G.A.S Life Store (Green And Sustainable Life Store), is run by Karen and Michael, and aims to deliver a carefully curated selection of consciously made, sustainable skincare, housekeeping and lifestyle products to elevate your daily rituals. More recently, they’ve also added handmade one-off ceramics to the store, made by Karen, here in Birmingham!
What sorts of things do you need to consider to ensure your business is sustainable?
“Our natural lifestyle goods are made in small batches, by independent brands with a keen emphasis on accountability for ingredients, packaging and their impact on the environment. Harnessing the power of nature and free from harmful toxins, the products at G.A.S Life Store will always be cruelty-free and respectful of our planet and its creatures. Our packaging materials are also fully recyclable, reusable or made from recycled materials.
We believe living sustainably is a goal to work towards rather than a destination. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the immense task of achieving a truly sustainable lifestyle or to find oneself crippled by eco-anxiety. We do not claim to be experts in the field by any means – we continue to learn from the wonderful work of our independent brands and small batch makers and believe that doing something is better than doing nothing. We can’t always do everything, but we can endeavour to make small improvements along the way.”
And finally, what do you love about Birmingham?
“Birmingham has cultivated a great vibe for celebrating the Independents, with lots of great independent shops, bars, cafes and restaurants making waves across the city and it’s certainly exciting to be a part of that very vibrant community. There’s also a great deal of small indie businesses, who, like us, don’t have a fixed space but pop up regularly at markets and events and I think that it’s great that the public are so keen to foster local talent and support small businesses with their hard-earned cash.”
Whilst at the moment their shop is just online, they hope to open a small lifestyle store, where it will be possible for people to shop our range of sustainable lifestyle goods alongside a mix of vintage and handmade pieces for the home.
You can find G.A.S Life Store online (www.gaslifestore.co.uk) on Instagram and Facebook (@gaslifestore), or find them at various local markets, like Hockley Social Club and Attic Brew in Stirchley.