As a young business set up with an eco ethic, we started on our sustainable path from booting up. We've not reached the end of the journey. As we grow, the path sometimes forks and there are choices about the best route, but we're totally committed to our destination. Get the lowdown on some of the steps we take towards sustainable products, packaging and delivery and why.
Product
1/ Reusable
We don’t sell single use. Instead we make products you can use time and again, and we don’t skimp on quality, or chase short-lived trends, because we want our products to last. Our furoshiki fabric wraps are made using a premium yarn that creates a fabric resistant to pilling and bobbling, so they’ll stay in great condition for years.
2/ Sizing
It’s not by chance that the sizes of our furoshiki are 53cm and 80cm, not only are they practical sizes for wearing and wrapping, but they fit perfectly across a width of fabric so there’s minimal waste in their creation.
3/ Digital printing
This works like your home inkjet printer, tiny droplets of dye are applied to the paper, or fabric in our case. Compared to more common roller fabric printing methods - think a machine version of potato print pictures - digital fabric printing uses less dye, energy and water.
4/ Natural material
All our fabric wraps are made from 100% cotton. Used for 1000’s of years it needs minimal processing to turn the cotton fibres into yarn, and unlike synthetic materials, such as recycled polyester, creates no microplastics.
Packaging
5/ No fancy packaging
Sorry if you’re looking for a fabulous Instagram-able unboxing experience - colourful tissue paper and confetti hearts encasing our gorgeous fabric wraps. Not here. Packaging is kept to a minimum.
6/ Beyond plastic
While plastic has many uses and benefits, we aren't yet able to deal with it at the end of its useful life, without the risk of littering and environmental damage. Plastic is so widely used, that it’s near impossible for any business to truthfully say ‘plastic free’, but we do make all practical efforts to avoid it.
7/ Sustainable packaging
Our packaging is the most sustainable we can practically make it. Take the small stickers which hold the sleeves in place. We could use a transparent plastic sticker which would look a little neater, but we don’t. We could use a regular paper sticker, but we don’t. Instead, we choose to pay a little more for [an identical looking] FSC certified, 100% recycled, chlorine-free paper sticker. That level of detail and thought goes into every item we use.
Delivery
8/ Keeping it simple
Any packaging we send you (paper envelopes, card mailers, sleeves) is, as well as being made from recycled paper, widely kerbside recyclable, meaning it’s easy for you to carry on the good work and recycle again.
9/ Carbon footprint
Most of our orders are letterbox sized so we use Royal Mail for our deliveries. This means orders arrive with your regular morning post, no separate delivery trucks, so it’s the lowest carbon footprint way of getting products from us to you. We also carbon offset 100% of any emissions that are created.
And finally
10/ Our goal
Our goal as a business isn’t financial, as a small independent there are no shareholders demanding a return, or banks requiring repayments.
Instead we believe that sustainable choices should be simple, no-brainers, for everyone. Small swaps as part of everyday life.
Our goal is to make simple, sustainable swaps easy, from disposable to reusable. Whether you buy a fabric wrap from us, or repurpose a scarf from your wardrobe, or make your own furoshiki from some spare fabric, we’re here to give you tips and ideas. Are you in?
