It was very exciting on Thursday night to watch Jen and Shayna represent the Ethique team at the NZI Sustainable Business Network Awards 2018 in Auckland. Having been a finalist for the past few years in a few categories, and up against some phenomenal businesses in the ‘Circular Economy’ category, I didn’t think we had much of a chance. So, it was incredibly exciting to hear (in the middle of the night in New York) that we had indeed won and that we were also a surprise finalist for the Supreme Award. That accolade went to the very deserving City Rail Link; NZ’s largest infrastructure project who put sustainability at the very heart of their project. “It’s great to see that New Zealand businesses are becoming more conscious and aware of their long-term impact on the environment and are focusing on solutions to these issues. I’m proud to work for a company with sustainability as its core focus, and this being the key driver behind every decision at Ethique.” - Shayna The idea of a circular economy is somewhat new, but it’s essentially the idea that instead of the take-use-discard linear process that we mostly employ, we think of the entire life cycle of the products we produce and design them to be either repurposed or to be regenerative in some way. We do this by ensuring our products are waste free, with biodegradable ingredients and compostable packaging as well ensuring our manufacturing processes are as efficient as possible. It was great to see some friends of our winning awards too; such as Kilmarnock Enterprises in the Hardwired for Social Good category, who are changing attitudes to disability through employment and opportunity. “It was such a fun experience attending the SBN Awards! I particularly loved how even the event itself was sustainable, right down to the event booklets that were printed, even the spot prizes were from fellow SBN businesses! It was an event filled with warm fuzzies & with people who all have the same passion for the environment.” - Jen Thank you to the Sustainable Business Network, NZI and the Auckland Council for putting on a great show and supporting our work!