07/09/2022
This week is the 15th annual Zero Waste Week.
I know that there is a lot of greenwashing about and at the end of the day I am producing a new product into the world. However from the starting point of my business I’ve tried to think about how to be as zero waste as possible. It goes without saying that we all need to do more to reduce our waste. As a small business it's not only important for the environment but also to keep costs down.
I’ve recently seen articles on zero waste restaurants which I’m really interested in. 🍽
The fabric I use in my designs has 70% recycled Italian wool in it, but like most upholstery fabric it comes in widths of about 140cm. Unfortunately my geometric designs and the nature of the furniture means that there is often a lot of left over fabric.
So in order to be as zero waste as possible I make these scatter cushions with the excess material. I often offer them to my customers as a matching accessory when they purchase one of the my bigger items. ✂️🧵
When plotting out the woodcuts for the frames from 4ft x 8ft sheets of timber I try to be as efficient as possible and pass the left over wood back to my frame maker. If they are really tiny pieces he puts them in his workshop wood burner in the winter to keep warm. 🪵🪚
Lastly, all of the left over scraps of 'rubberised hair' (the eco equivalent to foam) I pass onto local colleges or community groups to use in various projects. 🏫
