MATERIAL CONSIDERATIONS
1. Renewable Materials
As the Earth’s natural resources continue to diminish, renewable materials have become essential to ecological sustainability. While many organic materials do regenerate, the pace of their renewal varies dramatically. Materials sourced from the biosphere—those that grow on the Earth’s surface, such as bamboo or seagrass—renew far more quickly than those drawn from the lithosphere, like coal. Even within the biosphere, materials like bamboo regenerate significantly faster than materials like wood. To design responsibly, we prioritise materials with higher renewability and substitute exhaustible resources wherever possible.
2. Minimally Treated Materials
We favour materials that require minimal processing. Reducing chemical and mechanical treatments lowers energy use and emissions, strengthening ecological sustainability. Fewer interventions also mean fewer production steps—supporting efficiency and long-term economic sustainability without compromising quality or finish.
3. Recyclable Materials
Recyclable materials play a vital role in reducing waste and extending material value. To enable effective recycling, we design products using as few materials as possible. Where multiple materials are necessary, we select those with similar end-of-life pathways and life spans. We avoid composites which are difficult to recycle, including reconstituted stones, doublets and triplets. We also avoid non-essential add-ons such as stickers, all of which complicate separation and recycling.
4. Recycled Materials
Wherever feasible, we replace virgin materials with recycled or reclaimed alternatives. Using recycled material reduces demand on newly extracted resources while retaining material integrity and value—strengthening both ecological and economic sustainability.
5. Local Materials
We use local materials, which are deeply interlinked with the communities that nurture and use them. They sustain livelihoods, uphold cultural traditions, and strengthen social fabrics. And because the health of the land is inseparable from the well-being of these communities, local sourcing naturally fosters more careful, ecologically responsible stewardship.
6. Fairly Traded Materials
We only use fairly traded materials, where producers receive fair, sustained compensation, fostering stability and dignity in their work. By building direct, trust-based connections between maker and buyer, it mirrors the personal exchanges of craft systems and reinforces social accountability—making it a vital pillar of social sustainability.
7. Ecologically Certified Materials
As far as possible, we use eco-certified materials which carry assurances of sustainability—covering chain of custody, reduced pollutants, renewable energy use, post-consumer recycling, and the use of organic, bio-based, or reclaimed resources. Each of these measures contributes directly to ecological sustainability, ensuring that materials are responsibly sourced, processed, and reintegrated into the environment.
8. Non-toxic Materials
We prioritise non-toxic materials to minimise harm to both ecosystems and human health. Materials and additives that are inherently hazardous—such as PCBs, PCTs, lead, and mercury—are excluded from our practice. We also avoid substances that damage the ozone layer or release harmful emissions during processing, including chlorine-, fluorine-, and bromine-based compounds, methyl bromide, halons, and CFC-based refrigerants.
9. Less/No Material from Intensive Agriculture
Intensive agriculture depends on chemical fertilisers, pesticides, and shortened fallow cycles to maximise yield—often at the expense of soil health, water systems, and biodiversity. We avoid materials derived from such practices, recognising that their environmental costs undermine long-term ecological sustainability.