Positive Impact

As well as making high quality and great tasting products, it’s really important that Just Bee has a positive impact on bees, the people and communities we interact with and the wider environment too.

We are really proud of the things we have achieved so far, but we are always looking to learn and improve how we do things.

Save the Bees

This is the cause that has been core to our business since we started in 2015. It’s something we feel everyone should care about, because bees play such an important role in pollinating crops. In fact, one in every three mouthfuls of food we all eat depends on bees and other pollinators doing their important pollination work!

Since 2015, we have given out free wildflower seeds to over 140 thousand people, helping to plant over 14 million flowers which we estimate has saved over 2.3 million bees.

Bees our central to our business (and our planet!) and we have a page dedicated helping them. See: Save the Bees.

Real Living Wage Employer 

In October 2021, Just Bee voluntarily became a Real Living wage employer. This means that our entry level roles are paid at the Real Living Wage, which is higher than the National Living Wage. This was really important to us, because we are nothing without the people behind the brand and we want to continually recognise the hard work and commitment they show to delivering the highest quality products and customer service. 

Community engagement

We are always looking for ways to engage with and add value to our local communities and those further afield too. Here are a few of the projects we have been involved with:

• Volition Community: A project set up to help unemployed people learn new skills. Just Bee Founder Joe regularly gives talks about setting up and running a small business. We also purchase honey from the Volition community beekeepers. Click for more info
• Armitage School, Manchester: We helped them plant a bee-friendly wildflower garden. Click for more info
• Lifeshare Homeless Project: Just Bee Founder, Joe, volunteers on a Saturday morning at their homeless breakfast club. Just Bee donates honey to Lifeshare homeless project and other charities across Manchester Click for more info
• Manchester City Library: Founder Joe takes part in the library’s annual Food Mania event, mentoring local start up food entrepreneurs Click for more info

If you have a community project which you think we can add value to, please get in touch. Email us buzz@justbeehoney.co.uk 

The wider environment

Over the past few years, there has been a growing understanding and concern for the impact humans are having on the planet.

Prominent figures like David Attenborough and Greta Thunberg have lead the charge, highlighting the harmful effects of things like greenhouse gasses, plastic pollution and deforestation.

Plastic pollution cannot be ignored and we know that as a food manufacturer and brand, part of the responsibility lies with us. This is something we are extremely aware of.

We initially launched Vitamin Honey in plastic pots, because plastic is much lighter than glass which means its easier to handle in production, it costs our customers less in postage fees and there are less damages / breakages. 

Looking at the carbon footprint, glass takes more energy to produce and to transport (it’s heaver), but overall it’s generally accepted that glass is better for the environment. This is because it is more likely to be recycled than plastic and it can be reused/recycled many more times without deteriorating and having to add new raw materials.

In November 2021, we started a project to look at the viability of adding glass products to our range, to give our customers the choice. The project will take into account customer preferences, logistics, production, brand impact, commercials and distribution and marketing. Our latest product Just Bee Throat Syrup has been launched in a glass bottle. 

 

We are really proud of the things we have achieved so far, but we are always looking to learn and improve how we do things. If there is anything on this page you would like to comment on or discuss, please get in touch - buzz@justbeehoney.co.uk