What makes good business? In honour of World Environment Day 2023, we introduce ten companies that seek to address social and environmental challenges through their products, services, and practices, values like sustainability, social responsibility, transparency, and inclusivity at the pinnacle of all operations.
MOVS
In the bustling streets of Stockholm, all-inclusive e-bike membership service MOVS is transforming the way people move around the city. With an emphasis on sustainability, style, and convenience, MOVS is quickly becoming the go-to choice for eco-conscious commuters and adventurous city explorers who want to enjoy the luxury of a premium e-bike without making a purchase. MOVS members gain hassle-free access to exclusive e-bikes for a fixed monthly fee, service and repairs included.
Building on their success in blending style and functionality, MOVS is set to unveil a new generation of cutting-edge electric bicycles: Nörd and Ergo. The sleek Nörd takes urban mobility to new heights with its innovative features and intuitive design – with a belt drive system, the model ensures a smooth and silent ride, free from traditional chains. But what truly sets the Nörd apart is its sixth sense-like responsiveness, as if it understands the rider’s intentions, anticipating and effortlessly adapting to their movements. The Ergo was designed to turn heads – also constructed with MOVS’ elegant Uniframe design, it showcases a seamless fusion of form and function, easily carrying a day’s worth of packing.
‘Good design should not only be visually appealing, but must be functional and enhance the overall experience. Our e-bikes feature clean lines, concealed cables, integrated lighting, and accessories, allowing riders to roam the city in style – effortlessly and efficiently,’ says Jonas Rundqvist, Head of Design. MOVS e-bikes are not just means of transportation; they are expressions of personal style and a commitment to a greener future. For those ready to elevate their urban mobility experience and make a positive impact on the environment, make sure to keep MOVS on your radar.
Veggie Vision Dating
Karin Ridgers launched Veggie Vision Dating after being asked time and time again – by people of all ages and all professions – how they could meet like-minded vegans. For many individuals, leading a plant-based lifestyle is key when searching for a partner, and Ridgers has done the groundwork in narrowing down your options – everybody on the dating site is vegan and looking to meet other vegans.
Niche dating sites exist to fill a gap in the market, for those who are specific about what they want. Though catch-all sites allow users to search for vegetarians or vegans, very few complete their ‘interests’ fields, often sticking purely with basic information. On Veggie Vision Dating, you know what you’re signing up for straight away.
The community is free to join and browse, and funds used in upgrades to communicate with matches are fed back into the site, helping it grow. Plus, you’ll find plenty of free speed-dating events at festivals hosted by Ridgers – each of which has so far received incredible feedback. It’s not just a place to find love; it’s a place to meet people guaranteed to share your values.
Bluewater
This Swedish water purification and beverage company is a catalyst for sustainable change. Bluewater offers tangible solutions for a world growing short of high-quality water and threatened by throwaway plastic water bottles. Based in Stockholm, they prides themselves on innovating practical water purification solutions and beverages that offer an alternative to single-use plastic.
Bluewater has set its sights on being the world’s most planet-friendly beverage company by innovating disruptive water purification technologies to use at home, work, and on-the-go. Providing health-enhancing hydration solutions generated and distributed at the point of use – combined with reusable stainless steel and glass bottles – allows Bluewater to break the stranglehold of single-use plastic bottles and their unnecessary, polluting transportation.
Founder and CEO Bengt Rittri is one of Sweden’s leading environmental entrepreneurs, and believes we can harness human ingenuity to tackle the environmental challenges faced by the planet. His ambition is for Bluewater to tap into the creative, conceptual approach he dubs ‘social water’ – it’s all about changing attitudes in how individuals and communities access and use water for drinking and washing. ‘Bluewater offers practical solutions that help governments, local authorities, businesses, and consumers accelerate their collective and individual efforts to avoid a fast-growing, planet-wide water crisis,’ he explains.
Innersense Organic Beauty
Fueled by passion and a call to service, haircare professionals and husband-and-wife team Greg and Joanne Starkman started up Innersense Organic Beauty back in 2005. The vision? Introducing organic 
ingredients and pure actives of the highest quality into professional haircare while striving towards integrity, transparency, and wellbeing for people and the planet.
With every purchase guaranteed to be 100% carbon neutral, Innersense is working hard to reduce their footprint. Innersense is also a certified B-Corp and plastic-neutral company – with all white bottles made from recycled plastic – and a partner of 1% for the Planet, contributing profits to environmental causes that help restore and protect the Earth.
SuperBee
Australian-born Antoinette Jackson founded SuperBee in 2016 while living in Thailand – troubled by the surge of single-use plastic and driven to develop sustainable products to tackle this problem, it all started with the perfect recipe for beeswax food wraps.
Today, SuperBee is a dynamic and thriving social enterprise that promotes women’s empowerment and works closely with a team of local staff to create a range of eco-friendly products to kick-start your transition to a zero-waste lifestyle.
Their innovative, non-toxic laundry detergent, Hexawash, is made from a durable, GOTS-certified organic cotton canva pouch filled with magnesium pellets. Hexawash is vegan, home-compostable, free from plastic and silicon and lasts for up to 300 washes – simply place it in the washing machine, and help keep the planet as clean as your clothes.
MAD Promotions
Karin Ridgers is the face behind PR consultancy MAD Promotions, too. Specialising in working with vegan brands, industry experts and health and wellbeing companies, MAD provides a professional, dedicated, and friendly service liaising with the local and national media, a team of experienced journalists and PR consultants dedicated to making your reputation soar.
‘I launched MAD Promotions 18 years ago. I had a knack for getting people on the front pages of newspapers – I was working in private banking and also co-running a small theatre group, but what excited me more than learning lines and performing was filling the seats. Why be the best actress if there isn’t a sell out audience to see the play?’ Ridgers says. After all, it doesn’t matter how fantastic the product is if nobody knows about it.
‘I adore my clients and have built up some brilliant team members. We work to get the best results for our clients whether that’s online, in print, in radio, or on TV – or even in the hands of influencers and celebrities. We specialise in working with clients who are making the world a better place and, as a passionate vegan, we work with some fantastic vegan brands as well,’ she adds. With hundreds of media requests on her desk each week, Ridgers ensures the details reach the right people at the right time.
The Good Tee
This Fairtrade, certified B-Corp brand is on a mission to humanise the fashion industry by celebrating those who make their sustainable t-shirts. Founder and responsible 
sourcing expert Adila Cokar came face-to-face with the knowledge of the high suicide rates among cotton farmers while visiting India – the numbers exceed a staggering 270,000 lives lost. And so The Good Tee was born, using only fair trade certified organic cotton to support the farmers and their families, with 3% of all product costs going back to support, protect and aid farmers in forming collectives.
The Good Tee ensures a fully transparent supply chain, ethical working conditions, and sustainability in manufacturing premium quality products for men, women, and kids by being fully involved in the process from seed to shelf. When you wear The Good Tee, you look great while helping to ensure the freedom and dignity of the makers.
Gift Wellness
Gift Wellness are celebrating ten years since they first launched their innovative Gift Anion Period Pads and Pantyliners range, combining the powers of science and nature in breakthrough period protection. The science behind the pads is a semi-precious mineral layer made from tourmaline, which naturally emits negative ions (anions), providing antibacterial, hormone-balancing, and regulating benefits. But don’t take our word for it – 99% of customers have said that Gift pads make them feel better during their periods.
Gift pads are plastic-free and come in paper packaging printed with the ingredients, so that customers know exactly what they’re placing against their skin. And since day one, every pack sold is matched with a donation of pads to homeless and refugee people with periods, food banks, and schools – a Gift to your body, a Gift to the planet, and a Gift to those less fortunate.
Their product range has recently expanded to include other types of menstrual products as well as vegan and organic shampoo, conditioner, body wash, face wash and hand wash bars, all hand-made made with pure essential oils, Epsom salts, and coconut oil in the UK.
Laili Lau
At the tail end of 2021, Laili Lau began to hand-sew together the pieces of fabric that she had been collecting for over four years – be that through donation, recycling, or salvaging. She developed the silhouette of a loose jacket, creating graphic patterns through textures, volumes, and movement without a previously set design, finally revealing the ‘Zalea’ piece, a result of conscious and soulful creation of an unexpected result.
This is but one of Lau’s designs, part of her eponymous fashion label, founded in 2012. ‘My focus on this project is to create pieces that make use of resources in a conscious way, a limited production manufacturing garments full of detail and dedication, making each of them truly one of a kind,’ she explains.
In Lau’s eyes, the problem lies in the pollution generated by textile production. Her approach is a production system that values custom and made-to-order pieces, the manufacturing of timeless pieces that last and the use of scraps and smaller surplus that are generally the toughest to incorporate in an aesthetic and efficient manner. The brand aims to create pieces with conscience and sensibility of how these are produced and how to maximise resources. It has been my homage to new beginnings,’ she explains.
MAOMI
Founded in Mannheim, Germany, MAOMI is a woman-led company offering sustainable and ethical furniture and home accessories. Their designs are inspired by the materials and craftsmanship of cultures from around the globe – organic forms and natural materials meet local artisanal expertise, products characterized by a functional simplicity, often beginning with a work of art.
For each project, founder Dr Uta Meeder works closely with artists and craftspeople to gain an intimate understanding of the materials used. Porcelain KAYA, for example, is a collection of plates, cups, and bowls made exclusively from earths and minerals occurring naturally in Vietnam. No waste is generated during production, and excess material is transferred directly into the integrated recycling process. Packaging and shipping are largely plastic-free, too.
As for wood, MAOMI works with an excellent carpenter. Only his knowledge of woodworking and surface treatment makes such high quality possible in the first place. Designed in collaboration with Dr Meeder, the Bathtub OFURO is sealed using methods from traditional viticulture and is completely chemical-free, packaged only in a high-quality, recyclable wooden crate.
But the epitome of MAOMI’s dedication to nature is the BENNY cutting board. Besides its unique design, owed to the grain of old olive trees, it has an antibacterial effect and therefore requires no synthetic care. Only trees that can no longer bear fruit are used in the creation of the product – this way, both the local harvest and nature are protected and you get a long-lasting product.
To MAOMI, ‘sustainability’ means not only protecting the environment, but also standing up for the rights of the people who live in it. Making the world a little better with high-end, innovative design.
Their product range is available at Bridge and Hill, Diana Baker Designs, Exclusif Presentations Ltd, Indigenous, Valerie Lacour Interiors, and on shop.maomi.de
