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Spotlight On... Sustainability
Protecting The Planet With the world focused on environmental concerns, suppliers across all industries are taking action to ensure that they are manufacturing responsibly. PG&H talked to some of the leading gift suppliers who are putting sustainability at the top of their agenda, while ensuring that products keep up with trends. As retailers have been discovering, there has been a significant increase in ethical consumerism with people wanting to feel positive about the things they surround themselves with or gift to others. It has made them more mindful and critical in their buying, and keen to learn more about a product’s origin and sustainable credentials. The knock-on effect has been for suppliers to up their game, to include Katie Loxton, with the brand embarking on a journey of becoming more sustainable in SS21 through offering nine best selling styles that have all been made from recycled materials. The Sustainable Style collection is the brand’s first launch, with the company’s ecofriendly goal being to create all their collections sustainably. “The capsule collection ranges from the Sophia crossbody to the Kensington weekend bag, which
deliver the same loved style without Above: The Katie Loxton Kensington weekend bag from the company’s any sacrifice on quality or look,” Sustainable Style collection. confirms Katie Loxton, founder of both Inset: A selection of re-usable bags from Puckator. her eponymous company and Joma Jewellery. (See Jewellery/Fashion Accessories on pages 55-59). The collection has been created using RPET-based PU and RPET polyester lining, with RPET material (recycled polyethylene terephthalate) made by using recycled plastic bottles, with the Kensington weekend bag made from 21 plastic bottles. (One metre of RPET PU material can reuse an impressive 21 waste plastic bottles, reducing CO2 emissions by 1.32 litres, Left: An Eco Chic re-usable saving 0.02 litres of oil and 1.94 litres of shopping bag. water). The company is also moving its Far left: Simply Green throws and cushions from Gallery Direct. best selling Katie Loxton Perfect Pouch to an eco-friendly material, one of the properties. Matching first to do so in the fashion industry. feather-filled cushions, “This is just the beginning!” says Katie. made from the same fabric, In interiors, Gallery Direct has a are also available. range of Simply Green cushions and Additionally, the labels throws which are also made from used for the collection are recycled plastic bottles. “A great deal made from recycled of thought, design and development material, while the cushions went into the new brand, from the logo and throws have a woven to the products to the labels,” says label, featuring the brand head of sales and business development logo, and recycled cardboard swing tag. “It's common knowledge that the effect (Accessories) Chris Lewis. of plastic and excess rubbish on the world is The 100% recycled throws are handsomething we all need to combat,” says woven using yarn made from recycled bottles, Puckator’s designer Laura Billingham, “and with each throw using approximately 300 people can have a significant impact by plastic bottles. They are collected and making the simple switch over to reusable shredded into very fine strips which are back bags. On average, 500 single-use plastic combed to open the fibres and then spun into shopping bags are replaced by one reusable yarn and dyed. The resulting yarn is as soft bag over the course of a single year!” as wool, with washable and stain-resistant Progressive Gifts & Home Worldwide
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