Friendly Soap

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Company: Friendly Soap
Website: www.friendlysoap.co.uk

More about Friendly Soap

For soaps this ethical we use a cold-process method handed down through generations of makers. It creates no by-products and relies on old-fashioned elbow grease, with every bar blended, cut and packed by hand, right here in Yorkshire. The soap is biodegradable too, so it’s better for the planet even once you’ve used it. Our recycled and recyclable packaging is just us being sticklers.

Key information

We don't have a retail outlet at our workshop. Friendly soap is available at independent ethical high street retailers and on our website. www.friendlysoap.co.uk

Promotion

15% exclusive discount for Ethical Globe visitors

Promo code: ethicalglobe15

We'd like to thank you for viewing our listing by giving you a 15% discount on your next Friendly Soap order.

This is a single use code and is not available to use with any other offer including the 'My 14 Collection'

Contact information

Website: www.friendlysoap.co.uk

Email: [email protected]

Telephone: 01422400282

Location

Unit 6C, Topland Country Bus. Park

Cragg Vale, Hebden Bridge

West Yorkshire

HX7 5RW

United Kingdom

Veganism

Are all the products your entity (business, brand, organisation) produces and/or retails suitable for vegans? If no, then, unfortunately, you cannot register as we only accept submissions from 100% vegan entities.: Yes
Which of the following best describes you (professionals and sole traders) or your organisation?: Vegan

Ownership

Is your organisation an independent business/brand or a corporate owned business/brand?: Independent
Are you a Grassroots organisation (for projects, charities/NGOs)?: No
Are you a BAME (Black, Asian & Minority Ethnic) owned/run business/organisation?: No
What type of business/organisation are you?: Company
Are you a woman-owned/run business/organisation?: No

Social, Economic and Environmental Justice

Which social, economic or environmental justice causes does your entity (business, brand, organisation) support or promote (e.g. through social media posts, donations, attending protests and other direct actions etc.)?

Animal rights

Anti-slavery

Anti-war

Climate justice

Economic justice

Environmental justice

Environmentalism

Feminism and gender justice

Food justice

Global justice

Refugee and asylum justice

LGBTQIA justice

Palestinian solidarity

Prison abolition

Racial justice

What do you do to support or promote each of the causes you have identified?

Social media / email campaigns. Amnesty international activities in the workplace. Soap donations to food banks and a monthly profit related donation to 'Just A drop' clean water projects.

Does your business/organisation have an ethical labour policy or code of practice (either formal or informal) which ensures fair labour practices?

Yes

Does your business/organisation have policies and practices which actively promote diversity and inclusion?

Yes

Is your business a member of the World Fair Trade Organisation?

Do you source products and/or ingredients from companies and suppliers that support fair labour practices?

As much as possible

Environment and Sustainability

If any of the products you produce and/or retail, or ingredients you use, have a sustainable production certification, please indicate which certifications apply?: Other certification
Overall, how many of the products that you produce and/or retail, or ingredients you use, are certified by the sustainable production certifications listed in the question above?: Some (less than a third)
Are any of the products that you produce and/or retail, or ingredients you use, produced using sustainable production methods albeit uncertified?: Yes
Are any of the products that you produce and/or retail, or ingredients you use, free of palm oil?: Many (one to two thirds)
If any of the products that you produce and/or retail, or ingredients you use, contain palm oil, is it sustainably sourced?: Yes
Do you reuse, recycle and/or donate any waste products (e.g. food, plastics, packaging etc.)?: Yes
Do you only use recycled or recyclable materials for packaging?: Yes
Is all of your packaging biodegradable?: Yes
Does your business, organisation or project follow a zero waste philosophy?: Yes

Energy, Transport and Distribution

How many of the products you produce and/or retail, and/or the ingredients you use, are made in the country in which your entity (business, organisation) is based?: Some (less than a third)

Giving Back

Does your business support or give back to the local community in any way?: Yes

Ethical Banking

Does your business/organisation use an ethical bank or building society?: Yes

What was the motivation behind your brand, business or organisation? What did you want to change in the world?

We started Friendly Soap to offer consumers something genuinely different. We wanted to make the kind of feel-good products we’d like to use ourselves, and at every stage of our growth, we’ve had to check ourselves carefully and make sure we’re sticking to this core belief. We want to see a shift towards a world where health, animal welfare, the environment and workers rights are put before profit.

Who is the team behind your brand, business or organisation?

Friendly Soap was formed in 2008 by close friends Geoff Kerouac and Rob Costello. As children of the 1970’s growing up in the famously radical West Yorkshire town of Hebden Bridge, the pair always had a strong ethical leaning. They also shared an instinctive love of the natural world, inspired by their stunning Pennine surroundings. After cutting their career teeth at legendary local food cooperative, Suma Foods, the two friends left to start a soap-making business

What one thing about your brand, business or organisation would most surprise us or is not known outside of your team?

Ingredients are meticulously researched and resourced, like coconuts that haven’t been harvested by so-called ‘slave’ monkeys. Meanwhile, Spanish olive oil is bought from a supplier which guarantees not to use super-intensive night-time harvesting methods that can lead to bird deaths.

If your brand, business or organisation could be granted one wish, what would you wish for?

We’d wish for our own wind farm maybe? Living and working in the Yorkshire Pennines is usually accompanied by a stiff breeze so harnessing that would be fantastic. We are in the process of looking at the most ethical utility suppliers but creating our own energy would be even better.

Is there anything else that you would like to share with us about your brand, business or organisation?

Friendly Soap operates a profit share scheme for workers and is an accredited Living Wage Employer, certified by the Living Wage Foundation. This ensures all that all staff over the age of 18 are paid at least the national living wage, even including certain roles within the company’s contracted staff.