Atlas & Ortus have officially launched – by sisters Evie Calder and Francesca Watson. They stock a selection of curated ethical and eco products for the everyday adventure. Think reusable glass coffee cups, stainless steel lunch tins, bamboo toothbrushes and the prettiest handmade soaps. I’m seriously coveting the lunch tin and coconut milk shampoo bar! It’s brands like this that make it so much easier to go zero waste, plastic free and generally more environmentally friendly.
I have been a big fan of Evie’s sustainable living blog for a while now, I know how passionate she is when it comes to the environment. I caught up with her to find out a bit more about Atlas & Ortus and pick her brain about living sustainably.
Starting a business has been a dream of ours for a long time, but it was never the right time or quite the right idea. Although Atlas & Ortus is a new venture for us, our journey really started back in 2010, when I (Evie) started studying Environmental Economics at the University of York, taking after my older sister and business partner Francesca, who studied Economics there from 2006 – 2009.
After completing an MA at UCL and working in communications for a climate change NGO, I travelled to New Zealand in 2017 for six months. When I was out there, the way of life and connection with the environment inspired me to start my website for sustainable living, The Good Life Company. Being part of this blogging world opened my eyes to the ways in which sustainability can be applied in practice, as I discovered so many amazing brands and people doing incredible things to help make the world a better place.
When I returned home in October, I felt more prepared and more motivated than ever to use my new knowledge and experience in a practical way to help make a sustainable living not only easier but more appealing to everyone. After Francesca and I saw the reaction to Blue Planet II, we knew something special was about to happen in this country in terms of environmental awareness, and we wanted to be a part of the movement helping catalyse change. We knew it was the right time, and the right thing to do, as sustainability is an issue we both hold close to our hearts. Shortly before Christmas, we decided we wanted to do something to help people cut down on plastic waste by creating products that will help them live more sustainably – and soon after, Atlas & Ortus was born.
We wanted a simple name that was Earth related, but one that was also interesting and memorable, so started looking into Greek and latin names for things related to the environment. We came across ‘Atlas’ – the titan in Greek mythology condemned to hold up the sky (or the world, in some modern day interpretations). In many depictions, Atlas is being crushed by the weight of the world on his shoulders, so we came up with the idea of using the world ‘Ortus’ – meaning ‘rise’ in latin – to bring about the idea that Atlas is no longer being crushed, but standing up, signifying a better relationship between humans and the world.
Fortunately, we were able to translate this into the simpler concept seen in our logo. Many people associate the word ‘Atlas’ with maps, or mountains, which we used to represent the world. As well as ‘rise’, the word ‘Ortus’ also means ‘sunrise’ in latin; together, ‘Atlas & Ortus’ signifies the dawning of a new day, and portrays the image of the world ‘waking up’ to a new era, one where we think about humans’ relationship with the environment differently, and much more positively.
We’re aiming to be a totally plastic free brand, and so far, we have only used recycled or recyclable packaging for our first lot of orders. We want to make sure our packaging is zero waste – right down to our stickers and tape. This is something we’re really passionate about doing, and are always looking for more sustainable ways of doing things – plus we’re hoping to use a green courier service as soon as we can, so the delivery of our items can have as little an impact as possible.
Francesca & Evie – The Founders!
For me (Evie), I have always been interested in helping create a more equitable and just world for everyone. Sustainability is a huge part of that – and not just in terms of the environment, but for development too. We need sustainability to achieve equality – and to do this, there needs to be a shift in the way society views and uses items and materials in the UK. I am passionate about helping catalyse this shift in perception, so that we can create a more conscious society – one that uses trade as a tool for global development, and not simply for profit. For me, knowing that we have a long way to go, but that we have the power to do something about it is really what drives me.
For Francesca, her passion for sustainability is driven by her son, Henry, who’s just turned two. She’s really passionate about doing something about the state of the environment so that he can grow up in a more caring and kind world – one that respects and protects nature. Issues like climate change and plastic pollution are going to have increasingly detrimental effects, and we all should be doing more to make sure future generations don’t inherit a problem they can do nothing about. It starts with simple changes in habit, but if everyone makes these changes, it can make a huge difference.
There is always something you can do to be more sustainable, which in some ways is really great as there’s plenty of options for places to start, but in others it can make you feel like you’re never doing enough – and sometimes it’s not clear whether we’re making the right choice. So our first tip is to always try and stay positive and informed; it can be daunting, but it’s so much better to be doing something than nothing at all. Even just being more aware of your impact makes a difference.
In terms of practical tips, a good place to start would be to try and eliminate single use plastics – straws, water bottles, disposable cups and plastic bags. This isn’t that difficult to do, it’s just about breaking the habit and having viable alternatives available. If you can, try and avoid plastic all together – joining in with #plasticfreefriday would be a great start.
If you’re already doing these things, there are other things you can do that have a huge impact on your carbon footprint, like opting for a vegetarian diet (try starting with #meatfreemonday), living car free and avoiding long haul flights.
We’d love to expand our product ranges to include more colour and size options, as well as stock more products; what we’d ideally like to do is stock all the basic items our customers need to be plastic free, even when they’re off on an adventure. We’d also love to branch out and stock sustainable, reusable and plastic free items for children.
Additionally, we’d love to work with more women’s collectives in developing nations, to help provide employment and a fair wage for workers. We are also currently working with a new charity based in Cambodia for children with disabilities, and we’d like to be able to work with them more closely to help them grow.
Atlas & Ortus ship within the UK and Europe.
Links to the website and social media:
Website: www.atlasandortus.com
Twitter: @atlasandortus
Instagram: @atlasandortus
Facebook: atlasandortus
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About Me
The Green Edition is a journey to help slow down and appreciate the smaller things in life. With tips for shopping more consciously and simplifying your life.
About Me
The Green Edition is a journey to help slow down and appreciate the smaller things in life. With tips for shopping more consciously and simplifying your life.