Sensitive Sourcing
Namaste
supports ethically made Fair Trade products, created with the least
possible environmental impact. All goods are carefully sourced from
eco-friendly, naturally sustainable and recycled materials wherever
possible. A large majority of the goods we sell fall into this category
and we are aiming to increase this all the time.Naturally, we want to package those goods with equal consideration for the planet.
What We Are Doing
At Namaste we have been taking action against our consumption of plastic.
We
have stopped using plastic bags to protect the items we sell (unless
there is currently absolutely no alternative available and if the
plastic is essential) and instead are challenging our suppliers to look
at alternatives.
Where possible goods are now being wrapped in
recycled paper or environmentally friendly Fair Trade Lokta paper from
Nepal, cotton or recycled materials to protect them from damage and keep
them clean.
We have been using recycled boxes for packing your orders for 20 years and will continue to do so.
We
are encouraging the use of corrugated paper/card and corrugated corners
to protect more fragile items. At present, minimal use of bubble wrap
or polystyrene may still be necessary to stop some products getting
broken but rest assured we are looking at alternatives for this also and
we are trialling alternatives.
Some of these changes will take a
while to filter through, as we keep substantial stock quantities in our
warehouse. For new orders we place, this process is easier and these
will be the ones you notice first.
Where plastic use is still
necessary, we support a circular system where existing plastic is kept
in the economy and out of the environment. We will remove any plastic
necessary to protect the shipment of goods from supplier to Namaste and
we already recycle all plastics.
We also recycle cardboard and paper by shredding it on-site and we use this for extra packaging where needed.
We also encourage our suppliers to source raw materials locally and to use recycled packaging on their products.
Our Eco Aims
Namaste is dedicated to continuous improvements regarding ALL our business activities and their possible environmental impact.
We aim to minimise our use of resources, identify and implement ways of reducing consumption, and re-use everything we can.
Material Matters
Recycling,
upcycling and creative re-use of resources is a crucial offering of
Namaste products. Several of our ranges are made with age-old
sustainable heritage techniques; in use long before sustainability
became a 'modern' issue.
Vintage Kantha
Kantha
stitch embroidery originates from the villages of Eastern India and
refers to an ancient traditional running stitch. Old sarees and mixed
fabrics combined with layers of Kantha stitching are used to create
beautiful bedding and throws. Simple embroidered quilts called Nakshi
Kantha are an ancient family crafting tradition.
Made from
upcycled textiles typically from factories where the fabric may have
been rejected due to colour imperfections, or flaws deemed unsuitable
for production. End of lines and remnants are perfect for making Kantha
stitched garments, bags, accessories and soft furnishings.
It takes about six sarees to make a standard-sized Kantha quilt!
Vintage Furniture
There are some fine examples of creative upcycling in this collection!
Decorative
tables upcycled from the base of a table originally used for grinding
grain in Gurarat, India, are bright new decorative items. A mirror is
beautifully framed by a feature window shutter from an Indian home. An
old unused milk churn is topped with reclaimed wood and transformed into
a novel stool.
All these ideas will benefit the environment by preventing landfill and utilising materials already in existence.
Rag Rugs
This
Indian craft favourite remains popular not least because of a low
carbon footprint. A fun use for waste material, India's thriving garment
industry produces surplus off-cuts, prime for recycling into a variety
of goods.
Paper
Recycled paper products
feature largely, such as a popular range of velvet finish stars. Made
entirely from recycled cotton waste and using a technique involving no
wood or chemicals.
Lokta paper production is common to Thimi (aka
Madhyapur) 10Km east of Kathmandu, Nepal. But our chosen supplier is
one of the few to carry out the process from start to finish, including
making finished paper products. All are produced without chemicals.
Upcycling or Recycling?
Upcycling – The reuse of waste in its original form, in order to make something new.
Recycling – Waste products are broken down and re-formed to make something new.
Using just recycled and upcycled materials can make the most colourful, vibrant finished goods with a purpose!