we continue to make improvements, but we hope working together with our customers the least we can do is to make more mindful choices this festive season and wherever you choose to shop this year we wish you a heartfelt, very merry Christmas.
