Pep Kelly, Nordic Wellness Co Founder and Director speaks about winning the Going Circular category in CREST22 Business Awards

What does the CREST22 Award mean to Nordic Wellness?

It means much more than we imagined and really acted as a reminder to us, of the importance of sustainability is to us and our customers and how it was at the centre of our creation when we started. “Good Health, Naturally and Sustainably”.  I think we needed reminding of that. 

Have there been any spin-offs as a result of winning?

Retailers and customers who share the same ethos have congratulated us and acknowledged our efforts. I think it has strengthened our relationship and brought us more to their attention. 

We have also challenged ourselves more on what more we can do. We feel it has strengthened our sense of responsibility to our environment, customers, retailers and followers.

The other thing is that it has made us aware of other “sustainable businesses” that we would like to collaborate with in the future.

What do you hope to gain from your consultation with CES?

I hope to understand more the opportunities for utilising renewable energy. Which is an investment, we would like to make as soon as possible/we can afford it.

What was the one biggest thing that your business has done to drive your sustainability?

Since winning the award, we have challenged ourselves to do more. We have revisited the recycling of our bottles and I’m proud to say we are now recycling/taking back/re-using our glass bottles. Now we have a viable process in place, we will promote this initiate further and recycle much more. 

We are also in the process of adding larger bottles to our production process, which will also be more sustainable.

What would you like to do to increase your sustainability?

We are currently looking at the feasibility of investing in renewable energy. Either solar panels or wind energy and also changing our process so we require less freezer space (for the frozen berries) and therefore reduce our energy demands.

What advice would you have for businesses trying to lower their carbon footprint? 

Speak to other businesses who may have already done this. Keep an open mind about what is possible and think about consuming less, as well as the offsetting possibilities.

Really challenge yourself about what is possible. Even if you choose not to do it straight away, you can work towards making improvements.