Sustainability and Ethical Practices - Showcasing Our Brands That Share These Values.
April 20 2021 – Jayne Graham
Sustainability and ethical work practices are super important in the interiors industry today and all other industries really. I had my kids ask me recently if Cranmore Home & Co was a sustainable business and it made me think about the brands we stock, my own packaging (which currently is using biodegradable bags) and other areas of the business I should review to ensure we are being as sustainable as possible. But, it did also make me want to do a sense check on our brands, as I knew it was important to us and our partners but I hadn't checked for a while as to what they were all doing. So you could imagine how super impressed I was to see how for most of them sustainability and ethical work practices are a priority and just the norm for their businesses!
So what does it really mean to be sustainable and ethical? Well I thought I would share my thoughts on this and showcase some of our brands that truly embrace sustainability and ethical practices in their business values.
Sustainably refers to pieces that are made from materials that have been recycled or repurposed, or pieces that are made from material that is renewable like bamboo or canvas cotton and make minimal impact on the planet. Companies can also adopt sustainable manufacturing, packaging and supply chain practices which have a positive impact on our planet. Homewares and furniture made from sustainable materials will also last the test of time, hence the importance of quality products.
Ethical work practices ensure that companies set professional standards of moral conduct and judgment. This includes ensuring work conditions are appropriate, the health and safety of employees is important and if companies have their products manufactured in other countries, that they ensure their standards are upheld for international employees. It does also ensure that international companies consider local cultures and customs when in business together. As many brands design their products in Australia, but produce their items overseas it is important to ensure they are considering the workplace conditions of their international partners.
Here are some examples of a few of our boutique brands and how they are embracing sustainability both environmentally and socially and also how they are implementing ethical work practices.
One of our favourite sustainable and ethical furniture brands Uniqwa is passionate about looking after our planet. Their key goal is to design furniture that can be used throughout a lifetime or that can be continually reused. They are environmentally responsible in their manufacturing and are also 100% committed to timber pieces being sourced sustainably. They also refuse to support any manufacturer that does not adhere to eco ethical practice and they do not produce any items that have been made from rainforest timber. To read their mission on Sustainability click here.
Ohh Happy Home
Our rug brand Oh Happy Home (OHH) are also committed to ethical work practices. They design their rugs in Australia but they are made in Nepal. Amy, the owner of OHH is committed to helping families in Nepal and India by only producing in small batches so that they can keep their weavers in work all year round. Amy also visits these families (when travel is permitted) to ensure they are following the ethical workplace practices. They are also official partners of GoodWeave International which means you know that the rugs are crafted by adults and not children. GoodWeave International is an organisation dedicated to ending illegal child labour in the rug making industry. To find out more, click here.
McMullin & Co.
McMullin & Co are also committed to environmental and social sustainability. Their pieces are sourced and designed to stand the true test of time and are made of natural and raw materials. hey strive to use more than 95% recycled and environmentally friendly packing material on all of their products. Their products are made in a small family owned and operated factory in Northern West Java, Indonesia and they are committed to ensuring its employees and communities are benefiting from their business through economic advancement and development. To see their environmental and social commitment click here.
Al.ive Body
When Alisa and Lysandra from Al.ive Body started their business they had a clear vision that whatever product they produced it would integrate with the ethos of developing a personal care range that married high-end product design and integrity with the demands of the conscious consumer. They have three key areas in which they try to be conscious of the impact on the environment. Firstly, they have a tree planting pledge with One Tree Planted, so for every product purchased they will plant a tree in Australia to help the planet thrive. Secondly, they invested a considerable amount into ensuring the integrity of their naturally derived formulas. Their products are Australian-made using the finest natural ingredients and contain no SLS/SLES or parabens and are 100% palm-oil free and never tested on animals. And thirdly, they are committed to reducing waste as their bottles are 100% recyclable and they have developed refill pouches so the bottles can be used again and again. To find out more about One Tree Planted click here.
Pony Rider
Pony Rider are one of my personal favourite brands as they are very boutique in their design and offerings. One range that is super sustainable is their 100% re-purposed cotton. They have a whole range that uses cotton taken from the back of trucks, hand-washed and handmade into a new product giving this often disposed of fabric a new life. It also means that the pieces have unique markings from a previous life! Re-purposed goodness!
Lazybones Bedding
As a small business Lazybones Australia is driven by their social and ecological responsibility. They create pieces that can be used again and again from sustainable fabrics and fibres. They use a GOTS (Global Organic Textiles Standard) & Sedex (responsible supply chain) factory in India. They have also started to use a new fabric called Livaeco, which is a soft like viscose material but made with sustainability in mind. This is just a snippet of what Lazybones is doing to have a smaller footprint on the planet, to find out more about what Lazybones Bedding are doing click here.
Sustainability is at the centre of Bedtonic’s ethos. They are conscious about the harmful effect that fast fashion has on our health and planet. Some of their sustainability initiatives include; All Bedtonic products are made with European Flax® Certified Linen produced in Europe, they are proudly Carbon Neutral, working with the Plant a Tree program, their products are made in small batches to ensure quality control and to limit resource consumption and environmental waste and all of Bedtonic products are packaged and shipped in reusable and recyclable materials. To find out more about Bedtonics commitments you can click here.
Tribe Home Rugs
Tribe Home has a Care & Fair project which works towards terminating unjust practice in India. The rugs have a label to indicate that their products are ethically supporting fair wages, trade and conduct.
Tribe Home believe supporting this program is critical in supporting the communities who ethically craft their rugs. It furthermore advocates and contributes to improving local infrastructure, welfare and livelihoods for the communities' that make their rugs.
The Commonfolk Candles
The Commonfolk candles are handmade with sustainability top of mind. They are made from renewable natural soy and coconut wax with no nasty chemicals or toxins, non toxic wicks are used, their gift boxes are recyclable, their shipping packaging is made from recycled materials and their soul candles jars are customer made with the intent of being re-purposed after the candle has been used! How can you not love these!
As you can see the majority of our brands have a clear vision when it comes to sustainability and ethical work practices and we try to ensure all the products we showcase have sustainability as an integral part of their business model. We hope you enjoyed understanding a little bit more about our brands and please do get in touch if you ever have any questions regarding our products and partners.
I hope you enjoyed the read, Jayne x