Environmental Responsibility
In a nation where most of the population is to some degree marginalized, the luxury of throwing something away is simply not a reality. Bolivians generally reuse anything in their possession and find creative new uses for products that can no longer be salvaged in their original forms. Consumerism has recently started to become a reality in the country and so waste disposal has for the first time become a challenge. The staff and founders of our company recognize this challenge and strive to do all they can to find new ways to reduce, reuse and recycle. We are committed to operating as an environmentally production house while still maintaining quality, design-driven products.
Some of our current initiatives are:
Saving all scraps of raw materials from production to later be used as stuffing, in patchwork products, or as creative promotional materials.
All paper used in the office is recycled. The paper is periodically exchanged with the local toilet paper manufacturer. It’s a win-win situation: the toilet paper plant gets more paper to recycle into various products and we get free toilet paper for the entire office!
All glass and plastic bottles used in the office are collected for recycling. We have an agreement with a local homeless man who periodically picks up the recyclables and turns them in to the local recycling plant to receive payment. Much of the plastic here is recycled into black multi-use plastic pipes.
Our line of plastic handbags is fully recyclable. If a customer would like to dispose of their bag or trade it in, they may deposit it with an …ING recycling center in the US or any other country where the bags are sold. The bags are then sent back to us to be reused in other production or sent to a recycling plant. A further incentive to our customers to participate in this program is that we will give them 10% off their next …ING purchase.
We are working on a recycled button line to be used in several of our brands. We have been successful with initial prototypes but are still working on refining the process of making plastic bottles into fashionable and unique buttons.
All of our 100% natural fiber products such as alpaca sweaters and organic cotton accessories can actually be composted in your very own backyard!
We are exploring the possibility of working with a local or US University to provide scholarships to students interested in studying and proposing new ways of recycling.
All of this being said, we do not simply want to say ‘this is what we do’. We are instead interested in being part of a process – of discovering new ways to recycle and reuse with the collaboration of employees, clients and the community. In a disposable world, we are interested in longevity, durability and environmentally friendly production.
