Sustainability, recycling and upcycling are important to me.

Buttons, beads and findings

My beaded jewellery range is created from new materials. The law regarding jewellery findings (clasps, links etc…) is strict concerning metals such as nickel, cadmium and lead, which means that if I recycled older jewellery it may not be as safe. I also use new beads to ensure there are no icky chemicals that can come off on your skin.

I use buttons in my work, including vintage ones from my great grandfather, who was a tailor. Older buttons will not be used in items that will be worn next to the skin. Instead, I use these on fabric items.

Fabric and yarn

I have a lot of fabric and yarn in my ‘stash’ that I’ve established over the last decade and more. A lot of it is composed of less sustainable materials e.g. acrylic yarn. The majority of my stash has been bought new or has been given to me and I will be using this but replacing it with ethical deadstock and/or sustainable alternatives wherever possible.

For example, my upcycled bag range uses fabric from old upholstery books and the linings are made from deadstock fabric that would otherwise go to landfill.

Sustainability itself is a nightmare though — a plastic bottle can be recycled into another plastic bottle, or it can be made into clothing. But what about when that clothing is thrown away or donated to a charity shop? It cannot be recycled further. On the other hand, we are drowning in plastic, so so clothing made from recycled bottles, might be a better option than the alternative.

According to one of my local knitting shops — and a champion of sustainability and community — woollen socks made with some polyamide or nylon last a lot longer than pure wool. And it makes them more comfortable as it gives them a little stretch — Wiggle room for your toes, so to speak!

There’s no easy answer to any of this, but I’m going to do my best in my little corner of the world.

Other Materials

There are some items I have to buy new and can’t obtain easily from local charity shops e.g. bag hardware. If possible, I buy in bulk to reduce carbon emissions and look for where I can minimise wastage e.g. buying continuous zips on a cardboard reel — this has less packaging and I can cut to exact size each time.

I keep all fabric remnants and reuse these as stuffing or quilt them into new items.

Postage and Packaging

I use packaging which is environmentally friendly and only post within the UK which saves on air mileage. I choose delivery companies that have an environmental policy and also, ensure they are services that stop at a lot of houses each day, on optimised routes, which reduces carbon emissions.