New online store Natreco went live on 1 November with the aim of providing consumers with a one-stop source for their ethical shopping, whether that be organic, fair trade or locally-sourced products.
Launched by Gary Collins, the shop was inspired by a trip to visit Orang-utans in Borneo where he saw first-hand the destruction the palm oil trade is reaping.
“On returning from the trip, and witnessing the rainforest destruction, I was determined to stop using palm oil products, but found it incredibly hard and time consuming. I had to visit one store to get food products, another for cleaning products, another for toiletries and so on. I realised that there must be other people in a similar situation, struggling to shop conveniently according to their own ethical stance, whether that be to buy products that were palm oil free, fair trade or organic. And so the idea of launching Natreco.com was born.”
Consumers can buy from over 250 brands offering a 4,000-plus range of products spanning food and drink, beauty, home, baby and kids, pet care and bath and bodycare, all of which have gone through Natreco’s strict vetting process.
“I hope we’ve created a shopping environment where people can be reassured they don’t have to read every label to ensure they’re buying a product that meets their ethical criteria, and that we’ve done all the hard work for them. Ultimately though the success of the site, and other enterprises like it, will be measured by whether in ten years from now people can still go and see Orang-utans, and other endangered animals, in the wild!”
