5 Practical Holiday Gifts Employees Will Love
November 9, 2022
Take the stress out of swag this holiday season! Check out some of our favorite corporate gift ideas to make it a holiday to remember
We talked about the evolution of environmentally-friendly products in our article ‘How Shopping Became Sustainable’. There, we also looked at the state of contemporary movements that are putting the planet first. The three main organizations we gave an overview of are Fair Trade, Sourcing Sustainably, and 1% For The Planet. On that page, we went in-depth about these awesome movements, and how they can help consumers shop sustainably. In this article, we’re going to help you know what brands to look for when shopping.
We found some fantastic companies who not only make some great products, but are ensuring that each purchase contributes back towards the farmers who helped produce them, and the natural resources that were used in its construction. We hope that by reading this article, we’ve helped you discover new businesses that should be supported so that together we can create a greener and more sustainable world.
Fair Trade is one of the founding fathers of the environmental movement. Having been around since 1992, its influence on ethical responsibility practices is unmatched. The scale of the organization is just as impressive. So far $846 million has been sent to the farmers and workers as a result of consumer purchases. As a result, there are thousands of companies whose support goes a long way towards ensuring farmers across the world can look forward to a brighter future. Nevertheless, here are three Fair Trade certified companies that we love.
For tea lovers, look no further than Rishi Tea for your next batch of home-brewed goodness!
The company has a great selection of organic teas available, so whether you’re a fan of Oolong, Chaga Chai, or just a good old-fashioned black tea, Rishi tea can deliver. Our favorite is the Pu’er tea, thanks to its unique and full-bodied taste.
Knowing that the company does great things for the places they grow the leaves makes it taste even better.
Speaking of which, Rishi Tea & Botanicals ensures they know where, when, and how their organic teas are grown. Rishi Tea also offers traceability so customers can find the very soil where the tea trees and botanicals are planted.
Perhaps because of the relation between feeling good and natural products, there are lots of great businesses that operate in the health and beauty market. Companies such as The Body Shop and Face The Factory exemplify how their creams can enrich the skin without degrading the earth.
We just had to make a special mention to Soapbox, however, thanks to the brilliant contributions they’re making to the communities they work in while making some of the best hair and skin products we’ve ever used.
Customers even when consciously supporting an ethical business can feel a lack of connection between their purchase and the impact it’s supposedly having. Not so with Soapbox.
This company donates a whole bar of soap for every purchase. Each product they sell has a code, so it’s easy to see just how much of an impact your purchase is having.
It’s a win-win because all their lotions and potions are made with the highest quality materials with noticeable improvements to skin and hair, plus and smell absolutely wonderful!
However much we all enjoy a bar of chocolate, the product is often mired in controversy. Whether it’s the farmers being treated essentially as slaves, or the destruction of the environment in which the cocoa is planted, paradoxically the end product is often anything but sweet.
Divine Chocolate is on a mission to change that. One of their main objectives is to empower women in cocoa farming so they have the opportunity to develop, and thrive in business. Divine also understands its responsibility towards climate change.
Through working with the criteria outlined by the UN, the company is a key member of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) program. Divine is also the only Fair Trade chocolate maker that is co-owned by the farmers themselves.
This means that now you can eat as much chocolate as you wish, and have a perfect excuse for doing so!
Consider this: every business and individual donate just one percent of their profits to ecological preservation, reforest our landscapes, and prevent climate catastrophe. Sounds pretty good, right? That’s just what 1% For The Planet is trying to do. $140 million has already been donated, and the more we as consumers purchase from those who are 1% verified, the quicker other companies will sign on to this good cause.
While businesses can join, so can individuals. Their philosophy is that we’re all in this together, and should all contribute the same percentage of our earnings to protect the place we all call home. At the time of writing, “1,200 businesses and numerous individuals” have joined the movement. Here are three of our favorites:
“All good, all of the time.” It’s a simple mantra but one which All Good has at the heart of everything it does.
Like a straight A student, the company has just about every certificate you could ask for. B Corp? Check. 1% For The Planet? Absolutely.
From ensuring reefs are protected to being a committed carbon neutral company, if there’s a way for a company to be proactively helping the planet, you can be pretty certain All Good is at the front of the line.
On top of all this other good stuff, All Good is also women-owned. Having lots of women-owned businesses is great, to find out exactly why, you should read this article.
Or if you just want to shop, you can find out our favorite women-owned businesses in this article.
With all these amazing acts of goodness, you might be tempted to buy from All Good even if their products were a bit rubbish. Thankfully, it doesn’t have to come to that.
Their sunscreen has been acclaimed as “the best sunscreen I’ve ever used” among other top comments. Our favorite is the Coconut body lotion. Your skin will have never felt so hydrated!
Reinventing water is sort of like reinventing the wheel. It sounds impossible and could only be achieved if something really remarkable takes place. But that’s just what Boxed Water has done.
Getting rid of plastic for paper-based cartons is a simple idea and that’s just why it’s so effective. This makes the product far more sustainable, as the cartons are 92% renewable and far less destructive to the environment.
We rewarded Boxed Water for a place on our list, not just for the great work they do, including their involvement with 1% but as an encouragement to other businesses to adopt similar packaging materials for their waters and juices.
When we think that Americans alone throw away a staggering 22 billion bottles every year, we hope this is just the beginning.
Not every company that is a member of the 1% movement has to enrich body and soul. Any company can join whether they help us stay hydrated, like Bottled Water, or help us relax after a long day.
That’s where New Belgium Brewery comes in. Not satisfied with just making delicious beers and ales, the Colorado B Corp became the first brewery to join the 1% For The Planet movement.
The brewery proves that a company can be a shining example of philanthropy while still maintaining a sustainable business model. The company was a relative unknown a few years ago but is now the fourth-largest craft brewery in the US.
Sourcing Sustainably is sort of the Fair Trade of clothes. Buying from a Sourcing Sustainably certified company shows that you care about ethics as well as fashion. The organization’s goal is to have every stage of the product cycle be one that’s fair to the workers and responsible for the environment. Lots of big names have signed on to Sourcing Sustainably to ensure fast fashion doesn’t have to equate to large-scale destruction. We’re hoping that the greater the exposure received, the more will sign on to end sweatshop slavery and ecological ruin.
Caring about nature and having compassion for others starts from day one. If that’s not a good enough reason to support Little Green Radicals we don’t know what is.
Little Radicals is a clothing company for babies and toddlers, with some of the cutest garments available for this age range.
The cotton for the clothing is always organic, and because they are partnered with Sourcing Sustainably, you can be assured that the workers who create these adorable products are given the wages they deserve.
As the name suggests, No Nasties takes no compromises when it comes to the sustainability and ethos of its products. As the company states: “We care for our planet and everyone on it. That’s why we are organic, fair trade, vegan, and carbon-neutral too.”
The clothing style tends to be soft colors with minimalist design, concentrating on high quality and durability. Based in India, the welfare of the farmers is at the top of the list for No Nasties. 300,000 Indian farmers have committed suicide in the last 20 years – one every 30 minutes.
This is due to a “vicious cycle of debt” caused by modern yielding techniques which sacrifices farmer welfare for low costs and cheap, disposable products. By supporting No Nasties, you can wear your new garments with pride, knowing that the dollars that are being spent are helping fight these inhumane practices.
One of the trendiest ethical shopping brands at the moment is Pact. Everything Pact makes is made from 100% organic cotton, which is the best material for comfort and durability while being made in the most ethical way possible. Pact doesn’t just have the best mens and womenswear.
The company makes some of the most luxurious bedding you can imagine. As everything is ethically sourced, you can sleep even easier.
As we hope we’ve demonstrated, doing good for the environment is something that every company can achieve. It doesn’t matter what the business sells, if it wants to do good, there really aren’t any excuses.
All these companies are leading the way in being proof that companies can grow and make a profit, while also caring about their communities and the environment.
Before you reach for your credit card and help out big corporations, you should check out our similar articles for black-owned businesses and women-owned businesses who also deserve our attention if we want to see a more equitable world.
As a B Corp, DGW Branded takes pride in thinking beyond profit. We strive to see a more diverse America represent all of its people, as well as being more responsible to the planet we all share. That’s why we write articles such as these.
Furthermore, we hire those from the foster care system to help pack our orders. To find out more about our workforce program, please visit this section of our website.
While we hope we’ve clarified some of the roles and responsibilities of each section of the B Corp movement, we’re always willing to help other businesses succeed in their societal and environmental responsibilities, please leave a comment if you have any questions. For your business needs, you can also speak to one of our experts to find out how DGW Branded can provide you with custom items for promo and staff needs.
Take the stress out of swag this holiday season! Check out some of our favorite corporate gift ideas to make it a holiday to remember
Take the stress out of swag this holiday season! Check out some of our favorite corporate gift ideas to make it a holiday to remember
Companies are cutting costs while employees are leaving due to low job satisfaction and a lack of appreciation. Discover how swag can help in this and so much more.
