SUSTAINABLE toothbrush champions Jane McLeod and Georgia Fiske consider themselves to be fortunate.
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People kept turning to their bamboo products during the pandemic and they have been searching for a way to give back and help hard-hit community groups.
The Boo Collective, with strong ties to Ballarat, is pledging 25 per cent of sales from select community groups to gift back.
Ms McLeod said this was not a one-off fundraising drive campaign but an ongoing focus. The Boo Collective is founded on sustainability and Ms McLeod said that should extend to helping others.
Every time we had a staff meeting the question would come up on who to give back to [...] we could never agree on one cause.
- Jane McLeod, The Boo Collective
"Every time we had a staff meeting the question would come up on who to give back to and what charities did we want to support but we could never agree on one cause or it would change every meeting," Ms McLeod said.
"It really was hard the past two years with shutdowns and seeing kindergartens who couldn't fundraise and the same with schools and local sporting teams and community groups.
"We wanted it to be easy...It's also good, we think, not having to ask people to fork out money for items they wouldn't need. Everyone brushes their teeth and bamboo toothbrushes are pretty near the same prices as plastics now."
The Boo Collective co-founders calling on community groups Australia-wide to nominate and, if chosen, receive a gift code to share that will deliver monthly funds on a commission-like basis.
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For Ms McLeod, who grew up in Ballarat, she had a special interest in encouraging groups across this region to put their hands up.
The Boo Collective was formed as a wholesale business in 2018 when Ms McLeod teamed up with her brother and Skin, Ski and Surf co-founder Paul Byvoet and their cousin Ms Fiske with a passion to make a sustainable difference.
They started with toothbrushes and have since branched into bamboo straws, children's dinner sets and sippy cups.
Ms McLeod said their passion for going plastic-free likely stemmed from growing up on a strawberry farm on the shores on Lake Learmonth. For her family, after school was all about getting the boat out for skiing and spending time in the environment.
As a parent, her children's toothbrushes made her ponder ways to become more sustainable. Ms McLeod began to research bamboo, which was fast-growing and needed little water and no pesticides. Bamboo is also naturally anti-bacterial, anti-fungal and biodegradable.
Ballarat orders are available for free pick-up at Skin, Ski and Surf.
To apply for the give back program, visit theboocollective.com.au.
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