Kia Simpson, Co-founder, Moonie, with the retail stand in Bobby's.
Published: September 17, 2021 | Updated: 18th September 2021
Talk about cleaning up – and in the most eco-friendly and sustainable way possible.
A mother and daughter duo who started their eco-business by cutting up old clothes on an ironing board are celebrating their first 12 months of trading with an impressive roll call of stats.
They include:
Karen Weston, who founded Moonie with her daughter, Kia Simpson, said: “We are a small business making a big impact.
“It’s fantastic to see so many people willing to make sustainable swaps and introduce eco-friendly products into their homes.
“Over the next 12 months, we will be expanding into new markets with continued innovation to make sure eco options are accessible to as many people as possible.”
Moonie was created out of Karen and Kia’s frustration with the easily available single-use products that are regarded as the ‘norm’.
Although they came up with the business idea eight years ago it was the pandemic – and Karen, 47, losing her job in retail – which finally made them take the plunge.
Kia subsequently gave up her digital marketing role to join her mum in founding the business.
Moonie now has 30 reusable products ranging from cleansing pads and compostable cloths to cotton bags and even bin liners.
All except four are made by Karen from sustainable materials and ethical ingredients in a studio at her Weymouth home.
In the last year, alone, she has made 17,000 reusable makeup wipes.
Kia, 27, who lives in Bournemouth, said: “Our mission is to make green the new ‘normal’.
“Our aim is to make eco-friendly options more affordable, accessible, and attainable.
“For the past 12 months, we have been building foundations to make this possible.
“The industry creates products with one main focus in mind: ‘How much profit can I make from this product?’.
“Our view is a little different, when designing products.
“We think: ‘How can we create products with a purpose and positive impact on the environment?’.
“Our products require a small change in behaviour so it’s our job to educate the benefits of reusable goods.
“It’s all about making sustainable swaps rather than sacrifices.”
Moonie’s products are available to buy directly from its website – moonie.co.uk – and selected retailers.
They include the new Bobby’s in Bournemouth which is stocking the full product range as well as an exclusive compostable sponge cloth following a collaboration with Moonie.
Kia, whose boyfriend, Alex Brooker, 27, a trainee teacher, built the stand, said: “It’s so exciting to be in Bobby’s.
“It was quite surreal to see our products on the shelves and in situ.”
In its first annual sustainability report, Moonie points out that the average woman in the UK uses two disposable makeup cotton pads a day.
By switching to a Moonie reusable cotton pad she would not only prevent at least 300 pads going to landfill but also save £81 over five years.
The impact report states: “Five years of never having to buy another single-use cotton pad mean you’ll not only be saving on pollution, you’ll be saving a lot of money too.
“Over the past 12 months, we have proudly handmade over 17,000 single-use cotton pads.
“Each pad has up to 300 uses which means we, together, have saved over 5m disposable pads from landfill.”
The report sets out the actions of the business to make a difference, both now and into the future.
It includes a pledge to save 10m single-use makeup wipes from landfills by 2025.
