Mindful Purchasing Made Easy: Interview With The Green Hub

conversationswithmysister_The Green Hub_Kira Simpson

Posted by Shea on March 4, 2017

“I know some of you may be confused with the “eco” lingo, but remember this: there is no one-size-fits-all green lifestyle. It’s all about progress, not perfection”.

Kira Simpson: The Green Hub

Imagine discovering a central place that connects conscientious consumers to ethical, fair-trade companies and gifted artisans. A marketplace which provides convenient, affordable and fun access to a world of lovingly and uniquely crafted homewares, fashion, health and beauty products.

Well the perfect person has launched such a hub and her name is Kira Simpson. Kira is a passionate sustainability advocate who instinctively puts hours into researching high quality, eco-friendly products by socially and environmentally responsible brands. Luckily for us, Kira has decided to curate these gems via an online marketplace called The Green Hub.

The Green Hub is based in Brisbane and, with a combination of practical background knowledge and an extensive list of valuable connections, proudly focuses on sharing responsible brands and the human stories of their makers.

Today CWMS is super excited to welcome Kira and keen to hear her insights behind the successful establishment of The Green Hub (TGH).

CWMS – What is the vision you are aspiring to achieve with the launch of The Green Hub?

TGH – During my “green living” journey I’ve fallen off the wagon quite a few times because it wasn’t always easy to find information on ethical or eco-friendly alternatives. I’m a huge fan of having all the information I need in one place. My own frustrations have been a major driving force behind creating and growing The Green Hub.
I’m incredibly passionate about supporting and promoting brands who are creating positive change in the world. By making these brands more accessible, people will have the tools they need readily available, to start making lifestyle choices that are kinder to people and the planet.

CWMS – What is the criteria artisans and companies are required to meet for their products to be featured on The Green Hub?

TGH – We have 9 values that I base the decision upon. Ethically made, Fair-trade, cruelty-free, eco-friendly, handmade, Australian made, recycled, natural and organic. Brands must meet at least two of these values. I look at a brands certifications first. For example if a shirt is GOTS Certified then you know the cotton is organic and eco-friendly, the farmers are being paid under a fair-trade scheme, the entire supply chain is ethical and people are being paid a fair wage. Every brand is assessed on a case by case basis to make sure they share our values, and also to ensure they fit with the other brands we have on the site.

CWMS – Presuming, with the wide variety of products available, you can’t personally try and test each item listed, how does The Green Hub manage quality control?

TGH – Even if a brand meets our values and criteria, I will not allow them to be part of the site unless they have a great reputation for quality and durability.

CWMS – With products being sourced from many suppliers around the world, will there be separate postage payments charged to the client even if there is only one purchase order?

TGH – All our brands ship free to Australia so you can order from as many brands as you like and will not incur any postage costs.

CWMS – Traditionally people assume ethical and fair-trade products will be expensive. What is the price range shoppers can expect to find at The Green Hub?

TGH – If everyone involved in a products supply chain is being paid fairly then yes, that product will cost more than a sweatshop made one. I think as a society we’ve become far too accustomed to paying $10 for a shirt and it’s not right. As consumers, we need to shift our expectations to something more realistic and educate ourselves to how much it actually costs to make a shirt. In saying that, we do try to cater for all budgets and have clothes starting at $15 for underwear and kids clothes, everyday basics for around $60 and go all the way up to $400 for some beautiful Australian made designer dresses.

CWMS – And lastly what opportunities do you see The Green Hub making available, for building both a destination for mindful shoppers and for the businesses you support?

TGH – I want The Green Hub to be THE online shopping destination and lifestyle hub where socially and environmentally responsible brands can share their stories. Right now we focus on fashion, beauty, kids and homewares. In the coming months we plan to expand into food, travel and services (hair, nails etc). My mission is to make ethical and eco-conscious living as easy as possible, by building a huge database of sustainable businesses from around the world.

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Kira, along with her Husband Dave, are well travelled and passionate adventurers, enthusiastically sourcing products to feature on The Green Hub from all corners of the world. It was on their way home from one of these adventures where I had the privilege of meeting them both, here in Abu Dhabi.

Kira (a fellow Queenslander) and I previously ‘met’ through Instagram, when Kira was blogging on Eco Green People. It seemed perfectly fitting that our opportunity to meet-in-person wasn’t just a matter of popping around the corner in our local neighbourhood, it was somewhere much more exotic – the Middle East!

We sat and had ‘breaky’ together, where it took less than five minutes for Kira to convince my ‘sustainable heart’ of the positive impact The Green Hub is going to have on changing the attitudes and habits of everyday consumers.

Kira understands we (as a society), are always going to need ‘stuff’ in our life and she is determined to prove as consumers, we can do better. She also believes there is not just “one size fits all green lifestyle” and, with this in mind, The Green Hub has dedicated a blog to sharing urban green living tips, ethical fashion advice and most importantly the stories behind their featured brands on how they are making an impact on the world.

Enthusiastic travellers aren’t renowned for sitting still for too long so, as soon as we finished breaky, the three of us unanimously decided to jump in the car and continue our conversation while exploring Masdar City, Abu Dhabi’s Sustainable Urban Eco Village. Is it any wonder I love my job!

Since this inspiring morning with Kira and Dave, The Green Hub has been a hot topic during many of my conversations. The questions in this post were genuinely asked from people in the CWMS community during these chats and so, it was with you guys in mind, this post has come together.

Keen to learn more?

Kira has also been interviewed over at Urban Granola where she talks to the girls about early beginnings and inspirations behind her online marketplace. Head to Sustainably Chic where Natalie will take you for a personal shopping tour of The Green Hub and you can also read about The Green Hub’s involvement with Sphera Change Makers, an inspiring bunch of Green Queens here. And last, definitely not least, The Green Hub has been featured by the Good On You App, the #1 App for those passionate about checking the ethical brand ratings as they shop.

PIN FOR LATER

Of Course Kira can primarily be contacted at The Green Hub directly via:

Email: kira@thegreenhubonline.com
Website: The Green Hub Online
Social Media: Facebook || Instagram || Pinterest || Twitter

Disclosure: CWMS has in no way or means been sponsored by The Green Hub to write this post. It has been such a pleasure connecting with Kira and following her journey over the years and I am thrilled to have the opportunity to share her success with you all. As always, CWMS’s mission is to inspire conversations which aligns with our Keeping it R.E.A.L ethos.

– X Shea

P. S. All photo’s have been generously provided by The Green Hub. Special mention must go to Dave Simpson for capturing such a stunning shot of Kira, which we have proudly used as our feature picture for this interview. X