For the Love of Earth in Newark named as winners in vegan and natural products Free From Living Awards
Karen Simpson, founder and owner of For the Love of Earth in Newark, is celebrating being named as winners in the Free From Living Awards, which rewards free-from, natural, or vegan consumer products.
Their inspiration to start the business came after Karen and her husband Tony volunteered at the Samboja Lestari orangutan sanctuary in Borneo in 2019 through the 'The Great Projects', run by the Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation.
Karen said: “Although we had done our research, nothing could have prepared us for the reality of our experience, both physically and mentally.
“We dug out rivers, up to our necks in water, filling sandbags with the sand we'd dug out to reinforce banks and divert currents.
“We pulled out weeds from another river, fully dressed and sometimes unable to touch the bottom, literally just a couple of yards away from a very curious male orangutan. I've never worked so hard, been so tired, or smelt so bad in all my life, and I absolutely loved it.”
It was their many trips out into the countryside where Tony and Karen could see the “heart-breaking” devastation that palm oil plantations were causing the rainforest and the orangutans’ habitat.
When they returned home, Karen said that they were shocked to find how many day to day products contain palm oil, including make-up, soft drinks, sweets, ice-cream, bread, condiments, pizza, and cleaning products.
“I decide to start making my own products, originally just for ourselves, but then more and more people were asking to buy them, and For the Love of Earth was born,” Karen explained.
The business handmakes eco-friendly, sustainable, palm oil free beauty and homeware products, with 3% of proceeds of all sales donated to Borneo Orangutan Survival UK, of which or the Love of Earth is now an official partner.
And now after a successful first few years, including winning an award at VegfestUK in 2022, two of For the Love of Earth’s products have won Free From Living Awards.
Karen’s Magnesium ointment won a silver medal in the Health, Leisure and Wellbeing category, and the Calming candle won a Silver medal in the Home Ambience category as well as a bronze special achievement award.
Karen said: “We were so proud to win these medals, the business is just myself and my husband and we were up against some much bigger companies, so the recognition is a fantastic achievement.”
