Cleanzine: your weekly cleaning and hygiene industry newsletter 18th April 2024 Issue no. 1110
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Clarity-The Soap Co wins in two categories at The Planet Mark Awards
Clarity-The Soap Co won in both the Best Newcomer and Best Employee Engagement categories at the The Planet Mark Awards held at London's Sadler's Wells Theatre last month.
At a glittering ceremony, with keynote speaker Sir Tim Smit KBE = co-founder of the Eden Project - encouraging the audience to redouble efforts to inspire others to reduce their carbon footprint and develop more sustainable businesses, Clarity-The Soap Co was acknowledged as a social enterprise that is setting best practice in its sector and beyond for reducing its carbon footprint via a series of green initiatives.
"The culture at Clarity-The Soap Co is embodied in every product, process and individual," said Steve Malkin, founder of The Planet Mark. "The charity's approach to environmental & social sustainability is exemplary, and it is just the start.
The manufacturer has reduced its carbon footprint by 15% per unit produced in the period 1st April 2017 to 31st March 2018, with its offices full of posters relating to engaging staff in the conservation of energy and recycling of materials. Under the auspices of its Green Team, the company is now working to entrench sustainability and eco issues in its DNA with every opportunity taken to promote initiatives both internally and externally using a wide range of media channels from social media to newsletters.
The social enterprise's manufacturing plant now runs on green energy sources derived from bio-mass fuels, has turned its main boiler down by 10 degrees Centigrade and uses only Forestry Stewardship Council paper in its offices in a drive to reduce its carbon emissions and increase its sustainable practices.
In addition, being a leading member of an increasingly large and influential social enterprise cohort, the organisation is showing by example how it is possible to compete in a hotly competitive health and beauty sector without compromising on its green and sustainability ethos in its manufacturing processes.
Camilla Marcus-Dew, head of commercial at Clarity-The Soap Co, says of the company's success: "Having Clarity-The Soap Co brands listed in all the major facilities management companies supplying business and now national retailers means that our green credentials and The Planet Mark certification are ever more widely known about.
"This will hopefully exert a qualitative influence that leads to quantitative change in other organisations.
"We are committed to reducing our carbon footprint annually. Naturally, we are very proud to have won these awards, but we are not an organisation to rest on our laurels and will continue to find ways to improve our sustainability credentials."
Pictured here are Louise Fairhurst, head of finance; fifth from left is Andy Zneimer, communications manager; sixth from left is Clem Hinchliffe, business development manager.
The manufacturer uses The Planet Mark logo on the packaging of both its The Soap Co and Beco product ranges. Within one year of its decision to incorporate the logo, it is launching in John Lewis & Partners just in time for Christmas. Beco is now in over 600 Waitrose & Partners and Sainsbury's stores nationwide - with the Co-op on board too. This will mean greater exposure for this key certification in the consumer consciousness and encourage other businesses to re-examine their operational and manufacturing processes to improve sustainability metrics.
The Soap Co is an ethical luxury brand with products that are good and do good. Based in East London, and with a traditional workshop in the Lake District, the manufacturer creates body care products with sophisticated fragrances, minimalist design and a strong social and environmental ethos.
The company is part of Clarity, the UK's oldest social enterprise (founded in 1854) which has produced soap for 80 years. Some 80% of its staff are visually impaired, disabled or otherwise disadvantaged and all profits goes back into providing jobs and training. Over 10,000 hours of employment are created annually for its staff which has helped dozens transition into full time work elsewhere.
Clarity-The Soap Co is The Chairman's 2018 charity of choice for The British Institute of Cleaning Science.
www.betterconsidered.org / www.thesoapco.org
15th November 2018