AN ENTREPRENEUR from Christchurch has launched an ethical online marketplace where only sellers who meet a strict criteria can sell their products.

The ‘guilt-free’ shopping site Dirty Hippies was built by Carl Selby who wanted to create something that met with his own values.

Carl, from Christchurch, hopes to create an online community where traders with a similar outlook can congregate to sell their products - and attract like-minded shoppers.

Each seller must meet a number of standards, including correct treatment of employees and having an ethical supply chain.

And each product must meet at least one ethical goal, such as being carbon neutral, educational or being recycled or upcycled.

Products so far on the site include clothing, bags, embroidery, food and drink, skincare products and a variety of homeware.

Carl said: “Increasingly people are concerned about where their purchases come from.

“They want to know that they are ethically sourced, environmentally friendly and created by workers treated fairly and paid well.

“I decided to build an online marketplace and app where shoppers can go and be confident that everything they browse has been checked against a list of values.”

The selling site currently uses self-certification and spot checks to assess whether sellers meet their standards but they are developing an independent supply chain audit system.

Carl said: “Through the lockdowns many people launched online businesses and many of them are looking for a shop window – and that’s what we provide.

“This year, for the first time, global online sales are set to make up more than 50 per cent of all online spending – and it’s a trend that will continue.

“While most sales are channelled through the online giants, there is definitely a place for a purely ethical marketplace.

“We want to establish Dirty Hippies as the go-to online marketplace for all sustainable products – and when people start Christmas shopping we want them to search for us.”