French ICMIF member MAIF has joined forces with Ulule, a crowdfunding platform for entrepreneurs, to launch Bien ou Bien, a marketplace selling a wide range of products including fashion, beauty products and childcare.

MAIF and Ulule launched BienouBien.com (Good or Good) last month. It is an e-commerce platform which aims to offer an alternative solution to people who wish to consume responsibly. Bien ou Bien brings together everyday products, designed by brands which are committed to respecting the environment and people.

Ulule and MAIF say they share the desire to contribute to the “common good”, to collectively design a more sustainable and united future. Placing the values of trust, sincerity, transparency, optimism and discovery shared by the two companies at its heart, the Bien ou Bien platform aims to unite the forces of committed creative entrepreneurs and responsible consumers and to become a destination platform for all those who want to be able to keep their purchases consistent with their values.

Bien ou Bien will be the first platform to require a double environmental and social commitment in its selection criteria. In practice this means that the site will not offer items such as “organic” cotton clothing from India which has been produced under questionable conditions, nor products that may be “made in France” but which use toxic materials. Good for the planet, and good for humans: this is the challenge for sellers who wish to appear on the Bien ou Bien marketplace, coupled with a requirement for transparency and education so that consumers can make informed choices.

Speaking about the launch, Pascal Demurger, Managing Director of MAIF said: “MAIF has decided to broaden its commitment to the common good and responsible consumption. With this new platform, we are responding to a strong consumer need by offering them the opportunity to move from intention to action and to get involved in strengthening their societal and ecological impact. We therefore naturally approached Ulule, a benchmark player in the collaborative economy, which is committed alongside impact entrepreneurs to offer the Bien ou Bien marketplace to the greatest number of people.”

Alexandre Boucherot, CEO and co-founder of Ulule said: “Faced with the challenges of today’s world, we have seen on Ulule the acceleration of projects by entrepreneurs who are working to reinvent everyday products, in an eco-responsible version, often made in France: ethical fashion, organic cosmetics, toys, household appliances … 100 committed brands have already responded to MAIF and Ulule’s call to distribute their products on Bien or Bien, also convinced that it is possible to trade differently and promote responsible consumption patterns. With Bien ou Bien, we wish to continue promoting initiatives with a positive impact, acclaimed by a growing audience, and thus participate in the necessary transformation of people’s consumption patterns.”