Our Ethics

With a New Year, I thought it is a good time to clarify our ethics and the wording we use in our blog articles, social media and product descriptions.

When starting Home of Juniper it was always my aim to sell products that were made ethically, from the point of view of the makers (whether in the UK or abroad) being treated and paid fairly. This is something we still do! It is important. So with each new maker or brand we sell we check their ethical guidelines and talk to them about it.

From the start we have also used ethical gift wrap – it just seemed to make sense, to be honest I never thought that much about it. We do sometimes use plastic (for example bubblewrap) to wrap purchases, but this is always reused from parcels sent to use. We do not buy plastic packaging. The gift wrap also has different eco-credentials. The tissue is made using recycled materials. During manufacture 35% of electricity used is from renewable sources, using hydroelectric power. ) And the gift box? The card is recyclable and made using recycled materials. We will also reuse clean packaging. Limiting the amount of waste we produce and maximising the time before it gets recycled or thrown away.

We are not plastic free. But we are making our way towards it. While still supporting many of our original brands and makers. Some of our labels are plastic – this is something we are wanting to change but will need to work with our makers to do so. We also sell some products that are not plastic free. For example there is polyester in the snack bags (to allow them to be water resistant) But they are not single use. Because we started buying these while working with an ethical brand and don’t want to leave a maker who has been with us from the start – again this is something we are hoping to change.

The reason we use the word ‘ ethical’ a lot is because we don’t fit one single ethical ideal, or one of the 17 Sustainable Development goal ( look at Ethical Hour for more information on each of these goals. (The goals include: 1. No poverty, 2. Zero Hunger, 3. Good Health and Well-Being, 4. Quality Education, 5. Gender Equality, …).

Different products we sell, follow different ethicals and sustainable goals. For Example: The brass bangles are made in India by women who are fairly paid for their work (making sure they are fairly paid, supporting gender equality, and supporting the local community). The Beeswax wraps are made in the UK and are a great single use plastic alternative, helping protect our land and oceans from single use plastic. And we have some lovely products made from recycled products (like the bird feeders and clocks and blankets).

Plastic Bottles Recycled into a gorgeous Blanket

We started selling sustainable products and eco-alternatives from day one, but initially I didn’t know much about eco. Any products that were eco-friendly or supporting a sustainable lifestyle, were found and sold because I saw them, loved them and thought others may too. There was no deeper thought in it. It is only when finding out more through Ethical Hour, Besmacc and other ethical groups and individuals that I started realising the importance of eco. And now actively search out affordable, useful and lovely sustainable products. Including items made from recycled bottles, and snack bags and reusable face pads to replace single use plastics.

Not everything we sell is made from specifically eco-friendly material, as we continue to support some of our original UK makers. But each item has an important part to its story – whether it is how it is made or who makes it. Positivity and care not just in what we sell, but also how we source our products.