Ritual: More than an eco-friendly store

MANILA, Philippines - Ritual is a general store-cum-cafe located in the Collective in Makati City. It is one of the many quaint stores/specialty shops set up by a collective of local artisans. It’s got eco-friendly products, adhering strictly to the principles of avoiding plastic use.

According to store owners Rob Crisostomo and Bea Misa, they had to take things a step further since most products are packed in plastic — even most of the organic and green products. The store’s founders, with another group called Puno, came up with a plan to minimize consumer waste (plastic packaging). For this, it won the Best Social Impact award this year in Thailand and emerged the second top team among 600 business plans in the social enterprise competition held in Berkeley California.

The partners’ vision goes beyond green awareness as they further stress the importance of quality of life and the everyday rituals in life.

Ritual carries a range of artisan and natural products, from bath and personal care products such as soap, shampoo, and massage oil, to basic household cleaners like 100-percent biodegradable laundry soap and dishwashing liquid, to food and fresh produce such as organic Fair Trade coffee, organic rice, varying types of sea salt, food products like jams, chilli flakes, tofu adobo, and rare seasonal food items (as noted in an article in Time magazine, where Ritual was recently featured).

For the holiday season, the store teems with artisan gift sets and Christmas food baskets filled with organic food options.

Ritual is located at Unit A, The Collective Warehouse, 7274 Malugay St., San Antonio Village, Makati City. Call 400-4326 or 0917`7932461; e-mail info@ritualshop.com or www.ritualshop.com.