At Dook, our deep love for the sea is reflected in our name - 'Dook' is a Scottish word meaning “to dip” or “to bathe,” and it perfectly captures all that Dook is! Being just a stone’s throw from Portobello beach, we see hundreds of brave souls take part in the “Loony Dook”, plunging into the freezing waters of the Firth of Forth (and even swimmers year-round, facing the waves no matter the weather!). But while this annual tradition is a joyful celebration of the sea, the reality beneath the waves is not so pretty.
From our shop, it’s just a short walk to the beach, where you can walk along the promenade where many locals regularly spot seals, dolphins, and even the occasional whale. In fact, we’ve been so inspired by the sea, that we created our Clay Mask range in collaboration with Portobello’s Soul Water Sauna. However, despite the beauty of the Firth of Forth, its marine environment is under serious threat. Pollution, habitat destruction, and depleted fish stocks have left their mark, and local investigations have revealed harmful pollutants entering the water. We believe that as a responsible business, we have a duty to not only prevent further damage but to engage in restoration projects for our local environment.
What Being a Responsible, Sustainable Business Means for Dook
Sustainability isn’t just a buzzword for us, it’s at the core of how we operate. Being a sustainable business means making conscious choices at every step—from ingredient sourcing to packaging—to ensure that we minimise our impact on the planet. We strive to account for our carbon emissions, go beyond net zero and work toward becoming a climate-positive company, offsetting more carbon than we produce.
But sustainability isn’t just about what happens within our business—it’s also about supporting initiatives that restore and protect the world around us. That’s why we decided to support Restoration Forth, a project dedicated to reviving marine habitats in the Firth of Forth.
Supporting Local Ecosystems: Why we've chosen to support Restoration Forth
This project focuses on two critical restoration efforts:
Seagrass Planting: Seagrass meadows act as powerful carbon sinks, capturing carbon dioxide while also providing a vital habitat for marine life. However, these meadows have been significantly reduced due to pollution and habitat loss. Restoration Forth is working to replant and protect these essential ecosystems.
Oyster Bed Restoration: Once covering vast areas of the Forth’s seabed, native oyster populations were decimated by trawling in the early 1900s. Oysters are natural water filters, improving water quality and creating thriving habitats for other marine species. Reintroducing oyster beds helps to restore the balance of the ecosystem. There’s been a lot of fantastic progress with this project and we’re excited to see more native oysters continue to return!
These projects don’t just help the marine environment—they contribute to broader climate solutions by improving biodiversity and carbon sequestration. As a local business, we see it as our responsibility to support and champion these efforts.
Sustainability at Dook: Our Everyday Practices
Beyond our contributions to Restoration Forth, we embed sustainability into our daily operations. Here’s what we’re doing to reduce our footprint:
Renewable Energy: Our shop is powered by solar and wind energy, ensuring that our production process is as clean as possible.
Eco-Friendly Ingredients & Packaging: We carefully source our ingredients, balancing ethical considerations with quality. Our packaging is designed to be minimal and sustainable, reducing waste.
Carbon Footprint Awareness: Some of our ingredients are imported from across the world so we actively seek ways to offset emissions, including through projects like Restoration Forth!
Achieving Net-Zero: By helping Restoration Forth to establish carbon sinks such as seagrass meadows we can begin to offset the carbon produced by our business. We’re proud to be Scottish business and as such to adhere to the ambitious net zero targets set by the Scottish Government.
Climate-Positive: We aim to go beyond net zero and one day become a climate-positive business, which means going above Carbon Neutral to offset at least 10% more CO2e than your current carbon footprint.
How You Can Get Involved
Real change happens through us, everyday. So next time you’re on a beach, make sure you pick up a few bits of plastic and bin them on your way home. It might seem small. But each action we take and decision we make has the power to impact others.
Volunteer: If you’re keen to get even more involved, there are various ways to volunteer with Citizen Science projects, such as this one.
Support: You can get involved with Restoration Forth’s incredible efforts to restore the Firth of Forth yourself.
Local Events & Surveys: There are various ways to contribute to marine research and restoration, including participating in surveys and attending local events.
Support Sustainable Businesses: Choosing eco-friendly products—like our handmade soap bars, solid shampoo bars, and recycled plastic soap dishes—helps drive demand for responsible business practices and sustainable production.
A Commitment to a Sustainable Future
At Dook, we recognise that running a business has an environmental impact, and we’re committed to giving back to nature. We’re inspired by Scotland’s ambitious net zero targets, but we want to go further—we want to be a climate-positive business. By supporting marine restoration and integrating sustainable practices into our operations, we’re working to make a positive difference.