Here at Retreat we try to be as green as possible and we consider the impact we have on the world in everything we do.  So here are a few facts you might not know about us...

Our office is solar powered.

With all factories we go above and beyond fair trade. Our social accountability policy covers, fair trade, environmental impact, working conditions, human right and freedom of choice amongst other things. In fact I can really bang on about social accountability so please feel free to ask questions at the next trade show. 

We work hard to bring product into the country in the same packaging as we send it out. We also use biodegradable packaging wherever possible. We reuse over 80% of boxes which come into us.

If we do receive plastic protective packaging we ALWAYS reuse it. Be it bags for cushion pads or bubble wrap. This is never thrown away. 

As you know we are always forward selling, asking our lovely customers to consider their needs for coming months. This is for two reasons, firstly we are lucky enough to fill our monthly production capacity in advance but also we are able to target our artisans into making the right amount of each line and therefore limit any terminal stock. We have never put terminal stock into landfill.

90% of our wood products are made from mango wood. Mango wood is fundamentally the by-product of an already thriving industry: Mango fruit. Unlike the oaks of North America which take 50-100 years to mature, mango trees mature quickly; reaching 80-100 feet in around 15 years. Once the trees get too tall to easily harvest the fruit or stop bearing fruit altogether, they are harvested for timber and a new generation of trees is planted.

The wood that  we make our collection from was previously burnt or left to break down naturally not only provides extra income to mango farmers, but provides us with an affordable material that’s easy to work with.

We may occasional ask for your assistance to be earth kind too.  On a very rare occasion we may offer you a discount to client a dirty mark instead of collecting an item, cleaning it here and sending it back out.  This is very rare  however we all need to do our bit.

All the paper we use for your delivery notes and invoices is recycled. 

We sell in sets if there is space inside a product. What we mean is we never import air. If we an fit a smaller pot inside a larger one, we will. Saving  packaging, fuel, and capacity on the boat. Splitting the pack when it reaches you is a small price to pay for saving the environment. Oh at it makes the product cheaper too as we aren't paying for any waste.

We have introduced a range of cotton home fabrics in our SS22 collection which are made from cotton offcuts from a local garment factory, these offcuts would normally be added to landfill but instead we have taken them, made them back to thread and manufactured a lovely stars and stripes collection. See the certificate of recycling number to the right. 

From February 2022 all plastic bags we use for protective packaging will be made from recycled plastic and also be recyclable. Our source for bags has now been verified by the Global Recycling Standards click on the logo to read more about it. 

Bamboo is a fast-growing plane ton earth. It is naturally mould and mildew resistant, naturally anti bacterial and odour resistant and it's stronger than most hardwoods. Bamboo needs no pesticides to grow, therefore it is the eco-friendly choice with low environmental impact. Properly cared for, quality bamboo bowls can last a lifetime.

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