Together we need to keep fighting for nature.
In the middle of the pandemic last year, inspired by the idea of a ‘reset’ moment, we wanted to do something to keep up the fight for our planet. In the aftermath of coronavirus we didn’t want all those innovative ideas and environmental entrepreneurs to be lost. After all, the climate crisis isn’t going anywhere.
We have history here. Forty years ago, we launched a little brand with big cajones. After seeing the damage that phosphates did to waterways and aquatic life, we challenged the status quo and developed a new detergent that was phosphate-free. So you see, we’ve always stuck up for nature. And we want to help others do the same.
Back to 2020, and like most cleaning brands we sold more during the pandemic. So we set up the FERTILISE THE FUTURE fund, giving over £500,000 to organisations with ideas to fight the climate crisis. We were looking for ideas not just to help nature, but that enhanced it as well. These are known as nature-based solutions. Actions that work with nature to provide benefits to people and biodiversity. They include the protection, restoration or management of ecosystems on land and sea. Well-designed ones can have a broader impact than the one they’re designed for. Increased biodiversity, carbon storage and water quality can happen hand in hand with flood protection.
As a brand, there’s a limit to what we can achieve. We’re working on cutting our carbon and plastic footprints, like using 100% recycled plastic bottles and 50% recycled plastic caps. Our formulas are developed to reduce their impact on the environment, by using plant-based and biodegradable ingredients. But we know this isn’t enough. So working in partnership with others who share our ambitions and values is important to us. That’s why we recruited external judges with environmental know-how, and why we can’t wait to get stuck in with our three finalists.
All three projects have the exciting potential to make a real impact that can be measured and replicated elsewhere. So here’s to them – The Floodplain Meadows Partnership in the UK, Gut & Bösel in Germany and Natuurpunt in Belgium. And here’s to something positive coming out of all the pandemonium.
The Floodplain Meadow Partnership are restoring floodplain meadows and setting out to prove it’s a kick-ass tool in the fight against climate change.|
