Ecological & Social Responsibility

Leather & Hide

 The sustainability or “greenness” of leather has always been a contentious issue. To those who are vegan — probably for most vegetarians too — there is an insurmountable moral aspect to leather, whereas for those who willingly eat meat, the production of leather is an important secondary industry correlated to that of meat production whereby a major by-product is reused and converted into new, higher-value product.

Rubber Backing

The rubber backing used is manufactured from recycled tyre-rubber and provides excellent stability, as well as first-rate acoustic and cushioning properties. When pressure is released, the rubber-crumb granules swiftly return to their original shape, neither collapsing nor degrading over time. Unlike other rubber products, the backing does not expand when warmed by under-floor heating or direct sunlight, which prevents the rug from rippling or “saucering”.

Workshop Recycling

All scrap leather, rubber, plastic and cellophane generated by the workshop is delivered to the eco-brick exchange where it is ingeniously recycled into the manufacture of “bricks” used in constructing well-insulated dwellings for those in need of affordable housing.

Skills & Training

We have trained a group of unemployed local women in the semi-skilled art of hand-stitching. As our workload increases, we are able to provide more work to this group and allow them to bring in other family members and pass on the skills training to them too.