The Importance of Sustainability in Business

When starting Hestia Scents, operating sustainably was one of my main goals. I wanted to ensure that whilst creating my business I was making ethical and eco-friendly choices that weren't going to negatively impact the environment. Creating stylish and affordable products that are also sustainable is what I want Hestia Scents to centre around. 

So what is sustainability in business?

Business sustainability is the practice of operating a business without impacting the environment negatively. An environmentally aware business considers more than just profits. As a small business owner I look at the business' impact on both society and the environment.

A green business is sustainable because it contributes to the health of the structure within which it operates, in turn, this helps to create an environment in which the business can thrive.

Businesses who operate sustainably look to protect the natural environment, human and ecological health, they look to innovate and not compromise our way of life. 

Sustainability is an increasingly important issue for many people, especially in the business world. The changing climate continues to affect our lives as well as the fate of all other species around the planet. For business owners (big and small) the importance of sustainable business practices are becoming more and more clear.

10 ways in which I am running Hestia Scents sustainably, ethically and eco-conciously are:

1) ALL packaging is recyclable, all labels are made from recycled paper, my packaging tape is made from recycled materials and a kraft paper to make recycling your boxes easier, no plastic is used at all, all tissue paper is recyclable and all orders are packaged in cardboard or paper bags and boxes which are 100% recyclable. 

2) ALL products are made from soy-wax which is biodegradable and doesn't release toxins into the atmosphere when burned/ melted.

3) Soy wax is also vegan and all Hestia Scents products are cruelty free and vegan. 

4) ALL products are handmade in a small workspace. As I work from home I'm not commuting into an office space or contributing to excessive c02 emissions being released into the environment through business travel. 

5) At the moment we are trying our best to operate as a no-waste/ zero-waste business throughout production, any left over wax gets re-melted down to make other wax products, excess wicks are re-formed to create new wicks and we use re-usable moulds to create all wax melts. No 'one use' plastic clamshells or moulds are used. 

6) All of my suppliers are UK based and we only send orders within the UK further reducing unnecessary transport emissions and air-miles. 

7) Our candles are designed to be upcyclable and recyclable, I aim to make stylish products that you can use in your home when the candle has run out. Check out our first blog post for examples and ideas of how to re-use candle jars and use them as accessories in your interior design. 

8) As It's mainly just me (and occasionally my mum) making all the stock at the moment there are no exploited workers, working for less than minimum wage and no matter how big we grow there never will be! Spending years myself working for minimum wage I know how hard people have to work just to ensure rent, bills and other basic outgoings are paid. It is a goal of mine that as soon as I am in a position to hire more people to work for this business they will be paid above a living wage and be treated fairly no matter their age, gender or ethnicity. 

9) All paperwork is completed digitally to ensure there is no unnecessary paper waste. 

10) Finally, behind the scenes we are working very hard to think up ways we can give back to the community. In the new year we will implement multiple ways in which buying HESTIA SCENTS products can help the environment and charities directly. So watch this space!