Carol Rees from Mansfield left her role supporting deaf students at her local further education college to focus full time on another passion: reducing single-use plastics. After perfecting the process of making her beautiful beeswax wraps at her kitchen table, Bee Happy Eco Products was born.
Named Eco-Warrior Award Winner at the eBay for Business Awards 2020, Carol has since intensified her fight against plastic pollution by expanding her product line. Resuable cotton flannel wipes made from fabric offcuts have been added as an alternative to single-use wet wipes.
All part of her mission to become a zero-waste business.
eBay has given Carol the flexibility to plan her business around family commitments, particularly the needs of her aging parents. She nursed her father until he passed away from lymphoma in April 2020, but was still able to manage the business with the support of her family.
There are similar businesses to Carol’s on eBay, but it’s the personal touch that sets her apart. She makes everything by hand, sources beeswax locally, and puts a little bit of herself into the packaging by including leaflets with handy hints and tips.
“It’s more than just selling a product,” says Carol. “It’s about promoting a journey of reducing reliance on single-use plastics. Every sale reduces a piece of plastic being discarded.”
