Our Sustainability Pledge

 

We began MoveWell to create a better choice – for you and for our planet. 

 

Consumer action matters, what and how we consume make a difference.  On average each of us make around 35,000 decisions a day, individually we make good ones as collectively we can make a difference.

 

To ensure we always adhere to our values and continue to provide a better choice whilst minimising our impact, our strategy and decision making is considered through our 5 tier Sustainability Framework.  We use this to ensure that the impact of every aspect of our business is considered and minimised.   Manufacturing any product is rarely perfect process, but where possible we have been able to minimise impact and waste, consider solutions and offset any negative consequences.  We are not perfect, and we may-well never be, but we are better, continually seeking solutions and evolving with responsible processes.

 

 

 

OUR STRATEGIC SUSTAINABILITY FRAMEWORK

 

MATERIALS

 

Our products are exclusively made from certified Natural or Recycled materials to minimise their environmental impact and create products that are robust, whilst looking and feeling great.  We ensure the majority of our products are biodegradable in landfill within 3-5 years or onwardly recyclable – we are currently working on a service to provide the recycling of not only our products, but our customers like for like products.

 

When looking into our materials, we require key fundamental criteria to be met;  Certified recycled or biodegradable

 

• Durability and robust, meeting the functional demands and lifespan of like for like product being used in a standard setting
• A more responsible choice than the current market ‘standard’
• A clear Obsolesce Cycle for our products ‘end of life’ cycle.  This enables us to provide our customers with clear guidance on how to recycle or biodegrade each of our products themselves.

 

Where can we improve?

We are working to ensure we have an end of life plan for our Activation Bands – these are a blend of Recycled Polyester and Natural Rubber – this ‘blend’ makes them harder for the average consumer to recycle, so we are working on a return channel to offer ensuring all bands can be recycled at the end of life.  In addition, to our B2B consumers we now offer recycled PVC mats made in Europe, predominantly for Studios who require mats to be used for multiple classes a day – these mats are lighter and incredibly durable, as a result they’re more suited to 10 hours of use a day.  However, the production of this material requires more harmful additives than our Natural Rubber mats and PVC is far harder to recycle.  We are working with a progressive factory to further negate these issues.

 

 

MANUFACTURING

 

We use manufactures who pave the way in both welfare and sustainability.   All of our manufactures demonstrate a social accountability standard in their respective countries.  We currently manufacture in the UK, Portugal and Taiwan.  We look for the highest certified levels of sustainability standards (material harvesting, transport, waste management, power source etc) and welfare standards.  Where applicable our manufacturers have REACH and SEDEX certification, alongside VEGAN and Global Recycled Standards for relevant products.

 

Where can we improve?

Once we are able we would like to personally visit all of our manufactures anf their material suppliers, and as a brand standard visit all future manufactures, ensuring they fit within our values framework.  Moving forward we would like to bring all manufactures within a closer geographical sphere, allowing for reduced travel distances and to enable circularity whereby we can upcycle MoveWell product at the end of life back into the manufacturing process.

 

 

PACKAGING

 

Where possible we use recycled material to make our packaging and all of our packaging is easy to recycle.  Our branding is simple and this lends itself to minimal ink usage and often only one colour requirement.    We also ensure we recycle any packaging used when products are transferred from our manufacturers to our fulfilment warehouse, during this process we also negotiate the most sustainable and minimal effective use of packaging when shipped from manufacture.

 

Where can we improve?

Currently our Natural Rubber Movement Mats are shipped in a cardboard box, using a cellophane wrap around the mat, although we remove the wrap and to ensure it is recycled prior to sending to the consumer, the cellophane is currently required to ensure the mat does not oxidise when stored in boxes for longer periods in our warehouse.  There is currently no know solution to this, but we are working on it alongside our manufacturer.

 

SHIPPING

 

We use sea freight and overland freight exclusively to transport all stock deliveries to further reduce the carbon footprint of our product range.  Where possible we use logistics companies committed to sustainable practice.  For European overland shipping we use DHL, the first logistics company to commit to net-zero emissions, as approved by the science-based target initiative (SBTi).  For UK distribution we favour the use of Royal Mail as they are ranked as the most carbon conscious delivery company, for larger orders and next day delivery we favour DPD as across their DPD network, buildings are powered by solar panels and renewable electricity, they are committed to using more electric vehicles and achieving net zero, while 100% of their waste avoids landfill.  Alongside this we use a fulfilment company committed to using sustainable packaging and practices as standard. 

 

Where can we improve?

We continually strive to improve our supply chain.  Throughout the R&D process of a product, we have to go through various pre-production 'samples' - these are often air-freighted.  We are striving to improve this process, looking at reducing the number of samples required prior to sign off.

 

FOOTPRINT   

 

We are well aware that we can never be a truly sustainable organisation.  Every time a material is harvested, a product is manufactured and then transported, there is an inevitable impact that cannot be negated by even the cleanest of processes.  To that end, we are compelled to first acknowledge this and considering this impact, work to offset our inevitable short-comings.  Since day one, we have been working with our partner Tr1be to ensure that for every MoveWell purchase automatically protect five mature Amazonian trees. Through this commitment we help to offset the carbon impact of every MoveWell purchase.  To date, we have saved over 22 acres of mature Amazonian Rainforest that is in its prime of carbon capture, this equates to approximately 260 car emissions saved.  We are incredibly proud of this.

 

FUTURE

 

Our journey has started to align business structure and processes with B-corporation (Bcorp) principles and become part of the Bcorp community to ensure we are accountable to our consumers, ourselves and the world we live in.  We are committed to continually reviewing and refining every aspect of our business to provide a better choice