Siemens Plastic Free Compostable Event Supplies
_______________________October 2022
Transform the Everyday
_______________________July 2022
Printed using vegetable-based inks and renewable energy production, we gave work to our local Addington and homeless community to iron and check each shirt by hand.
Your shirts were then placed on recycled wire hangers in our sustainable reusable transportable wardrobes with your Impact Postcards to share with your wider team.
Adrian from our social enterprise delivery fleet collected your polos from us on Sunday morning at 7 am and set off in the sunshine to get to Manchester Central for midday as planned.
As a not-for-profit social enterprise committed to rebuilding our social economy, this work is a good example of harnessing the power of procurement to change lives; commercial viability, quality, ease and convenience for you, and maximum impact and giving for our shared communities who otherwise would not be able to work.
Play to Win Rocketbooks
_______________________June 2022
I’d like to thank Siemens for their support. It’s inspiring to see large companies involved with our social and environmental mission. Leading by example – I love that. I also love the Play to Win logo and message. Very cool!”
Daniella Lead Despatch
Thank you, Siemens, for using your power of procurement to change lives. Your Rocketbooks were printed by hand and packed by our homeless and vulnerable team, giving Living Wage employment and training to people needing a hand up.
Your Rocketbooks are more than a brilliant way to save paper; they’re a great way to change lives. People that live uncertain lives on the periphery of society packed your notebooks. The projects that organisations like Siemens support, are more than a few hours of work. They are a chance to connect with others, talk and spend time in the world.
Across the pandemic, we have become used to living and working apart from each other, but the loneliness has been devastating for those already isolated. The Rocketbook project helped people experiencing homelessness and complex mental health issues come together in a safe environment.
Led by Daniella who has her own story, this project was overseen with love and ethics. Life hasn’t been easy for Daniella, and we met through our Hamper Wrap n’ Pack, where Daniella helped us fulfil thousands of deliveries last year. Daniella now has a permanent full-time position with Ethstat and is rebuilding her life.
The social impact is only one aspect of this project. It has been environmentally balanced too. Each of the deliveries was plastic-free, Carbon neutral, and each book had the power to save up to 66KgCO2.
Welcome from SWSH with your Return to Office Packs!
_______________________October 2021
Welcome back, Siemens.
Thank you for asking us to make your Return to Office Packs. We hope you love your plastic free, 100% not for profit packs.
Here’s what’s in your pack:
The Metal Hydrator Bottle; Made from recycled metal, The Metal Hydrator Bottle is the perfect double-walled vacuum insulated bottle and will help to keep water cold for up to 24 hours and hot drinks hot for up to 12 hours. Made in the UK, it’s plastic-free, manufactured by an SME, with 100% of the profits providing hot meals for our homeless communities.
Your Notebook; Manufactured in the UK from UK and EU paper pulp, this notebook has the fewest Carbon miles and the lowest emissions. Commissioned by Ethstat, your notebooks are plastic-free and printed with vegan ink and are fully recyclable when the binding is separated.
Some pen facts…Did you know that most household branded pens are unrecyclable, and the nib contains blood minerals? Once used, most empty pens end up in landfills, and the toxins are released into our atmosphere. BiC sells 14 million pieces of BiC Cristal ballpoint pens a day across the world. When you work it out, that’s 171 billion pens since it launched in the 1950’s. The raw materials alone to make that quantity of pens would equate to at least 3.7B kgC02. If one were to factor in distribution and manufacturing, the total true emissions would be over 7B KgCO2.
That is the same as a person flying around the world 1,585,789 times. One line, one manufacturer amongst many.
Our Ethstat Tree Pen; Inspired by the pen used to sign the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio, The Ethstat Tree Pen is made from cornstarch and recycled card and has seeds at one end. Once planted, the seeds will feed off the cornstarch and completely biodegrade in 12-18 months, leaving the beginnings of a Scotch Pine Tree. Once grown, we’ll be saving a tonne of CO2.
Your Bags; We hope you love your bags as much as we do. They were printed sustainably using a Fairtrade friendly printing processes, Fairtrade and Certified GOTS. Perfect for holding your stationery, packed lunches or use it as a washbag!
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Giving a hand up - not a handout
By giving us this work, we’ve helped four people in our local community. Here’s a bit more about them and the difference you have helped us make for these wonderful people.
Elvin is 38; we first came across Elvin when he called us one Sunday; with no place to sleep, food or money, he had looked us up as a place to find help. So we arranged for support for him from Nightwatch in the short term and gave him an emergency grant for immediate support. Over the next few weeks, he commuted from Croydon to access support and Richmond, where he felt safe sleeping in Richmond park. Rough sleeping is hard enough, and London can be a frightening place if you’re from the country. Looks can be deceiving, though, as Elvin found out when all his possessions were stolen one day, as he was looking for food.
Unsurprisingly Elvin has lost the ability to smile these days, but we are trying to help him back on his feet. We want to help him get his life back on track. Alongside these one-off jobs, Elvin is starting to work with us more often. He needs a lot of support, so he is beginning part-time work with us to help Nathan in dispatch; as he gets back on his feet, we hope he will work with us full time by the end of November.
Maria was born in London in the 70s and spent 13 years in a children’s home. Like all too many who grew up in similar circumstances, she still experiences mental health issues today. However, work like this helps provide a welcome environment for safe social interaction, and the Higher Living Wage helps Maria feel valued.
Aniah and Jada live in the same supported housing unit in Croydon, where they can access help and support for their problems with mental health. They are both bright, vibrant, funny young women with a lot to offer a world that has not given them the best of starts.
Jada worked in the catering industry in the time leading up to lockdown. Catering is an easy way into work, especially for someone as smart as Jada (her GCSE’s were a smattering of 6’s and 7’s, but the work is temporary, and the jobs never last long. Jada is a volunteer and mentors those that, like her, have struggled with mental health issues. Aniah is quieter and has a warmth that has endeared her to everyone who has ever worked with her.
Delivering with Ethics
This is Ivars who delivered your boxes to you today. Ivars lives just outside Manchester and is the sole breadwinner in his family. His father has Alzheimer’s and lives with Ivars, his wife and children. Ivars works with Eduard, our social enterprise despatch team. All our drivers are paid well and given meaningful work, just like your parcels today!
