Ethical buying at Eden

We choose them either because they have a small impact on the environment, a social benefit for the people who produce them or a positive influence on the consumer's lifestyle.

We've worked closely with over 3,000 suppliers since we opened, to assess the impact of their products and even to come up with bespoke items that fit our ethical criteria. It's not only good news for our customers, but it has helped smaller, local businesses differentiate themselves by retailing new, sustainable goods.

How we source our catering supplies

We're proud that over 80% of the money we spend on catering supplies is spent on Cornish businesses. We use only Cornish meat, dairy and eggs in our on-site cafes – as well as Cornish salad leaves, when they are in season.

How we source the products in our shops

Eden visitors love our on-site and online shops, with their funky kitchenware, clothes, plants and more. But we don't just choose nice things; we choose each product because it fits at least one of the five criteria we've set.

Local goods

We spend more than £10 million a year with local businesses and 39% of the suppliers to Eden's retail are Cornish. Our commitment to local sourcing helps to reduce carbon emissions from transport, boost local livelihoods and is a way of sharing our own success with the local community.

We worked with Cornish brewery Sharp's to come up with a flagship beer for Eden, using British hops. Since working with the company they've developed a sustainable policy for their operations.

Things made of plants

At Eden we like to reconnect people with nature and remind them how much we all rely on plants. So it seems only right that we should showcase the amazing things they are used for. If manufactured in a sustainable way, natural products can have a lower environmental impact than stuff created from virgin plastic or metal.

Our kitchenware range is made of bamboo, a fast-growing, endlessly renewable resource. It thrives naturally without using any pesticides or fertilisers, absorbing greenhouse gases as it grows.

Products that promote sustainable living

We like to sell things that help people live happier, greener, more active lifestyles. For example, our reusable jute bags encourage people to refuse plastic bags when they're out shopping; the hard-wearing flasks we sell are designed to be used again and again in place of plastic mineral water bottles; wind-up torches remind people how precious energy is.

We stock energy meters to show people how much power – and money – they could save in their own home, with a bit of thought.

Fairly traded goods

Eden looks for goods where workers are treated with respect, fairly paid, properly equipped and given access to education and medical care. Fairly traded products also mean minimum environmental standards are adhered to. While not every company we buy from has yet achieved fairtrade status, we are happy to work with them on the journey there.

We sell Rainforest Alliance certified coffee because, while many of us rely on coffee to wake up every day, 25 million people also depend on the coffee crop for their livelihood.

Recycled products

As well as reducing our own waste, we promise to reinvest in the market for recycled goods (because there's no point in everyone recycling if no one's buying the stuff). Buying recycled means that fewer minerals have to be extracted from the ground, fewer ancient forests are in danger of being chopped down and there are fewer precious materials deteriorating in a landfill site.

For example, our tin can robot pack gets kids making a moving toy out of an old drinks can.