Fairly Traded Jute – A Correction

Earlier this year, we were lucky enough to have had press coverage regarding our jute and cotton bags.

We would just like to point out there are currently no Fairtrade standards for jute and therefore no Fairtrade certified jute available on the market. Fairly traded jute products do exist however (produced in ethical working conditions) but these do not come under the Fairtrade system and they therefore cannot carry the FAIRTRADE Mark.

There are, however, products available that are made from Fairtrade certified cotton and which carry the FAIRTRADE Mark. It was not our intention to mislead anyone.

Click here to view our fairly traded jute and cotton bags.

Fair Trade Jute, Not Plastic

What’s wrong with plastic then? Well, just Google “plastic bag facts” and you’ll be inundated with pages of information.

Did you know that on average only 1 plastic bag in every 200 is recycled? Over 17 billion plastic bags are used in the UK a year.

How many of you have a kitchen drawer (or perhaps under your kitchen sink) full of old plastic bags? How often do you remember to grab a few of them to re-use, when you do your weekly shop?

After much pushing from campaigners, some of the large supermarkets are now trying to work at reducing the amount of plastic bags they use. Some have offered a free bag for life on set days or offer additional points on their store cards for re-using bags. Bags for Life have been offered for years in supermarkets but really they aren’t much better as they’re still made from plastic and are thicker than the “normal” plastic bag. Not only that but I find that they get worn down from carrying heavier items and I can’t use them for long.

Some supermarkets have set recycling points outside their stores specifically for plastic bags. Whilst this is a step in the right direction I can’t help but feel they could be doing a lot more to limit the usage or even go for an all out ban on them.

More and more people are now using jute and cotton bags as an alternative to plastic. They’re far stronger than plastic bags and can be customised to your taste. There are a huge variety of them available to buy, pretty much anywhere nowadays.

I’m pleased to report that our fair trade jute bags are proving to be very popular. I love them - I’m starting to gather my own personal collection! They’re very strong and can fit lots into them. Not only that but they’re bright and a funky alternative to some that are available. We currently have three designs but we are expecting more to arrive in the next fortnight, along with some new, washable cotton bags.