Spotlight On... Sustainability

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 any sacrifice on quality or look,” confirms Katie Loxton, founder of both 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, saving 0.02 litres of oil and 1.94 litres of water). The company is also moving its best selling Katie Loxton Perfect Pouch to an eco-friendly material, one of the first to do so in the fashion industry. “This is just the beginning!” says Katie.

In interiors, Gallery Direct has a range of Simply Green cushions and throws which are also made from recycled plastic bottles. “A great deal of thought, design and development went into the new brand, from the logo to the products to the labels,” says head of sales and business development (Accessories) Chris Lewis.

The 100% recycled throws are handwoven using yarn made from recycled bottles, with each throw using approximately 300 plastic bottles. They are collected and shredded into very fine strips which are back combed to open the fibres and then spun into yarn and dyed. The resulting yarn is as soft as wool, with washable and stain-resistant properties. Matching feather-filled cushions, made from the same fabric, are also available. Additionally, the labels used for the collection are made from recycled material, while the cushions and throws have a woven label, featuring the brand logo, and recycled cardboard swing tag.

“It's common knowledge that the effect of plastic and excess rubbish on the world is something we all need to combat,” says Puckator’s designer Laura Billingham, “and people can have a significant impact by making the simple switch over to reusable bags. On average, 500 single-use plastic shopping bags are replaced by one reusable bag over the course of a single year!”

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.

Above: The Katie Loxton Kensington weekend bag from the company’s Sustainable Style collection. Inset: A selection of re-usable bags from Puckator. Left: An Eco Chic re-usable shopping bag. Far left: Simply Green throws and cushions from Gallery Direct.

The company’s wide range of reusable products ranges from an eco-option for a school lunchbox to a new weekend shopper, with official licensed reusable products, to include Volkswagen, Asterix and Obelix, also available.

The need to acquire re-usable carrier bags, and to beat the new trading charge that was to be introduced by the Government, inspired the launch of Eco Chic six years ago, a subsidiary brand of Faye UK. “As the industry, along with consumers, became more aware of sustainability, Eco Chic took the decision to make all its products sustainable, recyclable or recycled, including all packaging,” explains the company’s Richard Marsden.

The company offers a wide choice of colourful, competitively priced bags - all made 100% from recycled plastic bottles - with Eco Chic repurposing over 1.5m plastic bottles in production in the last year alone. “In addition, due to popular demand,

the product line of reusable thermal bottles has been expanded too, further encouraging a shift away from single-use plastic,” adds Richard.

At KitchenCraft, part of Lifetime Brands, commercial and marketing director Claire Budgen highlights the company’s new BUILT Planet Bottle. “It’s made from recycled plastic bottles that would have otherwise ended up in landfill,” she comments.

BUILT has teamed up with community projects to encourage schools to collect disused bottles in exchange for library vouchers, with the plastic bottles then transformed into the BUILT Planet Bottle. Other recent launches include glass bottles for those who prefer them to drinking from stainless steel flasks.

Also banging the drum for sustainable food and drink products is Blue Eyed Sun, with the company’s eco-friendly Bioloco giftware products winning five categories in the Gift of the Year Awards earlier this year - to include Bioloco’s Plant Kids Cup, which won the Best Ethical Gift Award for its outstanding environmental credentials.

Comments Blue Eyed Sun’s managing director Jeremy Corner, who distributes Bioloco in the UK. “Our new carbon neutral Bioloco Plant products are a great example of carbon neutral and climate positive products that help to reduce their impact on the planet. These types of products are ideal for ethically minded consumers who want to do the right thing with their purchasing - a significant and fast growing percentage of shoppers in the UK as statistics show.” Heather Watherston, founder and creative director of Whiz Kid Games, whose Go Genius board game won a Gift of the Year 2021 award, points out that in the past five years there’s been a shift from eco products being niche to becoming mainstream, with the gift industry very much at the forefront. “Additionally, consumers are realising that they can buy gifts with eco credentials and not necessarily pay too much of a premium for them,” says Heather. “To minimise our carbon footprint we manufacture locally in Europe with a partner that uses sustainable energy. All games are printed on FSC paper, playing pieces and dice are made from wood from local, sustainable forests and colours and coatings are all water-based and non-toxic. Everything we make is 100% recyclable.” Interestingly, Tilnar Art has always been ahead of the curve, with sustainability at the company’s heart, and all collections handmade, fair trade and recycled. This summer, the company is launching a new range of products that include elephants, giraffes, Highland cows and stag sculptures made from recycled aluminium. As with all Tilnar’s collections, they are handmade by Indian artisans working in cooperatives. In fact, the

company’s Azeti, H20 and Meg Hawkins collections are not only recycled but completely recyclable and come in a plasticfree presentation box too, while the handmade Soapstone collection has less than 1% environmental impact in terms of production and disposal, compared to equivalent plastic or resin based products. “We’re proud to say that this is a zero plastic product,” says Tilnar’s Nicky Maynard.

With gift companies proud to fanfare their sustainability credentials, and consumers thinking more about their purchases and the effect they will have on the planet, sustainability is surely on course to becoming a way of life.

Worth Taking Note

To complement the company’s humorous greeting cards, Rosie Made A Thing has just launched magnetic fridge list pads which are printed in the UK on sustainably-sourced textured board and supplied in biodegradable packaging.

Right: Rosie Made A Thing’s new sustainable magnetic list pad. Above: Award winning, sustainable Bioloco is distributed in the UK by Blue Eyed Sun. Right: Whiz Kid Games’ Go Genius Maths board is 100% recyclable. Below left: Planet Bottle is new from BUILT. Below right: Brand new products from Tilnar Art which are made from recycled aluminium.