Member Article

Yorkshire plastic-free pioneers launch products in John Lewis & Partners

An online retailer based in Leeds is launching its eco-friendly products on the John Lewis & Partners website.

Some of the brand’s most popular eco-alternative products, including antibacterial cleaning sachets, a glass spray bottle and compostable sponges will be sold on the national department stores website from February. The website attracts millions of visits and purchases each month, making this a major milestone for the company that started from humble beginnings.

Inspired by the plastic crisis, EcoVibe launched in September 2018 and has already saved over 80 million grams of plastic from entering waste streams. EcoVibe was started by a group of friends, who were all motivated to cut single-use plastics by the high-profile documentary, Blue Planet. The all-female team have used their complementary skillsets to grow and develop the business, ensuring each product is ethically produced, eco-friendly and sustainable.

The quartet began their business journey by selling a small range of items, and have since added hundreds of cleaning, household, food and drink, personal care, pet and gift products to the website. They also offer a range of products on a monthly subscription, taking the hassle out of repeat ordering. As well as selling direct to consumers through their website, they have several wholesale retailers which stock and sell their products, both physically and online.

The pandemic has prompted a shift in consumer behaviour towards environmentally friendly and sustainable products, with more than a third (36%) of Brits saying that they’re buying products from companies with strong environmental credentials. A further 80% say they are planning to purchase goods and services from environmentally friendly businesses, according to a research report from E.ON.

This change has reflected positively on EcoVibe’s sales, triggering a surge in demand and a rise in orders for plastic-free products. In March 2020, website sales increased by 49% compared to the previous month and 4102% compared to March 2019.

Stacey Skidmore, managing director at EcoVibe explains what the milestone means for the young company: “We’re really excited to launch EcoVibe cleaning products into our first major retailer, John Lewis & Partners. Giving John Lewis & Partners customers the option to purchase sustainable cleaning options helps us on our mission to create a greener, cleaner future.

“At EcoVibe we believe everyone can make changes to reduce their impact on the planet and a great place to start is within the home. We are committed to helping consumers reduce their impact by providing sustainable simple switches for everyday life. Starting with cleaning products is a great way to reduce your plastic waste and cut carbon emissions whilst generating the same great results.”

Ensuring they stay true to their brand values, EcoVibe is an avid supporter of Rainforest Trust UK, donating a percentage of revenue for every order placed through their customer-facing website. The team has already saved over 63 acres of rainforest to offset carbon emissions.

Amy Landon, trade and operations manager added: “We’re really proud of the cleaning range we have developed at EcoVibe. We have designed a range that allows a simple and easy switch to more sustainable cleaning products. It’s fantastic that by working with John Lewis & Partners, we will be able to spread sustainable cleaning to more UK homes.”

The conscious company has ambitious plans to continue growing its product range and educating consumers to make more sustainable choices.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Sophie Marsden .