The Conscious Business Spotlight is Nadi Marketing’s monthly series introducing you to bold changemakers and passionate risk-takers who see the world’s problems as an opportunity to create solutions that benefit us all.

Nadi Marketing was introduced to Keepsie Kits by a past client, Yugen Earthside, when planning The Ecosystem Retreat 2022. A woman-founded Canadian company, Keepsie Kits creates sustainable traveling kits with durable, reusable, and eco-friendly items. Kim Campbell, Founder & CEO of Keepsie Kits, sits down with us to share inspiration, challenges, and what motivates her to run a conscious business.

What is your conscious business, and what inspired you?

We are Keepsie Kits, where our mission is to inspire sustainable travel. We make the switch to sustainable travel easy through curated lightweight kits for different types of travelers. My inspiration came from my own travels, where I traveled a lot for both work and leisure. I realized how wasteful my travels were, not solely in airplane emissions but including take-out plastic waste and using hotel bottles. However, living out of a carry-on for three weeks at a time, I needed lightweight items that helped reduce my waste. It took lots of time and research to find what I needed. This inspired me to reduce the barriers to sustainable travel by bundling the best lightweight products into various kits to save others both time and money when making the switch. To give back to the community, we donate a percentage of our products to Ecotrust Canada, a non-profit organization that focuses on implementing a sustainable economy for Indigenous communities in Canada. We put the planet at the forefront of our business decisions, including offsetting all shipping carbon emissions and going package-free where possible.

What’s your biggest challenge as a conscious business?

The biggest challenge is getting people to start on their sustainability journey. While many people understand the value of sustainable habits, there is a mentality in our society that we have to do things perfectly. This leads to the thinking that only changing a few habits will not make a difference, so why do them? At Keepsie Kits, we particularly love the quote by Annie-Marie Bonneau – “We don’t need a handful of people doing zero waste perfectly. We need millions doing it imperfectly.” If we can get people even to change one action, such as using reusable cutlery, we consider it a win. Personally, I know the snowball effect of one action. The first step of my eco journey was reusing glass jars. But from there, it makes it easier to evaluate another wasteful habit, like getting plastic bags at the grocery store and making a change there. Slowly, I made more and more changes until I am where I am today, living a much more sustainable life but it’s still imperfect. Convincing people to start always feels like the biggest win!

What do you love most about being a conscious business, and what motivates you to keep going?

I love seeing people starting to travel more sustainably. It is everything from asking questions on Instagram about sustainable travel to completing their first trip with a Keepsie Kit and enjoying the experience. It’s always so rewarding to receive messages about people trying to travel sustainably, thanks to our education. In addition, I am motivated by our opportunity to make a difference. By allowing others to travel sustainably easily, I know Keepsie Kits is making a difference for both the planet and local communities. I also love that I get to be part of a great community that is working to transform how we travel.

 

Contact Keepsie Kits

If you are a conscious business and would like to be featured, please fill out our Conscious Business Spotlight Form or contact us.