Sustainable lifestyle

Making steps towards sustainability incredible

Szilvia Szabó — Tue, 05 Mar 2024 14:57:06 +0000

Making steps towards sustainability incredible

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The idea of Incredible Socks came to Marc Carey while living and working in Los Angeles, harnessing the inspiration of the city from an entrepreneurial and design standpoint.

A conversation in a coffee shop gave him the final push to follow Richard Branson’s approach to Virgin - ‘Screw it, let’s Do It’!

Now living in Ireland, he officially became the Chief Sock Maker and started manifesting his dream to help people feel incredible wearing socks with a blend of style, sustainability, and a touch of social responsibility.

Marc Carey, Chief Sock Maker at Incredible Socks.

“My career has taken me into international marketing roles, primarily for Entertainment brands across the world. I spent the last 20 years building other people’s brands, positioning their products, and driving sales strategies with super results.

While I spent some time living in Los Angeles, I saw that everyone there had a side hustle and was starting a business.

I got the idea for Incredible Socks as every Christmas, Birthday, Father's Day, Mother's Day and practically any gifting occasion, my family gave each other socks. So, I thought, why not socks?”

Driven by his personal values and motivation to give rather than take, Marc wanted Incredible Socks to operate in a way that makes a positive difference.

“While we are carbon neutral and use sustainable materials, packaging and processes, my dream is to be awarded B-Corp status through our actions related to helping people, communities and the planet.”

He is passionate about the brand and obsessed with socks, constantly working on new designs, taking inspiration from looking at other great brands, talking to customers and excited to see where the brand goes next.

Marc sees socks as more than functional pieces in our closet, saying his approach to design is based on three words: bold, fun and unexpected.

“I want my designs to stand out, whether through the colour combinations or the illustrations on the product. Incredible Socks is about having fun, so I want my designs to lift moods, spark conversations and put smiles on people's faces.

When you buy these socks, you are not getting a boring black pair of socks - you’re getting something that not only feels great but also is an extension of your personality and character. Have fun. No more boring socks!”

Incredible Socks is made out of bamboo, which considered to be significantly more sustainable than cotton. Image: Incredible Socks

To materialise his vision, he decided to use bamboo as a fabric to manufacture premium quality products for comfort, durability, and breathability.

Since bamboo is a fast-growing grass, it requires no fertiliser or extra irrigation and self-regenerates from its own roots, so it doesn't need to be replanted, so cultivating it means lower environmental impact.

Marc explains: “Unfortunately, cotton and sustainability do not work well together.

Cotton requires huge amounts of chemical fertilisers and pesticides to grow, polluting local ecosystems and the water from which communities drink. It degrades soil quality, prevents biodiversity, and forces many to labour in tough conditions.”

To ensure fair working conditions and environmental credentials, the bamboo sourcing and supply chain is audited to the highest standards at Incredible Socks.

This includes everything from clean energy, fair pay, inclusivity and equality within the workforce to working hours and conditions.

He highlights the massive potential in making essential fashion items like socks, underwear, and t-shirts to be sourced, produced and sold more sustainably instead of considering them as part of fast fashion, which significantly contributes to the climate crisis and exploits workers.

Besides good intentions and dedication, a lot goes on behind the scenes to develop an idea, source products or materials, register trademarks, build websites, manage social media, etc.

“Hitting go on my website and launching marketing felt so good and a huge achievement. After that, having my first sale come in, and every subsequent sale that followed and continues to follow is so wonderful.”

To evolve in his leadership, Marc listens to people who have already achieved business results while going through a similar journey.

“Whether it’s through other entrepreneurs or mentors at Enterprise Ireland or my Local Enterprise Office, I approach each day with curiosity. I am always willing to pivot and try new things.

The only element of my business I am rigid on is my core values: Great products, sustainable materials and practices, and our commitment to giving back to our charity partners and the planet.”

“I’d rather make no socks than use materials that have caused damage or hurt to the environment and farmers,” says Marc Carey.

He is determined to continue to build on philanthropic goals and make as big of an impact as possible with their charity partners.

The brand donates 50 cents from every sale to charity partners, including Bombay Teen Challenge, Jigsaw, and Focus Ireland.

“I’d love Incredible Socks to really make a positive difference in people’s lives in Ireland and internationally. I am so committed to these missions while at the same time growing my styles, products and lines."

Although Marc feels the rollercoaster effect of running his own enterprise, he says that’s what also keeps it fun and interesting.

“I am a dreamer and would love to have hundreds of styles in thousands of stores, dressing millions of feet every day.”

He enjoys the unwavering support of his family, saying that his dad has been a huge supporter on every level.

“He’s been leading his field across so many business areas for over 40 years and always keeps my head on the financial side of things.”

Another source of inspiration and motivation comes from spending a lot of time reading business books and following podcasts and social channels from some of the world’s leading entrepreneurs, listening to founder stories and analysing various approaches.

His ethos is a constant driver for him, saying that “through Incredible Socks, I encourage the message: Live incredible, Do incredible, Be incredible.”

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Can we have it all? Sustainable Hedonism on the rise

Business Spirit News reporting — Thu, 20 Jul 2023 15:21:04 +0000

Can we have it all? Sustainable Hedonism on the rise

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Sustainable lifestyle

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Sustainable lifestyle

The Sustainable Hedonism book calls us to explore our collective and personal convictions about success and good life.

Author Orsolya Lelkes is an independent scholar, psychological counsellor, and former Deputy Director at the European Centre for Social Welfare Policy and Research in Vienna.

Sustainable Hedonism book by Orsolya Lelkes; Published by Bristol University Press

She challenges the mainstream worldview, rooted in economics, that equates happiness with pleasure and encourages greed, materialism, egoism and disconnection.

Drawing on science and ancient Greek philosophers, the author details how we can cultivate our skills for enjoying life without harming ourselves or others and live an autonomous, creative, and connected life.

Complementary to our intellectual understanding, the experiential method of role-playing and theatre can powerfully facilitate the exploration of the inner drivers and hindrances of a thriving life.

Jonathan Dawson, Head of Economics at Schumacher College expressed his thoughts about the book in a review:

“Beyond the empty, sterile promises of consumerism, there is a place rich in meaningful engagement with ourselves, others and the more than human world.

A rediscovery of our bodies – specifically in the form of theatre and role-play – provides a powerful channel for this re-awakening. This is the territory that Orsolya Lelkes so skilfully and powerfully explores, helping us to re-engage with the power of embodiment.”

The author shares her thoughts about writing the book and how to utilize the knowledge you can find in it:

“I wanted to have the freedom to write about something that I feel relevant, and I’m passionate about.

When I started the book, I had two central pillars in my life: one was researching social science, social justice and happiness, and the other was working with individuals as a coach and group facilitator.

While I was involved with these topics, I felt that there was a wall between the two sides of research and people looking for better ways to live their lives.

I also wanted to break down this wall by looking at how we can find a way to fulfil our dreams without destroying our planet.

By putting sustainability and hedonism together, I meant to provoke a conversation.

We usually don’t see sustainability as the freedom to enjoy life but rather as restrictions and limitations to what we can do.

Orsolya Lelkes, Author of the Sustainable Hedonism book

For me, it is also about that we can learn to enjoy life more and be conscious about our environment at the same time.

One of my goals with the book was to open up the conversation about what we need for success and how we can redefine and refine our narratives about being successful and happy in a capitalist economy that is basically built on continuous consumption.

When you learn about the economy in education, they will teach you that human beings are egoistic, pleasure-seeking, and competitive.

This is just one example of the unquestioned beliefs in our economic system that drive a self-fulfilling prophesy that we are becoming more egoistic, pleasure-seeking, and competitive.

One of the biggest challenges in adopting a sustainable lifestyle is that it sounds like an invitation that says you need to lose many things from your comfort to join, and who wants to do that, really?

I believe that our pleasure-seeking side and responsible side shouldn’t be in conflict when it comes to sustainability.

Our lives are strongly shaped by the stories we tell ourselves, both individually and collectively. We are often unaware of our potential to transform them and take many things for granted.

Another narrative rarely questioned in our society is that we need many material-based things in our lives to be happy.

If you think about building a reputation or exhibiting power, you show that through materialistic elements. We are trained and seduced to think of success primarily in material terms, money, consumption, things we own, or external power and reputation.

This is not optimal for a happy life. It is not a resilient strategy – as it is vulnerable and exposed to the mercy of others or of external fortune. But actually, some research found that these people with a materialistic focus are less happy and even less resilient. It is interesting to consider that what we value as a society and what is good for us on an individual level are not the same thing.

I hope this book will become more than just intellectual knowledge and invite people to explore and experiment with how they live, considering some of the content I wrote.

I’d like to invite pioneers, innovators and critical thinkers – who do not simply want to point the finger at others but seek their own role in contributing to a solution to the failures they witness.

The last chapter is fundamentally about allowing ourselves to live with a playful, curious and friendly spirit.

I don’t want to be the clever person who tells you what to do.

Instead, I would like to encourage people to discover more about their options for living a happy and sustainable life.“

Headline image: Noah Silliman, Unsplash

This content is a piece of an article originally published in the "Make change happen" issue of Profit with Purpose Magazine.

The Summer 2022 edition of the magazine is focusing on making cities sustainable and inclusive, and is available here >>>

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“I hope to see a better world for every living organism.”

Bronagh Loughlin — Mon, 25 Jul 2022 11:41:52 +0000

“I hope to see a better world for every living organism.”

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Sustainability

Awards

Courageous sustainability leader, Godfrey Mchunguzi Oyema, has been recognised for his extensive work in advocacy and igniting change.

The importance of leaders within the sustainability sector cannot be overstated. Sustainability leaders have the skills and courage to challenge industries and business as usual, while acting as the voice for the people.

The Sustainability Leader of the Year Award hosted by the Earth Mother Community non-profit organisation aims to recognise the work of leaders fighting climate change and making the world a better place for all.

Winner of this year’s award, Godfrey Mchunguzi Oyema, works as Assistant Environmental Officer with the UN High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) and shares his thoughts on what keeps him going.

His career background has extensively been in wildlife conservation, human ecology, and sustainability, which lead him to the UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency in Kasulu, Tanzania.

Additionally, Godfrey uses his social media networks to spread awareness of the environmental issues we currently face and encourage people to take action.

His passion for advocating for sustainability issues was ignited during his school years.

“It’s been quite a journey; I’ve worked with many different organisations in environmental conservation, biodiversity, and wildlife protection,” Godfrey says.

He shares that his personal motivation for his work is to “see a better world for every living organism.”

Godfrey Mchunguzi Oyema, sustainability expert and activist, winner of the Sustainability Leader of the Year Award

Godfrey further explains:

“When I say every living organism, I speak about people, plants, and animals.

Without a better, balanced world regarding the environment, economy, and society, our lives, businesses, communities, and societies cannot be what they are.

So putting these three components together really motivates me to ensure they stay in balance for all living organisms on this planet.”

He kickstarted his sustainability career in 2010, working with the Tanzania Commission for Science & Technology as their Associate Country Programme Coordinator. In this role, Godfrey established the Tanzania Biodiversity Information Facility (TanBIF) Portal and co-published the first-ever National Biota Checklist, which included more than 13,000 biological species.

Godrey now serves as the Assistant Environmental Officer at UNHCR.

Following his work here, Godfrey went on to work as the Senior Biodiversity Officer at a consultancy company, where he continued to shine as an expert in biodiversity and environmental management.

His impressive career continued as he began working as the Environmental Compliance & Forestry Manager for Unilever in 2015. Here he was responsible for implementing their Sustainable Living Plan, which linked environmental objectives to business operations.

While working with Unilever, Godfrey achieved the Rainforest Alliance Certificate for three consecutive years and created numerous plans to prevent biodiversity loss and restore ecosystems.

Also, he worked on the development and implementation of their Environmental and Social Strategies.

Later, he worked as a Freelance Consultant, providing professional advice and expertise on sustainability issues using his diverse experience.

Now, he serves as the Assistant Environmental Officer at UNHCR. His work with this refugee agency has centred around offering advice on alternative sustainable cooking energy programmes, ensuring they are sustainable and compliant.

Godfrey shares what keeps him going:

“The issue of sustainability needs to start from home, and this needs to rise from the fact that environmental resources are vital to us. We need to protect, conserve, and sustainably use these limited natural resources.

My value has always been to be a custodian and take the responsibility of managing our limited natural resources and taking this knowledge to the general public, family, friends, and colleagues.”

He strongly believes we all must do this to ensure a balanced world for all living organisms. Godfrey is also harnessing the power of social media to drive change:

“I speak to groups, people one-on-one, and communities to discuss our current problems. Social media has provided us with a great platform to do this!”

About winning the Sustainability Leader of the Year award, he shares:

“For me, winning this award means so much. This is my first-ever sustainability award with global recognition. The award only motivates me to do more work in this area and continue inspiring others to do right by the environment.

It means so much in terms of my career and is a huge personal milestone for me.”

Organisers of this award believe that we need more courageous sustainability leaders taking risks and leading the way, but we also need to support them on their journey.

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Choosing a sustainable lifestyle becomes easier for people living in Galway

Business Spirit News reporting — Wed, 14 Jul 2021 15:57:21 +0000

Choosing a sustainable lifestyle becomes easier for people living in Galway

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Family-run supermarket chain Joyce’s Supermarket starts a new collaboration with minimal waste store, reuzi, to bring sustainable products to their customers.

Over 100 sustainability items, from shampoo bars to reusable cups, will now be available at Joyce’s Supermarket Knocknacarra store in Galway, Ireland, as part of a new partnership with sustainable lifestyle shop, reuzi.

Besides the great variety of product range, there will be community-led programmes, custom sustainable setups with information and facts about sustainability.

This unique collaboration is the first time for these independent Irish businesses to join forces with the aim to make it easier for customers to choose sustainable alternatives on a larger scale.

Hundreds of sustainable products became available at Joyce's Supermarkets in Galway, Ireland

Joyce’s Supermarket has been planning to bring more eco-friendly and sustainable choices for their customer over the last couple of years.

"Partnering with reuzi has allowed us to stock over 100 new sustainable products and also tap into the fantastic knowledge of Pat Kane and her team, learning more about what contribution we can make to the environmental cause but also using our platform to help educate the community in which we operate.

We are just starting on our journey but are excited to see what difference we can all make,"

says Aisling Joyce, Operations Director of Joyce’s Supermarket.

The Dublin-based minimal waste store, reuzi, founded by Pat Kane sustainability educator, writer and speaker, aims to spread the word about sustainability while promoting ethically sourced, eco-friendly products to enable change.

Kane highlights the advantages of this special cooperation:

“At reuzi, we believe sustainable living should be straightforward and accessible, and our friends at Joyce's agreed with us.

As an independently owned and operated Irish business, we are truly delighted to be joining forces with the team at Joyce's to bring Galway and surroundings the best of sustainable living.

We’re proud to say this partnership is grounded in our shared values of sustainability.”

Providing quality fresh food with a friendly and personal service to local communities and surrounding areas at nine locations in Galway have made Joyce's Supermarket well-known in the area.

With this initiative, the family-run retail chain can become a trailblazer in promoting sustainability while supporting locally made natural products.

Images: reuzi

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