Supplier Stories: inspiration to tread lightly on the planet
By Sherron Dalziel
When Sarah Tait, founder of Wanderlightly, checked into a yoga and whale swim retreat in Tonga in 2014, she had no idea she would checkout empowered to help us all make a change to a plastic-free lifestyle.
As Sarah explained, "we had spent the day in the ocean, swimming with these sentient beings and coming across masses of floating trash. I woke at 4 am with the realisation that I needed to act; to be part of the solution and share this information with as many people as I could."
So Sarah embarked upon a whole year of living life totally plastic free. "If it was in plastic, I would find an alternative or skip it altogether".
She created a website and shared her experiences with others using blogs and social media. It was through these experiences and responses that Sarah found solutions and in 2015, from Sydney's Northern Beaches, Wanderlightly became a reality - Beautiful and unique handmade products we can all get on board with on our own plastic-free quests.
Made by artisans not factories with love and not a mechanical production line in sight. The Wanderlightly cutlery pouches are made from materials that would otherwise end up as landfill. The skincare range is small batch made with a focus on vegan and cruelty-free practices.
Sarah's first skincare product remains her favourite. "The natural deodorant balm, as it's an everyday staple I can't live without. All natural ingredients made with love by me and it actually works".
Wanderlightly has given Sarah more than an inspiring business, it has given her the confidence to teach others. She now hosts DIY workshops and events to encourage all of us to spread the word on plastic-free options and the role we can play.
We all may not have the opportunity to swim with whales but we do have the power to ensure these graceful giants and others on our planet live safely and surely for many, many years to come.