Eco & Ethical

 We believe that style and beauty can still be environmentally friendly and have ethical principles.  All the products in our collection are assessed not just in terms of style and quality but also for the environmental and social impact of its raw materials and method of manufacturing.  The main areas that we use when assessing each product are explored in detail below.  We appreciate that it is difficult for every product to be greener than green and whiter than white and therefore a product may only belong to one category.  However, we believe that each of these categories has value and by providing this information our customers can make a decision based on what is important to them.

Handmade in the UK
Handmade products are better for the environment than their mass-produced counterparts. No, or little, manufacturing means a lower carbon footprint and being UK based means minimal transport emissions. In addition handmade products are not seasonal designs to be replaced again but they are made to be cherished; they have longevity. In fact arts and craft products are often referred to as the antiques of the future. They are not part of the modern 'throw-away' society and because of this they have an intrinsic environmental benefit.

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This category is reserved for products that go that extra eco mile or offer a successful environmentally friendly alternative to a mainstream equivalent.

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It may be the last of the three R’s but it is still very important. We work with artists who use recycled materials in their designs, such as our card range. We also choose to include in our collection products which at the end of their life can be recycled, and therefore not go into landfill.

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Finding new uses for things which are broken, out of date or just no longer needed can be difficult but artists and designers are at the forefront of addressing this issue. They are using their creativity, imagination and hard earned skills and techniques and taking the concept of reusing into a whole new dimension. We are proud to be promoting so many of these ‘re-design’ products as part of this collection, for example Julie Robertson makes new jewellery from broken watch fittings.
One of the reasons we are passionate about handmade products is because they are not mass-produced, seasonal designs to be replaced again but are unique products to be kept and cherished. This longevity means that handmade products have is an intrinsic environmental benefit. However, we are aware that accidents do happen so we have set up a ‘re-use’ scheme whereby if a ceramic product purchased from us is broken, it can be sent back to us and it will be reused by an environmental artist in a mosaic.
We use reused packaging as often as we can and are big fans of scrapstores which is where most of our gift boxes come from. Scrapstores are an amazing resource and very cheap, if you don’t know where your nearest one is then visit the UK directory.
If we can not use reused packaging then we use recycled or packaging made from a sustainable source.

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Fairtrade is concerned with better prices, decent working conditions, local sustainability, and fair terms of trade for farmers and workers in the developing world. By requiring companies to pay sustainable prices fairtrade addresses the injustices of conventional trade, which traditionally discriminates against the poorest, weakest producers. It enables them to improve their position and have more control over their lives.

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Organic products have been grown by using agricultural practices that avoid the use of synthetic chemicals in favour of naturally occurring pesticides, fertilizers and other growing aids. These synthetic chemicals are detrimental to farmers’ and factory workers’ health and also pollute rivers, seas and the earth’s water table.

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The natural materials used in these products are sustainably managed, for example one is planted for every one used. Sometimes the sustainable source is not the raw materials of the product but is part of the processes of making the product. On occasion the natural materials grow naturally to replenish themselves at a sustainable rate. For example our gift wrapping paper and ribbons are made from fair trade bamboo and not one tree has been felled to obtain the raw material to make them.

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A large proportion of our products are handmade in the UK meaning that their transport emissions are low. On the occasions when they are made by designers abroad than we use sea-freight to ensure no air-miles are created by us. In addition we wanted our delivery system to be eco friendly and therefore we offer our international customers the option of having their products delivered by sea-freight.

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We understand the importance of supporting the rural economy and are therefore committed to working with designers and suppliers in rural communities.

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