“Climate neutral” and “carbon neutral” are terms that imply limitations, suggesting that the world we live in today is rapidly dying with no hope of being healed. This simply isn’t true; fortunately, there is hope for the planet after all. A climate positive company is one that doesn’t simply seek the goal of achieving net zero carbon emissions, but also works to remove MORE greenhouse gases from the air than they emit. The more climate positive companies there are in the world, the more harmful gases can be removed, and the cleaner and healthier our planet will be. We only have one Earth, so we need to sustain it as well as it has sustained us for generations. Read on to learn why it’s so important to be climate positive today.

Being Climate Neutral Isn’t Enough

Being “climate neutral” isn’t enough to be sustainable long-term. Over 350 million tons of plastic are produced each year, with the numbers rising constantly. We were appalled when we learned that only a fraction of all plastic items that are thrown in the recycle bin are actually recycled. The majority rot in landfills, taking up extreme amounts of space and damaging the environment and local wildlife too.

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How Can I Support Climate Positive Companies?

Obviously, life as we know it cannot continue for long before we enter a disastrous future where our planet’s resources are running low and the remaining land has been damaged by our waste. This grim fate can be avoided, but we need to start today. As a community, we must look ahead and plan out a climate positive future. Although waste and litter are both still a sad reality in our daily life, we are fortunate to live during a time when more people than ever are aware of the environment and actively seeking to preserve it.

How can you help? When you browse online companies, the products must be shipped to you and this requires delivery trucks to use gas and pollute the air. Seek out climate positive companies that promise to plant trees or clean the environment in response to your purchase. You’ll still have a wonderful product, and best of all you can enjoy it guilt-free.

Plastic-Free Alternatives

Many of the items you use in day to day life can be eliminated and replaced with plastic-free alternatives. Some of these may not be items you’ve previously considered, such as vegan shampoo bars. Most shampoo is sold in plastic bottles, so you may not have imagined shampoo in the form of a bar before. We attest that shampoo bars aren’t only possible, but affordable too. Our vegan shampoo bars are crafted from natural plant-based ingredients, so you can rest assured that no harmful chemicals were used and no animals were harmed. Switching your idea of what shampoo looks like and how it can be used may be a simple step for you, but it can be a big step towards eliminating plastic waste in your home. Not only are you helping the environment, but you can continue looking and smelling just as healthy and gorgeous as before!

As another example, did you know there are plastic-free alternatives to clingfilm, which is used to preserve refrigerated food? Plastic clingfilm is generally only used once before it is thrown out, and accounts for up to 20% of total kitchen waste. Our reusable bowl covers are made of cotton and last for years of use. That’s another common home product you can replace with a plastic-free alternative. Once your reusable bowl cover finally wears thin, it can be placed in a compost bin where it will naturally deteriorate (as opposed to plastic, which takes hundreds of years to decompose). This isn’t the only cotton product we offer for food… When you’re on the go and want a snack, you can wrap many foods directly in our organic cotton square wraps.

We at Clearstone are proud to be a climate positive company. For every item ordered at our store, we either plant 5 trees in your honour or remove 1 kg of ocean plastic. Our products are always free from unnatural chemicals or irritants. We pledge to continue selling zero waste, zero plastic products for as long as we remain in business. Thank you for ordering from us, and know that the planet thanks you too.