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Interview of Dan Black, founder of the English Black+Blum.

1. What was the founding idea behind Black+Blum?

At Black+Blum we aren’t into solving problems that don’t exist. We create honest, premium-quality, food and drink ‘on-the-go’ products that work, with a focus on re-use and sustainability.

As designers, we have the ability to shape, influence, and educate the market to be more discerning and this is absolutely our aim at Black+Blum.

2. What materials do you work with and why?

Firstly, we always try use materials that can either be recycled or biodegrade. Where possible we try to use non-plastic materials like wood, glass or stainless steel. We look to use materials, which have the ability to age well, even when dented, worn or scratched. If a product can function well and age well, then it has a better chance of being cherished and looked after ,and this will give it a longer life which will have less impact on the environment.

3. Tell us about designing with sustainability in mind.

Our designs can do their part for sustainability on two fronts. Firstly, in relation to function. Our products help encourage people to lead a more sustainable life. Water bottles obviously help people stop buying single-use bottled water, which is bad for the planet on so many levels. Lunch boxes and thermoses can help people stop buying convenience take-out food, which can save on food-waste and food-packaging-waste.

Secondly in relation to longevity. We aim to create ‘products with soul’. If a product is truly functional, then it will be enjoyed and cherished for years to come. If the product is made from high quality materials that will last, then we give the design a chance to develop ‘soul’. Our Food Flask is a good example, as it has the ability to age well. It can dent, scratch, and lose its shine, but this will all add to the character of the product and make it personal to you and one day, become a cherished ‘product with soul’.

If we can build every design to include these two points, then we will have addressed our sustainable responsibility that we want all our designs to have; a timeless aesthetic and function, that ages well and will work perfectly for a lifetime.

4. You’ve recently joined 1% for the Planet and committed to becoming Climate Neutral Certified, tell us about that.

While our designs help people be more environmentally friendly in their everyday life, they obviously don’t solve the huge challenges the world now faces. We wanted to do more.

By joining 1% for the Planet, we are pledging to donate at least 1% of annual sales revenue, to support environmental non-profit organisations and commit to giving something back to make a better world. By working towards becoming Climate Neutral Certified in 2021, we want to make sure we fully offset the CO2 emissions caused in our everyday operations and product manufacturing, and will be working with the independent non-profit organisation Climate Neutral.