How HSBC UK is supporting Toddle's sustainability goals

Toddle Born Wild founder Hannah Saunders established her eco skincare brand six years ago, aiming to fill a gap in the market for sensitive skincare products designed for children. By incorporating sustainable values into the fabric of the brand, Toddle’s business journey demonstrates how taking small, achievable steps can result in a big sustainable change.

“At Toddle, sustainability has always been at the heart of what we do,” says Hannah Saunders. “Toddle products are sustainable, eco, vegan and cruelty-free. We make skincare for the whole family, but we mainly focus on children because we make products for sensitive skin.”

So, what prompted Hannah to kickstart Toddle?

“I am very adventurous and outdoorsy. I had my son and when we were out and about on adventures, I found that he had really chapped lips and windburnt skin. So I started making products in my kitchen that would help him in all sorts of weather,” says Saunders.

Making the leap from a homemade product range to manufacturing and distribution was a turning point for Toddle, and is a crucial time for any SME looking to make sustainable choices. A sustainable approach to business can help guide your decisions around suppliers and packaging, and these small decisions about your supply chain can make a huge difference to your carbon footprint and environmental impact overall.

“We use sustainable ingredients from the UK. We could have gone abroad and we'd have spent maybe two-thirds less on our cost of goods, but we know how important it is to the UK consumer that we've got a low carbon footprint,” explains Saunders. “So our ingredients are from North Yorkshire, our bottles are from Somerset, and we fill in Cheshire – it's all made in the UK, and we're cutting down on huge fuel bills and a huge carbon footprint.

“Personally, I’ve visited all of our suppliers. We have great working relationships, so I know exactly where everything comes from.

“As a startup, my advice to other start-ups would be to remember that you can't do everything. So instead of worrying about your entire carbon footprint, look at what small things you can change in your supply chain. Is there anything you can bring closer to home, or make reusable?" she advises.

For newly-founded businesses or SMEs looking for tips to help make sustainable change achievable, there are a lot of benefits to a sustainable approach.

“Sustainability can be a real competitive advantage for your business,” says Rob King, Head of Sustainable Finance, HSBC UK. “There’s some obvious examples around saving on energy costs, but measuring and reducing your environmental impact is also becoming increasingly important to attract customers.”

For Toddle, there is no doubt that taking sustainable steps has played a vital role in their business success. Practical decisions such as introducing refillable products to help prevent packaging waste and avoid single-use items has increased the lifetime value of a customer by improving brand loyalty and return custom percentages.

“Sustainability has been a simply wonderful business choice and we estimate it has increased our revenue by around 200%. Our customers expect us to be sustainable and so we really have an edge against our competitors,” says Saunders.

Toddle took advantage of HSBC UK’s Green SME Fund to help turn some of their sustainability goals into a reality.

Toddle used the support to purchase the necessary equipment to take more manufacturing processes back in-house, and help develop products that fit into the circular economy.

“We've used the HSBC UK Green SME Fund to achieve our sustainability goals,” says Saunders. “We've bought in-house machines, and we've changed our formulations to ensure there's a much lower carbon footprint.

With HSBC’s help, Toddle has been able to be more innovative and flexible across its supply chain as well.

“Something I’ve found really rewarding about running the business is that we’re a lovely entry point for children to understand more about sustainability, and it's been really great to work with HSBC UK with the Green SME Fund to be able to really drive this message home,” says Saunders. “For any startup looking to drive sustainability, I would highly recommend the fund.”