Kiwi company needs help to save planet

Becky Cashman of New Zealand natural products company, Goodbye Sandfly has just kissed goodbye to one percent of her sales – not profits, sales – from last year for the greater good of the planet.

She signed up to the global movement, 1% For the Planet, to donate one percent of her year’s sales to her nominated New Zealand Not for Profit, OceansWatch, based in Whangarei. 1% For the Planet is an alliance of over 1200 companies, in 48 countries that give one percent of sales, every year, to causes they care about. The ultimate goal of 1% For the Planet is to get funds to much needed environmental causes, and to influence significant, positive change, for the planet.  More than 300 companies joined up in 2014 and it is estimated around USD$115million has been donated to the 3300 Not For Profits who are part of the programme. 1% for the Planet was formed ten years ago by the founder of American outdoor apparel company, Patagonia and the owner of Blue Ribbon Files, both passionate environmentalists.

Becky Cashman is passionate about the environment and helping save our waterways and the communities that depend upon them for survival. After spending 14 years as a river rafting guide in the US, Nepal and New Zealand’s South Island, she strongly identified with the founders of 1% FTP, their values and ethos and believes the organisation has the potential to make the greatest social impact in defining a new way of doing business. Becky says that she and other Kiwi companies can play a very important role in making positive change in New Zealand and around the world. “1%FTP is unique because it brings together companies, nonprofits and individuals to 'do together what we cannot do alone.”  

It was natural that Becky chose OceansWatch – an organisation that draws on the huge resource of people sailing the world to make a difference socially and environmentally in the Pacific Islands they visit. (They will be setting sail late May to take aid to the Temotu province of Solomon Islands that was affected by Cyclone Pam almost as badly as Vanuatu but because far less people live there it has not triggered an International Aid effort and some communities have been left stranded.) 

Another NZ company who has recently signed up to 1% FTP is Seatrail Agencies, an Auckland based agency for outdoor lifestyle brands, including Patagonia. Owner Nick Swinnerton says business is one of the biggest vehicles to drive change and he says it is more than just donating to 1% FTP, it is about everything we do, every day.  

Visit www.onepercentfortheplanet.org