WHAT IS LIFE WILD?
Life Wild is a values-based lifestyle store, educational platform and community for kind and aligned living. We want to help make sustainable and regenerative living beautiful, accessible, seamless and easy for Australians.
We’re bringing the circular economy to your fingertips.
Life Wild is making it easier to shop circular and sustainable goods from the comfort of your homes. If 2020 taught us anything, it’s that we have a fragile global economic system that cannot be relied on. We can do better. The answer is circular!
We believe we can transform the world, starting with simple changes in our homes and lifestyles.
We understand that it can feel daunting to embark on a more sustainable lifestyle – often it feels like there are too many changes to be made and too many options to choose from. We make the transition easy.
We source from local companies who share our values and provide the best quality products to help you transition to a lifestyle that is more sustainable, regenerative and circular.
The products we offer have been designed, made or sourced because they demonstrate the principles of the circular economy and use less resources, are durable and can be reused, and they minimise or eradicate waste. They're progressively being made with materials that have been used before and/or that can be deconstructed and re-purposed, regenerated or remanufactured, or that will biodegrade back to the earth. Shop kind with us!
WAIT, WHAT’S THE CIRCULAR ECONOMY?
The 'Circular Economy' refers to an ideal world where we design and use products and materials in a way that allows them to be recirculated. For example, what if once your denim jeans are on the way out, they could be sent to us to be up-cycled into our Circular Denim Totes and loved again for many years to come?
In a circular economy, we create opportunities for materials to be reused, rather than new materials being grown, mined or manufactured.
We've selected all our products because they demonstrate circular principles and all the makers have confirmed they are broadly aligned with our Core Values (via our Alignment Questionnaire).
In line with our circular model, we take responsibility for the end-of-life of every product we offer, and provide 'end-of-life' ideas to help you execute on a product's circularity. Currently, only very few products in our range have aspects which need to be 'thrown away' to landfill and you can be sure we're working on those.
Our Wildr program helps you join the circular economy right now. When we can't readily find products that align with our Core Values and circular economy principles, we think about how we could make them from materials that are already in use. We've done this with things like our Circular Denim Totes, made from post-consumer denim.
WHY DOES IT MATTER?
We live in a world of finite natural resources, but our current norm is to keep using resources and discarding them like they’re infinite, harming our natural world on both ends of the supply chain. Our oceans and waterways are filling with plastic, many animal species are threatened with extinction and our own lifestyles (and lives) are under threat from climate change. Now during a global pandemic, we realise more than ever how interconnected we are as a global population and why it's important to support our local economies and communities, while also living in touch with nature - our life supporting system.
Did you know: Humans use 102.3 billion tonnes of resources globally. Of this, nearly two thirds of the resources we pull from the ground are wasted, that is, they go into landfill. What a waste!
Adopting a circular economy model would keep these resources in use, again and again. This gives us a special opportunity to regenerate the natural world, each time we shop.
CROWDFUNDING A NEW CHAPTER FOR LIFE WILD
We’ve already gathered many of our favourite products (over 200 of them!) ready for you to purchase and enjoy, but we want to create an even better range for you!
We want to offer you the best of the best on the sustainable and circular market. We want to continue to support Australian owned brands who are committed to using their businesses and products to future-proof our planet. And we want to move towards creating more circular options for you to enjoy in your homes and out.
With your financial support, not only can you pre-order a limited edition product or kit available only through this campaign, but you can also help us expand our range, take our business to the next level and reach new Australian customers with our circular message.
Together we can move towards a circular economy, transform our relationship with how we buy and consume AND live life wild... for people, animals and our earth!
OUR REWARDS FOR YOU**
In return for pledging your financial support to our cause, we would like to reward you with our hand-picked circular and sustainable products for your home and lifestyle. We have a range of 17 REWARDS from upcycled denim totes and handmade organic cotton tees, to rainforest trees we'll plant in the Big Scrub and extensive kits for all your needs in the bathroom, bedroom, laundry, kitchen, outdoors and beyond. Spend a little ($10) or spend a lot (>$5000) - we really appreciate any contribution! And for the most planet-friendly option, use what you have at home and just send us some cash for good karma, our tree planting or virtual high fives!
(**Australian customers only. Carbon-neutral shipping costs included in price to urban & metro areas in Australia only. For regional and remote areas in Australia shipping costs will be higher and we will contact you on purchase to arrange payment. All products are subject to availability. No returns or refunds on rewards.)
CROWDFUNDING BUDGET BREAKDOWN
WHO IS LIFE WILD?
I’m Caitlin, the owner of Life Wild.
As a qualified Wildlife Ecologist and Environmental Educator, I’ve spent years researching the impact of humans and climate change on many endangered Australian native species such as koalas, sea turtles, quolls, bettongs and plants. I’ve travelled to some of Australia’s most remote beaches to understand the impact of plastic pollution on marine wildlife and human health. This work can often be confronting and disheartening, but I will never lose hope for our future as a species, and you know why?
Because changing the way we live doesn’t have to be hard – we can all make a difference, right now.
Like many others, my wildlife jobs stopped suddenly when the pandemic hit, so I suddenly had plenty of time to consider the impact I wanted to have in this world. I decided that it is now my life’s purpose to do this work – reconnecting people with nature through eco-friendly and nature-aligned products, services and brands.
We need to be connected to and protecting nature now more than ever. Life Wild is one solution that can help move us towards an environmentally sustainable future.
SHORT TERM BUSINESS GOALS
With some of the funds raised from our stretch goal, we plan to register Life Wild as an Australian company. We also plan to start the B-Corp certification process ASAP and become a Certified B Corporation by June 2022. This certification will ensure we are held accountable for pursuing the highest level of business ethics, sustainability, transparency and accountability.
CHARITY PARTNER FOR 2021
We have partnered with local charity Rainforest 4, as we believe that planting trees is one of the greatest ways we can give back to Mother Earth. They are a rainforest conservation organisation who have planted thousands of trees in Northern NSW and far north QLD’s Daintree rainforests this year already. If we reach our stretch goal, $1,000 of this will be sent directly to Rainforest 4 to help them implement their Rainforest Rangers program. And at the end of the 20/21 financial year, 5% of our profits will also be donated to Rainforest 4 to help them continue their important rainforest conservation efforts. You can support this organisation directly by opting for the $10+ Forest Lover reward or come along to our next tree planting event with the $50+ Earth Lover reward.
CROWDFUNDING PROJECT TIMELINE*
(*If all goals are realised by the crowdfunder by 12th April 2021)
JULY - DEC 2020
Business handover, move Life Wild HQ to Lennox Head NSW, product design and acquisition. Organise crowdfunding campaign.
MARCH 13th 2021
StartSomeGood Crowdfunding Campaign begins on the new moon (for 28 days).
APRIL 12th 2021
Crowdfunding campaign ends. Contact funders to receive shipping and product type details. Start shipping out rewards.
MAY - 30th JUNE 2021
The last of the rewards to be shipped out.
1st JULY 2021
Register as an Australian company and begin the Certified B Corporation process.
CROWDFUNDING TEAM
Caitlin Weatherstone - Owner, Life Wild and Campaign Manager
Natalie Woods // The Corner Palm - Copy editor
Vicky Jay // Drishti Studio - Videography
Amy Southorn Artist - Design
FAQ
Where are you based?
We’re based in the Northern Rivers region of New South Wales, Australia. We are so grateful to live on this beautiful part of the east coast and we pay our deep respects to the traditional custodians, the Arakwal people of the Bundjalung nation, for their reverence over the land for over 22,000 years.
Why a crowdfunding campaign?
We want to bring you the best sustainable and circular products and online shopping experience possible. Crowdfunding is our way of bringing our community along for the journey, allowing you to be part of the solution (while also taking home some of our great rewards!). With new ownership of the business and a renewed direction (thanks, 2020 and COVID-19), we thought this was the best way to bring our new vision to life and reach new audiences!
How do you choose what brands you stock?
We carefully hand-pick every supplier we work with. When choosing our brands, we look for alignment with our values of kind and sustainable wares, preferably made with circular principals by Australian businesses. Once we think a brand fits the bill, we ask them to complete our Alignment Questionnaire to ensure that they share our vision for protecting this planet. We do the hard work for you, so you can shop confidently, knowing that these are the most ethical and sustainable brands available in Australia right now. And as we learn more and technologies adapt, we will adapt. We aren't perfect (watch out for any business that says they are!), but we promise to be transparent throughout the whole process.
Isn’t the circular economy just recycling?
Not quite! Recycling takes a product’s materials and reuses it in another form, for example turning plastic packaging into outdoor furniture. With the circular economy, companies design end of life solutions into their products, ensuring that the materials and resources can be recirculated endlessly. This makes the circular model restorative and regenerative in its nature.
Here are some great resources to check out on the topic:
Can you ship Internationally?
Unfortunately, no. The carbon footprint is simply too high. We will only ship rewards within Australia. If you're anywhere but Australia and would still like to support us, use our cash reward options - we would very much appreciate your financial support! Please locate circular businesses in your country and support them as well!
How much is shipping?
We have factored in shipping (to urban & metro areas in Australia) within your rewards. For remote and rural areas, and for larger items, shipping will be slightly higher (>$20) and we will contact you to arrange payment of this. When you have pre-ordered your kit or product of choice, we will be in touch directly to confirm which variation/colour/style/size you want, depending on the reward and where you are located within Australia. Thank you for understanding. Rest assured, that all orders will be shipped out carbon neutrally using our fantastic courier company, Sendle.
When will our rewards be shipped out?
After you have pre-ordered your reward/s, we will be in touch with these details and to confirm shipping. Majority of the rewards will be sent to you by May 2021, with a few items being sent out by the end of June 2021. Sustainable isn't always the fastest option, but we prefer it that way!
JOIN OUR LIFE WILD COLLECTIVE COMMUNITY
When you're part of the Collective, we'll send you a 5% discount code to use next time you shop with us and every time you shop with us. Sign up on our website (www.lifewild.com.au) and follow our socials:
Thank you for supporting local & circular, from the bottom of our wild hearts,
LW xxx