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Most of use have a lot of ’stuff’ in our lives - from furniture to fashion. We’re all becoming much more aware of how the creation, use and disposal of these items can impact the people who make them, our planet and even ourselves. This podcast will share Interviews with amazing people who have made it their life goals to make a difference - creating businesses, campaigns and writing books to help us understand these impacts and make better choices going forward. Host Jo Salter, social entrepreneur and founder of ethical clothing business Where Does It Come From?, encourages them to tell their story so they can inspire us with the challenges they’ve faced, the impact they’ve had and their big why. Intro music - rushing deadlines by dylan-darby (from Pixabay) #greenliving #ethicalliving #green #ecofriendly #climatecrisis #ethicalbusiness #sustainability #ethicalfashion www.wheredoesitcomefrom.co.uk
Episodes
Tuesday Apr 25, 2023
Tuesday Apr 25, 2023
A growing number of people want to know where the items they use in their life come from - who made them and the impacts on people and planet.
The ethical market is growing. In the UK ethical sales and investments grew by over 34% in 2021 and the trend looks set to continue.
Businesses know that that customers are increasingly driven by their values - that's why greenwashing has become so common! But if a business can share the stories behind their products it can help them attract those values driven customers. It can also help build emotional connections between people and things - a key way to lead to positive behaviour change. This is the key premise behind Where Does It Come From? the ethical clothing and textiles social enterprise founded by podcast host Jo Salter.
In this episode Jo talks with Ali Nourbakhsh, technologist and founder of Rootip.io. Ali is a serial digital product developer, producing software and apps in London over the last 20 years to solve problems from public transportation to financial services. He started Rootip to enable sustainable and ethical businesses to clearly communicate their impact at the point of sales in order to increase conversion and create transparency.
Links:
Where Does It Come From? - https://www.wheredoesitcomefrom.co.uk
Rootip - https://www.rootip.io
#transparency #blockchain #storytelling #techforchange #technology #authentic #kindclothesthattelltales #changemaker #ethicalbusiness #bethechange #sustainability #sustainableproducts #peopleandplanet #businesswithpurpose #responsiblebusiness
Tuesday Apr 04, 2023
Tuesday Apr 04, 2023
Cotton is often criticized as being unsustainable, polluting and water thirsty. However the truth is far more complex and such messaging is usually confused by the mass production and genetic modification that is a part of the current 'fast fashion' system.
Cotton has been farmed for fabric for thousands of years and supported livelihoods for farmers in many regions of the world. Cotton is a natural fibre that, when farmed in harmony with nature and without exploiting farmers, can be part of a regenerative system.
In this episode of the Where Does It Come From? podcast, host Jo Salter talks with Raddis founder Aneel Kumar Ambavaram. After studying agriculture and starting his career as a pesticide salesman, Aneel decided to change direction after seeing the effects of pesticides on farmers and soil. He now works with tribal cotton farmers on a radical new system - growing regenerative cotton and creating partnership models all the way from brands to farmers.
Raddis Cotton offers a way for brands to be part of the value chain instead of just purchasing what pops out of it at the end - creation connections, stories and transparency.
If you are brand who would like to be part of this, please do get in touch at hello@wheredoesitcomefrom.co.uk to find out more
Links:
Where Does It Come From? - https://www.wheredoesitcomefrom.co.uk
Raddis - https://www.raddiscotton.com
#regenerativecotton #sustainablefashion #ethicalfashion #transparency #valuechain #tribalfarmers #india #regenerativefashion #clothesthattellstories #sustainability #connectwithclothes #deeperconnection
Wednesday Mar 22, 2023
Wednesday Mar 22, 2023
Most of us still purchase gifts from time to time, even during a cost of living crisis and an environmental crisis.
So how can we turn this to good effect and ensure that the gifts we choose are helping to ensure positive outcomes for the people who made them and the planet?
Growing up in India Arshad Khalid was struck by the differences between artisan created item and their cheaper, plastic counterparts. Even as a child he could see that there needed to be a way of supporting artisans to bring their products to a wider market so they could preserve the heritage crafts they use, earn sufficient income for quality of life and also contribute to environmental concerns through use of sustainable materials and the creation of quality, long lasting products.
In this episode Where Does It Come From? host Jo Salter chats with Arshad Khalid. As founder of social enterprise clothing and textiles brand Where Does It Come From? Jo has a keen interest in the same drivers as Arshad - fair trade, sustainability and heritage craft.
Arshad is a social entrepreneur & a fairtrade proponent passionate about sustainable development. He spent more than 21 years in the field of IT before launching Ethiqana - a social enterprise focused on preserving earth friendly, nearly extinct crafts through sustainable livelihoods. Arshad was featured in the Social Entrepreneur Index 2022 and will also be speaking at the BAFTS Conference in Birmingham later this year.
Links:
Where Does It Come From? - https://www.wheredoesitcomefrom.co.uk
Ethiqana - https://www.ethiqana.com
Ebay for Change - https://www.ebay.co.uk/b/eBay-for-Change/bn_7117727277
For Ethiqana social media search on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Linkedin using @ethiqana
#sustainability #ethiqana #meetyourmakers #fairtrade #fairtradegifts #heritagegifts #artisanalgifts #woodentoys #handmadetoys #handmadecards #tradejustice #socialenterprise #ethicalbusiness
Tuesday Feb 21, 2023
Tuesday Feb 21, 2023
Around half of the population will have monthly periods at some point in their life. There's a growing recognition of the waste produced by period products - sanitary towels, tampons etc - which end up in landfill. In recent years there has been a growing awareness of sustainability in period product choice with options such as moon cups, re-usable sanitary towels and period pants.
In this episode of the Where Does It Come From? podcast host Jo Salter chats with Christine McRitchie, founder of period product brand Earthwise Girls. Christine has always had an interest in sustainability, growing up with parents who were born in the post-war era and found a use for nearly everything. Christine took that to the next level, making her parents recycle their newspapers and glass bottles at the public recycling banks as a teenager, and going on to use washable nappies on her four children. Her first business venture was a washable nappy business, and in 2008, she opened Earthwise Girls to cater specifically for sustainable period products. She also hosts a Facebook group called The Bloody Waste, providing a safe space for conversations around reusable period products and all kinds of related issues.
Please rate and follow this podcast on your preferred platform - this means that more people will get to hear about us!
Links:
Where Does It Come From? - https://www.wheredoesitcomefrom.co.uk
Earthwise Girls - https://earthwisegirls.co.uk/
The Bloody Waste Facebook Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/36730820911/
#sustainableperiods #menstrualproducts #greenperiods #sustainablemenstrual #reusablesanitary #mooncup #periodpants #bloodywaste #womensproblems #timeofthemonth #taboo
Wednesday Jan 25, 2023
Wednesday Jan 25, 2023
Living more sustainably is something many of us feel passionate about, but how do we embed our values at those most challenging times?
In this episode we are discussing a sensitive topic, exploring the area of bereavement and how we balance grief with our personal values.
Where Does It Come From? founder Jo Salter discusses the topic with guests Claire Lyons and Simon Holden.
Claire has been writing and speaking on issues related to health, sustainability and family life for over 15 years. Since the death of her son in 2019, the focus has moved to the funeral sector specifically. Using other skills acquired over an eclectic working life, she writes for and supports businesses she feels share her passions
Simon is the Founder of the Faunus Group Ltd. He is passionate about the environment and has extensive experience in planning, project management and the application of research and development. Simon is also the CEO of The Woodland Burial Company and Natural Transitions. Both are focused on improving the impact of the funeral sector for people and planet.
We plan to cover this topic in more podcast episodes so please do get in touch if there is a particular aspect of this subject that you would like to know more about. You can also watch a video of this podcast episode on the Where Does It Come From? Youtube channel.
Please follow this podcast and our Youtube channel. Any feedback is always welcome!
Links:
Where Does It Come From? - https://www.wheredoesitcomefrom.co.uk
The Woodland Burial Company - www.woodlandburialcompany.com
Living Memorial (Back to Nature Soil) - www.livingmemorial.co.uk
The Faunus Group - www.faunusgroup.co.uk
Claire Lyons on grief - www.clairelyons.co.uk
Rosedale Funeral Homes - www.rosedalefuneralhome.co.uk
#sustainablefuneral #circleoflife #ethicalfuneral #greenfuneral #naturalfabric #biodegradable #grief #ecofuneral #backtonature
Tuesday Jan 10, 2023
Tuesday Jan 10, 2023
Here we are in January! This month contains so-called 'Blue Monday' and is the time of year when many of us plan and book our holidays for the year. We all need something to look forward to!
However there are hidden downsides to many of the trips we book, which can cause negative impacts to the communities and the environment in the places we are visiting.
Growing awareness of these problems has led to an increase in 'responsible' or 'sustainable' travel options, offering holidays that have direct benefits on local people and areas.
In this podcast episode our host Jo Salter, founder of social enterprise Where Does It Come From? is talking with Vicky Smith, responsible travel champion and founder of travel company Earth-changers.
Vicky has worked in tourism since the mid-90s, and sustainable tourism since the mid-00s. She has worked in destinations, marketing and ecommerce, heading up operations abroad and online for major tour operators, online travel agents and media, in mainstream tourism, ski, safari, tours, charity challenges and voluntourism, NGOs and sustainable tourism accreditation organisations. She’s been a ski resort manager, a qualified ranger in Africa, charity challenge leader and is a charity trustee for SEED Madagascar. She's also on a global council for climate resilience in tourism, helps develop the Global and European Ecotourism Networks, and has been an Ambassador for the Year of Green Action for Defra – the UK’s Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs.
Vicky is the founder of startup Earth-Changers.com, a curated collection of positive impact tourism, winner of Travelmole UK's Best Responsible Travel & Tourism Website 2019, and helps people find and book trips that change the world (personal holidays, groups and corporates).
Links:
Where Does It Come From? - Kind Clothes that Tell Tales https://www.wheredoesitcomefrom.co.uk
Earth-changers - https://www.earth-changers.com
Travel with Jules - https://www.travelwithjules.co.uk
Green Tourism: https://www.green-tourism.com (Accreditation scheme - biggest for UK)
Global Sustainable Tourism Council: https://www.gstcouncil.org/ (GSTC acts as the international accreditation body for sustainable tourism certification, managing global standards for sustainable travel and tourism)
If you enjoy this episode please consider following and rating us! A video of this conversation can also be found on the Where Does It Come From? Youtube Channel at https://www.youtube.com/@wheredoesitcomefrom
Tuesday Nov 08, 2022
Tuesday Nov 08, 2022
Fast fashion is one of the most polluting industries on the planet, with high use of plastic, hazardous chemicals and waste as well as slave wages and hazardous working conditions for farmers and workers.
In this episode Where Does It Come From? founder and podcast host Jo Salter chats with fellow ethical fashion entrepreneur Susanna Wen of Birdsong.
Birdsong is a certified B-Corp and winner of Marie’s Claire’s Best Ethical Brand of 2021. Based in London the brand works with a small local workforce to create high quality fashion using sustainable and ethical practices and materials.
Susanna Wen studied Fashion Design, focusing her dissertation research on waste in the fashion industry, and its ecological and human costs. She graduated from Kingston University in 2014 with an award winning "Most Ethical and Sustainable Collection", made with completely natural dyes and biodegradable fibres.
A WISE100 Environmental Champion Finalist for 2022, Susanna has always focused on sustainable and ethical design, in her previous roles working for People Tree and 69b Boutique. Upon being offered a freelance role at Birdsong in 2016, Susanna worked her way up, eventually becoming Creative Director and Co-Founder.
As a second generation, biracial British-Chinese woman, Susanna has always wanted to challenge colonial attitudes to fashion production. She hopes to do so with Birdsong’s mission to create fashion goods locally,
“Production for a lot of fashion brands is so far away it is often easy to consider who makes your clothes as 'other'. That's why we make locally and in a different way to fast fashion brands, making a point of knowing every single person we work with so everyone feels respected and like they belong.
Susanna is also passionate about Birdsong’s body positive messaging, and available for comment on their plus size offering, which currently goes up to a size UK 30.
“Growing up in the 90’s and early 00’s reading fashion magazines was really destructive to me. Going through disordered eating as a young adult and receiving professional treatment for it has instilled in me the value of body positivity and pride in your appearance, however different it might be from the status quo. We try to have a diverse range of models to celebrate and wear our clothes. I wanted to build a fashion brand that had positive body representation and I wished a brand existed like birdsong when I was younger.”
Links:
Birdsong - https://www.birdsong.london
Where Does It Come From? - https://www.wheredoesitcomefrom.co.uk
#ethicalfashion #sustainablefashion #ShopEthicalInstead #organicfabrics #fairtrade #bcorp #socialenterprise #bodypositivity #smallbusiness
Friday Oct 21, 2022
Friday Oct 21, 2022
#ShopEthicalInstead is a positive alternative to Black Friday - encouraging people to support small, ethical and sustainable businesses throughout the holiday season.
In this episode of the Where Does It Come From? podcast, host Jo Salter chats with Sian Conway-Wood, founder of #EthicalHour and organiser of the #ShopEthicalInstead marketing campaign. #ShopEthicalInstead is now going into its 5th year and is set to be bigger and better than ever!
Throughout November and December, we spend more money than any other time of year on gifts for our loved ones. By simply purchasing those gifts from the good businesses in our community, we can have a positive impact that ripples around our neighbourhoods and through supply chains across the world.
Research shows that approximately 73% of money spent locally stays within the local economy (as opposed to only 43% of money spent at chains). If we want our high streets to thrive and our local communities to be vibrant, diverse places to live, we need to support the SMEs on our doorstep.
Having weathered the pandemic and now entering a cost-of-living crisis, it’s a challenging time for ethical SMEs, but they are still fiercely committed to paying living wage, creating jobs, supporting communities and treading as lightly on the planet as possible.
This year, choose to shop small, vote with your wallet, and #ShopEthicalInstead - because every sale matters to a small business.
Links:
#EthicalHour - https://www.ethicalhour.com
#ShopEthicalInstead - https://ethicalnews.org/home/shop-ethical-instead/
Where Does It Come From? - https://www.wheredoesitcomefrom.co.uk
Thursday Oct 06, 2022
Thursday Oct 06, 2022
We're all becoming increasingly aware of the need to move away from fast fashion, plastic based fabrics and clothing waste. A key way to make the move is by re-exploring heritage fabrics and production methods, aiming for a much more considered approach to the clothes we wear.
Hemp as a fibre has a long history in the UK going back thousands of years, but fell out of favour during the last hundred years or so. However it offers not only the ability to create fabrics locally but also other benefits including soil health and employment opportunities.
In this episode podcast host Jo Salter chats with Claire O'Sullivan and Kitty Wilson Brown who founded Contemporary Hempery in 2021. They have recently grown and harvested their first crop of industrial hemp in Suffolk, UK. This crop will now be processed and turned into fabric. Listen in to hear more about their journey and what's next for hemp in the UK.
Useful links:
Where Does It Come From? - https://www.wheredoesitcomefrom.co.uk
Contemporary Hempery (instagram) - https://www.instagram.com/contemporaryhempery
Wakelyns Suffolk organic agroforestry, food, horticulture hub - https://wakelyns.co.uk/
Festival of Natural Fibres 8/9 October 2022 (eventbrite) - https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/festival-of-natural-fibres-tickets-389476052357
Festival of Natural Fibres information - https://khadi.london/festival-of-natural-fibres-2022/
Festival of Natural Fibres (instagram) - https://www.instagram.com/festival_of_natural_fibres/
Tuesday Jun 07, 2022
Tuesday Jun 07, 2022
Think of Gandhi and he is likely to be wearing his simple white robe. This was khadi - a traditional handspun fabric traditional to India and promoted by Gandhi as part of his movement.
Where Does It Come From? is proud to have supplied fabrics for the current production of 'The Father and The Assassin' by Anupama Chandrasekhar, a play about Gandhi's assassination, which is showing at London's National Theatre. The production team were passionate about authenticity and so the cast wore khadi.
In this podcast episode Jo Salter talks with Paul Bazely and Asha Buch. Paul plays Mahatma Gandhi in 'The Father and The Assasin' and, as part of the role, he spins cotton. Asha Buch, an educationalist and spinner, taught Paul how to spin cotton into thread just as Gandhi would have done it.
The conversation ranges from the theatre production and being Gandhi, the khadi fabric and how Gandhi's thinking applies just as much, if not more, today as when he was alive.
Links mentioned in the discussion:
The Father and The Assassin (National Theatre) - https://www.nationaltheatre.org.uk/shows/the-father-and-the-assassin
Where Does It Come From? - https://wheredoesitcomefrom.co.uk/
Khadi London - https://khadi.london
Metta Centre - https://www.mettacenter.org/
Mahatma Gandhi information - https://www.mkgandhi.org/
#mahatmagandhi #gandhi #khadi #nationaltheatre #sustainablefashion #regenerative #fairtrade #naturalfabric #handwoven #organiccotton