Conscious Consumerism and Sustainable Development — Interview with Designer-Philanthropist Treana Peake
Palm oil and purpose-led design in the age of Coronavirus
Conscious consumerism is the practice of making purchasing decisions driven with the intent of generating a positive social, or environmental impact. While everyone agrees this behavior is worthwhile, it often becomes more of a slogan than a reality. Few put in the effort to build brands defined by conscious consumerism, particularly since it means going against the grain of standard business practices.
Treana Peake is a Vancouver-based designer and philanthropist. She founded the purpose-led lifestyle brand Obakki in 2005, which sells sustainable artisan-crafted housewares from around the world. Shortly afterward, she founded the philanthropic Obakki Foundation, which has given her extensive first-hand experience in the field of sustainable development. Her mission is to support the development work with the proceeds from her store without creating an environmental footprint. This work has given Peake the opportunity to think seriously about building a business aligned with the values of conscious consumerism.
Our conversation started by focusing on palm oil. Obakki recently launched a soap and skincare line, which is palm…
