When you think about buying a bag there are a number of factors you might assess before making a purchase, whether that’s durability, colour, price or size different considerations will run through your mind depending on its function.
Increasingly, consumers are looking at where products have come from and how they are made, not just to confirm that the brand is reliable and can be trusted to deliver a suitable product in exchange for your hard-earned money. Producers of beautiful hand-woven rugs, textiles and bags, Weaver Green have created a dynamic range of products that ooze quality, style and comfort, so it may surprise you to hear they are made from 100% recycled plastic bottles.
Lizzie Henderson’s affiliation with COINS Foundation began with her involvement at the Cookie Bar and has recently branched out with this new enterprise following the concept of using business to make a difference.
Having initially been drawn to the bags at a trade show, the appeal was aesthetically based but after discovering their point of sale and their story behind the products she immediately asked if she could open an account with them. A great substitute to the standard carrier bag used at supermarkets, the Weaver Green bags have a number of uses and attributes including; lightweight, comfortable to carry and available in a variety of colours and styles.
“I found this company at a trade show and was drawn in the first instance to the look of the product. The fact they are made of 100% recycled plastic bottles persuaded me to place an order and I am now finding the whole range an easy sell.”
A growing concern that is thought to be potentially more dangerous than climate change, each year between 5 million and 13 million tonnes of plastic leaks into the world’s oceans. In addition to the obvious pollution, the discarded bottles pose a huge threat to sea birds, fish and other organisms that could ingest or are injured by them. An increase in recycling has relieved some of the pressure but it struggles to cope with the sheer mass of plastic used and if this continues, it is thought that by 2050 the ocean will contain more plastic by weight than fish.
“Weaver Green’s range of environmentally friendly rugs look and feel like wool but contain between 50 and 750 recycled plastic bottles each.”
Tackling this problem head on, Weaver Green are transforming beaches and oceans everywhere but their responsible approach doesn’t end with the environment.
“We only use weaving houses committed to employ skilled adults, who are paid fairly and enjoy comfortable and fair living conditions.”
Lizzie predominantly sells the products at gift fairs but also travels around to people’s houses, taking samples of the rugs so that they can see the colours in their own homes. Despite being a fairly recent venture, having started earlier this summer, Lizzie’s recognised an obvious demand for the products and hopes to eventually open a shop to allow her to concentrate on selling the range full time.
The model commonly referred to as ‘fair trade’ focuses on putting people and the planet first from production through to purchase and since businesses can’t survive without the demand from customers, they are placed in control of driving this change. Companies have a responsibility to provide quality products so that consumers don’t have to make sacrifices in order to support them and this is exactly what Weaver Green have certainly managed to achieve.
