Local Business Hopes to Make Holiday Shopping Easier on the Environment

Patch asked for small business owners in the Medfield area to tell us their stories ahead of Small Business Saturday. Here’s what we learned about ClimateStore, a company founded in Medfield by a Medfield resident in 2013. Below is a Q&A with founder Steven Bushnell, an entrepreneur and scientist.

Q: What is ClimateStore and how are you connected to the Medfield area?

The mission of ClimateStore is to make it fun and easy for people to reduce their carbon footprint in the age of human caused climate change. [I was] concerned about the environmental impacts of climate change on current and future generations. The company has moved its operations to Walpole [from its original location in Medfield] and is located at the Walpole Station Business Center.

The goal of the company is to build a national brand where consumers can learn about climate change, make an action plan, and find products to reduce their carbon impact. Consistent with its mission, the company runs its operations in a carbon neutral manner; the company’s website is powered by wind energy, its operational and shipping footprint is managed through carbon offsets, and employees are offered incentives to use public transportation. ClimateStore also relies on partnerships with like-minded organizations such as 1% for the Planet in order to support reforestation initiatives and climate change awareness programs. The launch of ClimateStore’s website was on Earth Day 2014.

The company currently offers 300+ sustainable products, including children’s toys, jewelry, home décor, lighting solutions, water saving devices, tech accessories, travel gear, and other gifts. Each product is carefully evaluated to identify exactly how it reduces carbon emissions. The production, use, and disposal phases of the product’s lifecycle are all considered, and the results are communicated through a simple icon system.

ClimateStore was also recently features in CBS Boston’s Best Local Boston Businesses to Shop on Black Friday.

Q: What kind of promotions/sales are you running for Small Business Saturday?

ClimateStore.com will be holding a three-day sale over Thanksgiving weekend, which will promote hundreds of novel, sustainably made, energy efficient products. A wide selection of items - from smart home technology, to sustainably made tech accessories, and handmade jewelry made from recycled materials – will be on sale, up to 50 percent off.

Q: Why should people shop at ClimateStore this holiday season?

ClimateStore’s core mission is to help the environment. This season, it’s also about providing consumers options that will help them celebrate the holidays in an environmentally friendly manner. At the ClimateStore, shoppers can find great gifts and reduce their carbon footprint at the same time. All products are carefully reviewed prior to being included in the online catalog to ensure they have a carbon lowering impact during their lifecycle.

Q: How would someone shop for a gift at ClimateStore?

All ClimateStore products are available through the company’s website at www.climatestore.com. Holiday discounts are marked on all product pages, and items ship within one business day of purchase.

Q: Why is it important for you to be a part of Small Business Saturday?

Given the tendency for consumers to head to large malls and to shop major retail brands, Small Business Saturday is a great opportunity to showcase the growing niche businesses in our own community, especially those with an environmental mission.