Ethical retailer of the week: Cebra

Cebra is an online retailer based in Norfolk focusing on fairtrade, organic, vegan and ethical products including home goods, skincare, clothing and jewellery.

Cebra offers handmade products ranging from Christmas gifts, accessories and clothing to skincare products, herbs and  spices, pottery and home gifts. The common factor of all these are the ethics: fairtrade, sustainable, eco-conscious and organic.

Founder Sabine Oppenlander explains on the company’s website, “I want to bring you unusual, unique accessories for you and your home. High quality skin care products that work. Fashion items that enhance your natural beauty. But I also want our artisans and co-operatives to make a decent living so that they can build their business, continue with their traditional craftsmanship and pass it on to the next generation.

“At Cebra we believe in trade, not aid. We think it is better to give people a purpose in life. Not make them dependant on handouts that keep them in poverty and without motivation.”

From beautiful African pottery to mixed organic dried herbs, Cebra wants to make sure its suppliers are fairy treated and paid – rewarded at between 7 times to 15 times their ‘national minimum wage’ for their work.

Cebra explains that 50% of products are sourced from members of established fairtrade organisations, while the other 50% come from suppliers that are too small to afford membership of these bodies – but deserve a chance.

The company also places a focus on the use of recycled and raw materials to reduce its environmental impact. It is an active supporter of the Snow Leopard Trust and it distributes 10% of sales to its co-operatives and charities each year.

www.cebraonline.com

Further reading:

Ethical retailer of the week: La Jewellery

Ethical retailer of the week: Wills

Ethical retailer of the week: Nkuku

Ethical retailer of the week: Colin Leslie Eyewear

Ethical retailer of the week: Creative Nature