Do your part & look for the heart

It’s during these tough times that the little things matter most.

Whether it’s a call with a colleague, a message from a client or the chance to do good for someone, we all need a timely boost. It doesn’t always have to be something significant for it to make a big difference. It doesn’t always have to take a world of difference to make a difference to the world. And that’s why we are launching a new range of office essentials. Simple everyday items that not only offer great value, but that create value too.

Creating positive social impact can be acheived by simply choosing to buy from our new range.

We have named the range Products with Purpose. The item will do what you want it to, its purpose will ensure that some good is done for our planet, the environment and – crucially – young people too. Anyone who knows anything about me or about Commercial as a company knows that sustainability isn’t a buzzword for us. Sustainability is not something we do, it’s who we are and our Products with Purpose range reflects that.

Each item has proven and measurable credentials for doing good, for offering a bit more, for serving an extra purpose. Whether that’s a social benefit – sourcing products through our own Foundation’s work to help young adults overcome barriers to work and education.

I am never more proud than when I see the work of the Commercial Foundation, offering a fresh chance to young adults – especially during such a testing time.

Creating Social Value is one of the four purposes we set when launching the range, along with thinking about ethics, the environment and resource management through recycling. So when you’re buying from Commercial you will see a heart-shaped icon sitting alongside products on our e-commerce platform Sprint. It denotes the item is in the Products with Purpose range, hover over it with your cursor and you’ll see how and why it qualifies.

It’s not because it ticks a box, is Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI) or Sedex Members Ethical Trade Audit (SMETA) qualified – although any item carrying those marks will – It's because our range does more.

Products with Purpose products are handpicked by Commercial’s team of procurement and sustainability professionals. They will be ethically-sourced, or environmentally-friendly, or made from recycled materials, many will create social value, including for our Foundation.

Some will qualify for more than one category, a few will adhere to all four. But each and every product, each single one will do measurable and quantifiable social, ethical and environmental good – and all for an item that you would be buying anyway.

So, all I can say is do your part, look for the heart.