WORLDWIDE SHIPPING Complimentary within UK on Purchases over £250
Todays socially and environmentally conscious consumer will first think whether consumption is even necessary. Once we decide to buy, we do our research and look at who is providing the product or service and how it impacts the environment and society through its design, delivery and even eventual discard.
Conscious consumerism isn’t new and now shopping simply cannot be considered an ethically or politically neutral act. It is a complex issue with natural, clean and environmentally sound options more often than not being presented at high end price points available to a privileged few.
Various cultural flash-points contribute to a growing understanding that some systemic problems are the sum of everyday individual actions, which has caused us to awaken to our own impact.
Consumer demand for this transparency has surged, and as a family heritage brand, our personal and business ethics align with this conscious movement. It’s what we personally expect from the brands we shop in our everyday lives and we work hard to afford our clients the same respect.
Our Ethics |
Ours may be a brand built on the traditional values of quality and craft, but we are committed to continual improvement, particularly when it comes to sustainability and the environment. As part of this evolution, in 2005 we moved our sourcing and production from Egypt’s Nile Delta to Southern India. Here our cotton is grown, spun, woven into fabric and crafted into luxurious made-to-order linens, all within a 100km radius, keeping our environmental impact to a minimum and ensuring complete control over the integrity and quality of the finished piece and its journey to you.
Our Sustainability |
When it comes to linen quality, we will happily choose ‘old fashioned’ over ‘fast fashion’. Where mass-produced cotton products can be damaging to the environment and offer a shorter life span, REED family linen is exclusively made to order for greater choice with less waste. Our linens last around three times longer than many of our competitors’ products, and as such have a third of their carbon footprint. We are the very antithesis of ‘fast fashion’, and firmly believe in buying better and buying less. Taking this long-term view is altogether better for the environment and natural resources, while offering a superior experience for our customers.
Our Raw Materials |
We have used many different growths of cotton since 1852. The family were amongst the first purchasers of cotton from the Nile Delta on the Manchester Exchange in the 1920s, and we were also founder members of the Barbados Cotton Exchange trading Sea Island Cotton. Over recent years we have pioneered the use of long staple Suvin cotton grown in Southern India which is classified as Egyptian staple length. This clean and silky crop is harvested without the need for intense fertilisers and pesticides which are used today in lower Egypt, and which pollute the Nile Delta region.
Our Own Manufacturing |
Since 2007 we have spun, woven and stitched all our home textile collection at our factory and mill in Southern India. We use locally grown Suvin cotton and process everything within 100kms of our stitching plant which reduces our carbon footprint and impact on the environment. Our weaving mill is located inside a working coconut plantation and our workers all live locally. 90% of our workforce are women and we do not use child labour. Our extensive range of fine embroidered linens are all made in Madagascar by trained seamstresses. Our heirloom products are produced using traditional techniques which have been updated wherever possible to reduce their impact on the environment.
Various cultural flash-points contribute to a growing understanding that some systemic problems are the sum of everyday individual actions, which has caused us to awaken to our own impact.
As the festive season lures us all in with her twinkling lights and sumptuous delights, let’s all take a moment of pause and re commit ourselves to conscious living, supporting ethical brands and mindful shopping. Collectively, every small decision matters and we have the power to effect and sustain change.
We are all frazzled by this time of the year, but a little patience and kindness goes a long way, be kind to yourself, to others and remember that most people you come across in your day are doing the very best they can.
Happy sustainable Christmas shopping,
Karen Reed
Join our family to be the first to receive our latest stories and inspiration.
