This Earth Day we spoke to Hatch graduate Maris Passarelli about her business Green Ramona, and why tackling greenwashing is such a key part of the fight against climate change.
Earth Day takes place annually on 22 April to drive a year of energy, enthusiasm, and commitment in creating a new plan of action for our planet. The campaign call to action this year is for every one of us to act (boldly), innovate (broadly), and implement (equitably) in a partnership for the planet.
At Hatch we are proud to have supported so many impact driven founders who are committed to greeting a greener, more sustainable future, like Maris and Green Ramona.
Green Ramona is a marketplace fighting for social and climate justice within supply chains. It collaborates and supports small female-led eco-businesses to grow while at the same time offering customers products with transparent supply chains to protect them from greenwashing.
Tackling Greenwashing
Maris explains, “it’s estimated that around 42% of businesses that claim to be sustainable are actually greenwashing.
“So obviously this is a massive setback in the progress that we are trying to achieve and also an abuse of trust towards consumers that are actually making an effort to create that change, and believe they are, whilst in the back they’re actually feeding this system.
“It’s a tricky subject because obviously the demand for sustainability and the demand for just keeping up with everything that’s happening has grown massively and the business models are not really set up to keep up with that challenge.”
When asked what advice she would give to new founders looking to set up a sustainable business, Maris said: “research, research, research!
“Be honest, be transparent and ask, just ask everyone… and just be brave I guess, to be honest and to be transparent and to get that feedback, because sometimes it’s not going to be as positive as you’d like and that’s okay. It’s about taking courage and opening up to that and just taking it as a lesson and growing and moving forward.”
Advice to Founders
Maris completed the Hatch Female Founder Incubator in 2020 and shared that she really benefited from the supportive community she was able to access through Hatch.
“Hatch was amazing for me. I joined Hatch when I was in a space where I really needed some support, I really needed a community.
Support from Hatch
“Hatch was a safe space where I could just share what I was doing, ask for anything, and to today I still work with them and I still have some mentors from that stage where I was sort of starting.
“The shift within my vision and my business was massive, the impact that it had overall, because it was also on a more personal side where there was the emotional support. I feel very cared for, it was a great community and I love them, I love them I think they are great.”
More Like This
For more information on embedding sustainability within your business you can check out our recent blog where we share top tips from experts in the sector.
