We had the privilage to receive a gorgeous giftbox from Hemd voor Hem, a company for the modern day men. They sell everything a men needs: ties, shirts, belts, socks, trousers, eau de toilette and much more! They offer great brands and also a wide range of gifts. You might think “what does men clothing have to do with you?”. Well the answer to that is that men clothes don’t have to be for men. We wear a lot of t-shirts from the male section, shoes, hats, belts, sweaters and even a jeans or two.
This has nothing to do with this blogpost though! We received one of the gift sets that was actually meant for Mother’s Day! Two lovely pairs of Happy Socks & a chocolate bar from Tony Chocolonely. In this blogpost we want to talk about the sustainability of the giftbox and why it’s a great gift!
First of all, Happy Socks! We have plenty of pairs since they’re so happy and comfy. Happy Socks supports the environnement, LGBTQ+ rights and other causes by designing their socks. On their website there is a special page about sustainability. They give information that you should wash your socks inside out. This way they stay pretty for a longer time and you don’t have to buy new socks.
Unfortunately that’s all the information I could find yet. They’re about to release a report of their sustainable route. We can’t wait to read and will update this blog post once it has been published!
Apart from that, if we look at the packaging, no plastic was used. The labels can be recycled in the fire, which can keep us warm on those cold days. The little wool string can also be burned, thrown away, but won’t leave any trace in the end.
Second, Tony Chocolonely, one of our favorite chocolate brands! They stand for equality and fair treatment. Their chocolate is slave free and that’s their mission.
The problem is that in between the cacao farmers and the consumers, there are a few very rich people who just want to become more rich. Loads of farmers receive not enough money which leads to child labor, slavery and a lot of poverty.
Tony’s wants change. They follow five rules to the ultimate fair chocolate.
– Traceable beans. Every load of beans, whether it is in Africa or in Antwerp, can be traced. Which is great. No surprises and they know exactly how much every farmer has produced and how the quality is.
– Higher prices. Tony pays every farmer an extra “Tony” premium on top of the fair trade premium. They re-calculate the numbers every year if they’re still up-to-date with the prizes in their country.
– Strong Farmers. Keeping direct contact about money, time and staying social, builds a connection and creates happy farmers.
– Commitment. Tony needs to build on farmers, so they commit themselves to them. By buying (for example) cocoa beans from a farmer for five years, means that the farmer is “safe”. This way a connection is created and both can build on each other.
– Productivity. There isn’t an optimal solution for productivity yet, but together with the farmers, Tony’s is building it! In the coming years it will only get better!
Tony’s Chocolonely is sustainable in a way that they’re helping to make this world a better place. They help farmers in a way that we haven’t seen before. The chocolate is maybe a little more expensive, though the quality makes up for it!
About the packaging. The wrap explains where Tony’s stands for and is an interesting and fun read. You can easily recycle it in the fire or make art from it? The silver foil is a little more difficult, but it’s way better than plastic and you can have some artsy fun with it!
I’m convinced that this gift is sustainable, fair, comfortable and supportive! I would definitely recommend giving this to parents, grandparents, friends or anyone you think deserves happy socks and delicious chocolate. Another plus, you can recycle the packaging as well! I’ve used it to gift a friend or if you’re very creative, you can definitely build something cool with it!
