Did you think Byron Bay was just a small surfing town? Sure, it is a place to chill, but it is also a thriving hub of entrepreneurs. You will find numerous entities setting up sustainable and ethical businesses there.
The Australian bay famous for its beaches is now striving to build a more environment-friendly business sector. Amongst its top brands are dozens of business owners committed to doing their bit to protect our planet.
Keep reading to find how these labels are running profitable businesses while combating climate change:
The fashion industry is no doubt amongst the world’s most wasteful industries. It produces 10% of total carbon emission. However, things in Byron bay are different. Byron-based designers are becoming uncomfortable with sustainability issues in fashion.
One of such concerned creators is Laura-May, who launched Naganta in 2017. This high-end activewear label aims to reduce the environmental footprint of the clothing industry. They only use organic cotton and technical wool, ensuring that all their products are eco-friendly.
Moreover, Nagnata not only produces some of the world’s most beautiful clothes, but their knitwear styles are designed with zero yarn waste. In addition, the brand focuses primarily on sustainable fashion lines and artisan collaborations. Thus, they continuously challenge the rampant consumerism caused by fast fashion.
The ethos of this Australian business reflects sustainable practices and. They are forefront in combating climate change through their environmentally friendly fibre, supply chain, and printing practices.
Even though workout wear usually requires high contents of synthetics, Nagnata challenged it. By partnering with The Woolmark Company, they developed a new fabric that requires minimal synthetics.
Lastly, Naganta commits to using organic cotton over conventional cotton. Each Nagnata collection experiments with artisan textiles that contain organic and renewable materials.
Another Australian brand playing a vital role in making our planet healthier and happier is Shroomunity. Established in Byron Bay, Shroomunity handcrafts powerful mushroom extracts more sustainably.
Frustrated by weak and substandard imported mushroom supplements, this label decided to go local and green. Instead of relying on shady supply chains, Shroomunity sourced wild foraged mushrooms that had medicinal properties locally.
Moreover, the extraction processes of Shroomunity are safe and leave a minimal environmental footprint. Their month-long dual-extraction is not only unique but also unlocks the mushroom’s potent beta-glucans. This elixir is then infused with adaptogenic herbs to create the most bioavailable product in the market.
Lastly, Shroomunity products fame has spread thanks to its sustainability efforts. So, with increasing demand, they are becoming even more eco-friendly. To cater to more clients sustainably, they are now growing organic mushrooms on their farm outside of Byron Bay.
When discussing sustainable brands, you cannot miss Byron Bay’s legendary Stone and Woods. The beverages of this company are the go-to for anyone looking to quench their thirst across Australia. But, what most people don’t know is while making excellent beers, this company strives to have as little impact on the environment as possible.
It is a fellow B-Corp and meets the highest standards of social and environmental accountability. Moreover, it is compared with the likes of brands such as Patagonia and Ben & Jerry’s. In their quest to do better, they won the Green Globe Award for environmental excellence in 2017
So, that is some frothy goodness we get along with eco-friendly products and packaging. Lastly, Stone & Wood’s sustainability perspective covers all inputs and outputs and protects the community as well. With their excellent progress, they are on track to become one of the most efficient breweries in the world!
The Future at Byron Bay
Summing it up, there is no shortage of sustainable business in Byron Bay. From fashion brands like Nagntra and Spell (winner of 2019 Banksia Sustainability Award) to food and health companies like Brookfarm and Shroomunity, this coastal town’s strong commitment to becoming sustainable is famed worldwide.
Nonetheless, all Byron bay brands will admit that they still got to work a lot in the sustainability space. But their collective achievements are nothing to be sniffed upon. On the contrary, they are all paving a path to a more conscious and climate-friendly business environment.
Kudos to all of them, and may they succeed in empowering more people.
