Hi! I'm going to start a regular series where I highlight things or products I stumble across that I both like and that stand for something good! That's why it's called Nice Finds! Alright!
Maine Beer Company Beers – Donates 1% of all gross sales to environmental causes; donates 100% of all tips to environmental causes.
On a recent trip to Maine, we made a spontaneous stop in Freeport to check out Maine Beer Company’s brewery. We’ve been a longtime fan of MBC, so the opportunity to enjoy a Lunch or a Peeper without a NYC price tag was one we couldn’t pass up.
Well, I’m happy to report our visit has only strengthened my fondness for MBC: their brewery offers beer flights, features ample outdoor seating, soft pretzels abound, and - if the multiple solar panels out-front weren’t a tip-off - MBC has a great giveback initiative. I found out about it leafing through a pamphlet offering the origin stories of their beers – you can see their mission statement below:
"We donate 1% of our gross sales to environmental non-profits through 1% for the Planet. We donate all of our tips to environmental non-profits. We produce nearly half of our electricity with our on-site solar array, and offset the rest by purchasing Green-e certified wind energy credits. We use post-consumer recycled products whenever possible. We donate our spent grain to local farms. We offer full health benefits and paid vacation to all full-time employees."
Right on. If you’d like to check out Maine Beer Company, you can likely find them at your local Whole Foods or locate them using this link.
Lacausa – An ethical women’s fashion company that stresses supply chain transparency, sustainability, and giving back
Because I am a millennial woman, I follow a variety of Instagram “influencers” and random strangers for the sole purpose of fawning over their wardrobes. On a recent Instagram binge, I clicked on a pair of trousers an Insta-famous Glossier employee was wearing (lolol I hate myself) and discovered a clothing designer called Lacausa (jk, I love myself).
Aside from making nice, on-the-right-side-of-normcore-fashionable clothing, I learned that Lacausa has really great corporate policies – especially for a retail company. All of their clothing is made in Los Angeles under ethical conditions, and they have a rotating cause they contribute a portion of their proceeds to.
I personally like this and this entire lewk, but I recommend you check out their wares for yourself.
Clean Wave Program – Recycled Hair Clippings for Clean Water
I recently read about Matter of Trust’s Green Wave Program and I can’t get over how smart it is. The Green Wave Program collects donated hair (largely from salons) and created felted mats used for public works projects and large-scale clean water efforts. Why hair? Because it’s really good at absorbing oil! Ugh, so smart.
I’ve been trying to research which hairdressers around me work with the Green Wave Program, but nothing seems to exist right now. However, I am definitely going to ask the owner of my salon at my next haircut if they use the program, and if they don’t, send them information on how to get started.