At Hoyle’s, we believe that running a business comes with responsibility—not just to our customers, but to our team, our community, and the planet. From fair wages and ethical sourcing to sustainable deliveries and reducing waste, we’re always looking for ways to do better.
Fair Pay & Ethical Business
- Oxford Living Wage – We pay at least the Oxford Living Wage to all employees. No ifs, no buts. It’s the right thing to do.
- Inclusive Hiring – We use Applied’s Job Description Tool to reduce bias in our hiring and create a fairer process for all candidates. We also strive for flexible working hours to accommodate caregiving, travel needs, and other commitments.
- The Better Business Act – We’re proud supporters of the Better Business Act, advocating for UK company law to require businesses to consider the interests of society and the environment alongside shareholders.
Sustainable Deliveries & Packaging
- Bike Couriers – We use local bike courier Velocity for deliveries in OX1-4 postcodes to reduce emissions.
- Plastic-Free Packaging – We’ve stopped buying single-use plastic bags, switching to recycled paper ones.
- Reused & Repurposed Packaging – We reuse supplier boxes whenever possible. When they’re no longer fit for purpose, we shred them for protective packaging in our online orders, eliminating the need for bubble wrap.
Green Banking & Ethical Finance
- Pensions & Banking – We’re transitioning to sustainable banking with Triodos and aligning our pensions with ethical investments through the Make My Money Matter campaign.
Renewable Energy & Waste Reduction
- Renewable Energy – We're with Octopus Energy
- A Paperless Office – With help from We Are Hived, we’re reducing unnecessary paper use. We also compost as much as possible using our in-house wormery!
Eco-Friendly Products & Supplies
- Cleaning & Office Supplies – We shop with Goodclub for zero-waste bulk-buy supplies and Seep for plastic-free cleaning.
Carbon Offsetting & Climate Action
- Tree Planting with Ecologi – For every order over £10, we've been funding tree planting and carbon reduction projects via Ecologi. Their Gold Standard-certified projects are independently audited. You can track our impact here. (We're currently investigating the prospect of UK-based tree-planting schemes - please get in touch if this is something you could help us with!)
Refill Station – Free Water for All
We’re proud to be a Refill station—anyone can refill their water bottle with us, no purchase necessary. Check out other refill stations via the Refill app.
Greening Our Space – Every Little Helps
We transformed our small courtyard from an unloved space into a thriving garden, filled with pollinator-friendly plants and herbs - inspired by Ron Finley, Knepp Wildland, The Queen’s Green Canopy, and the RHS Sustainability Strategy. (Unfortunately, our landlord scaffolded the courtyard for an extended period of time last year, which was only removed earlier this year - we are looking to reinstate the garden asap!)
Learning & Staying Inspired
We’re always looking to improve our sustainability efforts. Some resources we’ve found particularly helpful:
- Books: How Bad Are Bananas? (Mike Berners-Lee), Is It Really Green? (Georgina Wilson-Powell), The Garden Jungle (Dave Goulson)
- Positive Inspiration: Positive.News, Happen Films, Sustainability Champions, and the rewilding movement more broadly.
Every action—big or small—makes a difference. Thanks for supporting a more sustainable future with us!