The financial industry has been under scrutiny since the economic crisis. There seems to be a deeper interest about what money is doing when it is ‘sitting’ in a bank account, but how can we tell what our savings are doing? Over the course of the past few years sustainability in society has shifted from the minority to the forefront. There is a drive and encouragement for banks, and businesses in general, to be more transparent, less greedy and to have a sustainable approach.

We can all make sustainable choices, but sometimes convenience gets in the way. Future generations will wonder why we have been so short-sighted by using resources that we know are running out for so long, when we could be focusing on alternative sustainable solutions. If we all make one small change in our everyday lives and really think about the products we are buying and the choices we make it would make a huge difference to the environment we live in. There is space for ethical consumerism within our consumer society. As well as spending your money in a different way, what about saving your money in a different way? The words ‘bank’ and ‘sustainable’ are rarely seen in the same sentence. Triodos is a bank that has sustainability and ethics at the heart of what they do. For Triodos, banking is all about bringing people together and fundamentally, doing good with money! They only lend to organisations that have a benefit to people and our planet, for example, renewable energy, sustainable and fair-trade food, social housing and environmental conservation. They only lend the money deposited to them by savers’ and they publish every single organisation they lend to on their website so they are 100% transparent – you really know where your money is going. Triodos realises it’s important for a business to have a social goal rather than just an economic one.

We have partnered with Triodos Bank, so when you open an account and deposit £100 they will give you a £40 voucher to spend at naturalcollection.com. If we continue to work together, eventually we can influence other organisations and retailers that it is possible for a business to thrive whilst having an ethical conscience alongside providing high quality, sustainable products for their customers. Visit www.triodos.co.uk/naturalcollection to get involved and know more about how you can save and spend ethically!