Impakter
  • News
    • Culture
      • Art
      • Cinema
      • Entertainment
      • Literature
      • Music
      • Photography
    • Style
      • Architecture
      • Design
      • Fashion
      • Foodscape
      • Lifestyle
    • Society
      • Business
      • Foreign Affairs & Politics
      • Health
      • Tech
      • Science
      • Start-up
    • Impact
      • Environment
      • Eco Life
      • Circular Economy
      • COP26
      • CityLife
        • Copenhagen
        • San Francisco
        • Seattle
        • Sydney
      • Sustainability Series
        • SDGs Series
        • Shape Your Future
        • 2030: Dream or Reality
      • Philanthropy
        • United Nations
        • NGO & Charities
        • Essays
  • Sustainability Index
  • Partners
  • About
    • Team
    • Contributors
    • Global Leaders
    • Write for Impakter
      • Republishing Content
      • Permissions and Copyright
      • Privacy Policy
    • Contact
No Result
View All Result
  • News
    • Culture
      • Art
      • Cinema
      • Entertainment
      • Literature
      • Music
      • Photography
    • Style
      • Architecture
      • Design
      • Fashion
      • Foodscape
      • Lifestyle
    • Society
      • Business
      • Foreign Affairs & Politics
      • Health
      • Tech
      • Science
      • Start-up
    • Impact
      • Environment
      • Eco Life
      • Circular Economy
      • COP26
      • CityLife
        • Copenhagen
        • San Francisco
        • Seattle
        • Sydney
      • Sustainability Series
        • SDGs Series
        • Shape Your Future
        • 2030: Dream or Reality
      • Philanthropy
        • United Nations
        • NGO & Charities
        • Essays
  • Sustainability Index
  • Partners
  • About
    • Team
    • Contributors
    • Global Leaders
    • Write for Impakter
      • Republishing Content
      • Permissions and Copyright
      • Privacy Policy
    • Contact
No Result
View All Result
Impakter
No Result
View All Result
Home Eco Life

The IMPAKTER ECO Story

From idea to reality, how the IMPAKTER ECO marketplace for sustainable products came to be.

byIMPAKTER Eco
October 26, 2021
in Eco Life, Editor's Pick
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

The idea for IMPAKTER ECO, our one-stop shop for eco-friendly and sustainable products, was born on Christmas Day, 2014. But this was no Christmas miracle; truth be told, our founder, Michele Bonanno, back from a decade of work in the City of London, looked to the future, his own and that of his fellow humans, and decided that something needed to be done.

The world was careening towards self-destruction – from climate change, environmental degradation and social injustice – and a life driven by self-interest was out of the question. IMPAKTER was born, first as a news publication and now, in all its other manifestations, the Sustainability Index, IMPAKTER Up the hub for startups, and finally the ECO marketplace of certified sustainable products. 

This is a story of process, perseverance, and passion.  

The first step in IMPAKTER ECO’s realization was to create a methodology to identify sustainable products and brands that would also function as a practical guide for consumers in their everyday lives. 

Our methodology was created with Claude Forthomme who worked for 20 years at the Evaluation Office of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) where she designed key evaluation methods and processes.

While working on the methodology, the team recognized a gap in the e-commerce market when it came to sustainability: there was no structured approach to delivering verified eco products to the consumer. This realization led to the development of an index – the Sustainability Index – that was developed over the next two years in an innovation lab at the University of Berkeley. By 2016 a first version of this index was ready.  

Work Began

Using this index, the team reviewed more than 600 companies to create a database of sustainable brands. 

Checking each brand’s certifications and evaluating their customer relationship service was a long and laborious process. It was accelerated by the inclusion of a third criteria of evaluation, the commercial viability of a business, allowing the team to drastically expand the database in just under a year. 

The Process

A brand’s sustainability now rested on three pillars: its certifications, a strong customer relationship service, and its commercial viability. 

At the heart of this methodology was still the same mission: to empower people to live a sustainable lifestyle by making it easy for consumers to make informed choices.

In the photo: IMPAKTER ECO on mobile. Original photo credit: Nathana Reboucas

Drama

The team was on a roll and building momentum when misfortune struck, hurling them back to square one. The development company they had brought on to create the platform had gone bankrupt and the code that was used was effectively obsolete. They had no choice but to start all over again.

They looked inwards to their own inhouse developers, the team responsible for creating IMPAKTER’s online media portal and startup hub, IMPAKTER Up, to create scalable solutions for a platform that could accommodate a marketplace.

Today

Today, through hard work, meticulous research, and an unwavering belief in the importance of sustainability as an essential goal to save the planet, IMPAKTER ECO has become a reality. 

Through the Sustainability Index, we are able to offer customers verified, certified products that are sustainable, eco-friendly and cruelty-free, and which contribute to the attainment of the UN Sustainable Development Goals for a more just and equitable world by 2030. This June, the Sustainability Index, and the methodology behind it, was approved by the UN Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and integrated as a key component of the Global Sustainability Index to create more transparency in sustainability.

The marketplace will offer over 150 brands covering a wide selection of niches and needs, from fashion and beauty, to homeware, pet products and more – all vetted by our index. Sustainable living has never been easier. 

By shopping with IMPAKTER ECO, you are proving a commitment to reducing your environmental impact and demonstrating to businesses around the world why that matters.   

From Christmas Day 2014 to today, it’s been quite a journey! Perhaps it was a Christmas miracle after all. Starting November 10, you can shop on IMPAKTER ECO and #votewithyourwallet.


In the Featured Photo: Sustainability made easy with IMPAKTER ECO. Original Photo Credit: Igor Miske

Tags: Eco productssustainable lifestyle
Previous Post

Why Coral Reefs Need All Our Attention

Next Post

Daily Meat Consumption Is Falling, but Is it Falling Fast Enough?

IMPAKTER Eco

IMPAKTER Eco

IMPAKTER ECO is a one-stop shop for eco-friendly and sustainable products. We support verified brands that help to preserve our planet and offer respectful, fair and equal opportunities to all.

Related Posts

World Environment Day: Uniting for a Greener Future
Editor's Pick

World Environment Day: Uniting for a Greener Future

June 5, 2023
H&M Sustainability
Eco Life

The H&M Greenwashing Scandal: Has Business Learned the Lesson?

February 27, 2023
Green and blue markers
Eco Life

Greenwashing Warning Signs: How to Spot Them

January 31, 2023
Next Post
Daily Meat Consumption Is Falling, but Is it Falling Fast Enough?

Daily Meat Consumption Is Falling, but Is it Falling Fast Enough?

Recent News

How the EU Is Helping Power its Islands’ Green Transition

How the EU Is Helping Power its Islands’ Green Transition

June 9, 2023
Trump Faces Indictment in Classified Documents Inquiry

Trump Faces Indictment in Classified Documents Inquiry

June 9, 2023
Sustainability News – Wildfires in West Canada, Le Mans 24 Hours & Other Live Updates

Sustainability News – Wildfires in West Canada, Le Mans 24 Hours & Other Live Updates

June 9, 2023

Impakter informs you through the eco news site and empowers your sustainable lifestyle with its eco products marketplace.

Visit here IMPAKTER ECO for your eco products needs.

Registered Office Address

32 Lots Road, London
SW10 0QJ, United Kingdom


IMPAKTER Limited

Company number: 10806931

Impakter is a publication that is identified by the following International Standard Serial Number (ISSN) is the following 2515-9569 (Printed) and 2515-9577 (online – Website).


Office Hours - Monday to Friday

9.30am - 5.00pm CEST


Email

stories [at] impakter.com

Playwire

Advertise on this site.

About Us

  • Team
  • Contributors
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact
  • Partners

By Audience

  • Lifestyle
  • Green Finance
  • Culture
  • Society
  • Style
  • Impact

Impakter Platforms

  • Media
  • Index

© 2023 IMPAKTER. All rights reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • News
    • Culture
    • Style
    • Society
    • Impact
  • Sustainability Index
  • About
    • Team
    • Partners
    • Contact
    • Privacy Policy

© 2023 IMPAKTER. All rights reserved.