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Our business practices are based on respect and compassion for life and the environment. The Barefoot products are individually hand made by people who are given training, a decent wage and working conditions, and who operate from home or small rural workshops. Our other products are ethically sourced and/or have a positive environmental impact. We never sell products that have been made using sweatshop or child labour.
All the Barefoot products are made from 100% cotton, cotton and silk or wool yarn. The dyes are eco-friendly and safe and where there is filling used, it is kapok pulp. The fibres are natural and therefore, biodegradable. Barefoot is not a registered fair trade company, but it does have enlightened, ethical practices, where the employees are treated as “family”. Please see the about Barefoot page for more details.
Ecosilk Bags
Ecosilk bags are designed and imported from Australia, but manufactured in China. The factory has been checked and has reasonable working conditions and wages. Although Ecosilk bags are made from nylon, their positive impact on the environment is so great in terms of their viability as an alternative to plastic that we have decided to include them in our collection.
We all know now that plastic bags are a menace and most of us want to stop using them – but there are difficulties! We forget our shopping bags; we just don't have them with us when we buy something we weren't planning. We don't want to carry bulky bags all the time. We want something that looks good too. We need something that ticks all the boxes. Well here it is!
This bag was conceived in New South Wales, Australia by designer Emily Hay, who was dismayed at the widespread use of plastic and the lack of any really viable alternative. She came up with this product.
Emily began making them on her kitchen table in 2001, but now her business has grown to full blown factory production. They are made in a factory in China to a high standard by fairly paid and ethically treated workers. Emily's concern was much more with the standards in the factory, than the price of manufacture. This is their declaration:
"I appreciate very much that you are concerned with Chinese workers' working conditions. We don't employ child workers, and our workers are paid fairly and never forced to work overtime. Our workers enjoy the holidays according to our Government rules. Also the working environment is not very, very nice, but it is not bad either."
Environmental policy
We use recycled stationary and our packaging is either biodegradable or recycled. Any non-biodegradable packing we may use, has been sent to us and is being reused; we never buy it. Our posting bags are biodegradable.
We always ship our Barefoot merchandise by sea, rather than fly it into the UK, minimising the carbon footprint of importing. Our business electricity comes from renewable sources.
We are keen to learn new ways of recycling and saving resources. Our intention is to offer the best possible service to you, the customer, without degrading other people or blighting the environment. We would love to hear from you if you have any helpful comments to make.
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