... surprised?
Fair- we're pretty sneaky. I mean, if we are a company that makes and sells chocolate, it is logical to conclude that we are a chocolate company.
And sure, we are. In some ways. (Like those two listed above).
But- Zimt is actually more than that. You may or may not have wiped from your memory, the video I threw onto YouTube a while back. It wasn't that long ago but it's already pretty embarrassing to look at, yet, I'm willing to promote it again, for the benefit of the visual learners out there.
Here's a reminder of our mission statement.
The purpose of Zimt is to generate revenue as ethically as possible, through the manufacturing and sales of high quality confections, to support required operating costs, and equally importantly, to donate 1% plus of our sales to effective charities.
I need to look at this often, myself. Because, essentially, running a chocolate company isn't enough for me. It never has been- it's boring to me, a constant exhausting mess, and a waste of my life, in and of itself. If there were zero aim to make a larger social impact, I would not care about it. Ok let's say- we switched to using non fair trade ingredients, or added items containing dairy- Zimt would be pointless to me, and quite frankly, repulsive.
Why... would I take advantage of vulnerable individuals like that? It doesn't matter that I can't see the kids picking the cocoa, or the cow getting trucked off to slaughter after she's 'spent' (ie. no longer meeting dairy production quotas and gets slaughtered). I don't have to, because I know what happens and I don't want to support it.
And because I am the supreme master of Zimt- Zimt doesn't want to support that either!
There's so much good stuff to support out there, instead. So that's what we focus on. Here are some main elements:
1. Vegan: we are a vegan company. We aren't plant based. The food you eat is important, but we want to go further than that- because cruelty doesn't end with food. Our cleaning products used at the factory are vegan, and you better believe we have vegan bandaids in case of emergency.
2. Organic: we only support organic agriculture. Why? Because pesticides are generally not good for the environment, non human animals in the environment, and the humans involved in pesticide production itself, as well as the farmers using pesticides. Again, just because we don't see it, doesn't mean it doesn't exist. Like the Tooth Fairy.
3. Plastic Free: well, as possible as it is to be plastic free these days, we aim for it. Our wrappers? Biodegradable. Our packing tape? Also biodegradable! (... and only available in the US, so you better believe me and my smart car border hop to pick up the order.). As for the unavoidable plastic, such as the large bags our ingredients are packed in- we save and reuse these, or I ask if folks want to take them home to use them. For the soft plastic we cannot reuse, this goes to soft plastic recycling. Hard plastic- hard plastic recycling.
4. 1% Sales Donations: Oh, guys. This one makes me sad. It's been a while since we donated 1% of sales (not profit- sales. Oh so different. Also, maybe a billion times more challenging). The challenge is... no dinero. Seriously- pay employees, pay rent, pay electricity, pay suppliers, pay for giant reno job so we have a proper factory to work and grow in. It is an expensive year. We still donate to Hearts on Noses- every month, forever. And will make up for those months we are missing now for our other organizations we support. You can learn more about them here, though- you may want to support them directly.
That's about it for now.
Surprised?!
I didn't mention one thing about the chocolate itself, in terms of... well, the chocolate itself. It's a tasty avenue, of course, for something bigger.
Even if it is something little right now.
Emma