Sass & Belle

We are on a journey to make our business more sustainable. To achieve this, we have appointed our own Sass & Belle Sustainability Committee with the aim to drive initiatives that will improve our working practices and ensure we constantly review our company policies. As a part of this journey, we are focussing on new ways to reduce plastic in our products, through thoughtful design and the sourcing of innovative materials, and at the same time to reduce unnecessary plastic and waste throughout our supply chain.

PACKAGING
From supplier to warehouse
It is a challenge to package fragile items effectively for long distance travel, and many of our suppliers currently use plastic bubble wrap and polystyrene to ensure maximum protection of products. We are currently auditing all our supplier packaging to remove plastic wherever possible along the supply chain, working closely with suppliers to source recyclable and biodegradable materials to replace plastic-based packaging.
Not all these solutions are readily available in the countries we work with, but we are carrying out our own research and working with our suppliers to find new initiatives and alternatives.
As a recent example we have re-designed the packaging of our bestselling LED night lights, which will now be used for all other night lights going forward. These were originally supplied in PVC packaging, and now come in a decorative and recyclable Sass & Belle cardboard box, making the product more giftable and better protected, while also reducing plastic use.
Improving packaging is very much a work in progress, and changes will filter through to our customers as old stock is replaced with new, but we are committed to adopting new packaging practices as swiftly as possible, and to researching the availability of new materials to achieve this goal.

DELIVERY
From warehouse to customer

Once goods have arrived from our supplier into our Distribution Centre, we then face the challenge of delivering out to our customers, constantly balancing the excessive use of packaging with the risk of the product arriving broken. If the item arrives broken this can have a far larger impact on the environment and would be counter-productive to our aims.
Our products can vary from large awkward shaped objects to small fragile items, and our aim is to deliver our products in as few boxes as possible. At times this means that a large box is needed to accommodate the dimensions of one particular product but leaves an area of void space and requirement for additional packing materials.

FINDING SOLUTIONS
To ensure we can re-use or recycle all original product boxes, we are taking the following steps:
All dispatched orders will be packed in recycled cardboard and we will always re-purpose supplier boxes if they are in a usable condition.
To find a purpose for all unusable boxes, we have invested in a shredder at our Distribution Centre. This equipment then creates additional packaging material which is used for void filler where applicable, instead of bubble wrap or other protective plastic.
In addition to this, we have also switched from wasteful plastic tape to recyclable paper packing tape to seal up all boxes dispatched from our UK warehouse.

SUSTAINABILITY IN PRODUCT DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT

We are committed to introducing more sustainable materials and plastic-free products into our collections going forwards, maintaining the highest compliance standards on our products, and to giving more information about materials, to help our customers understand our products, and make informed purchasing decisions.
Sustainable and available now! Discover just a selection of current products that will appeal to environmentally conscious consumers.

RECYCLED TEXTILES
Cushions and throws recycled from post-industrial textile waste.


PESTICIDE FREE
Carpets & baskets made from jute, a fast-growing natural material that does not require the use of pesticides or fertilisers and is fully biodegradable.

BIODEGRADABLE MATERIALS
Baskets made from seagrass, a fast growing and biodegradable material

SUSTAINABLE MATERIALS
Cutlery and plates made from solid bamboo, a fast-growing plant that does not require the use of pesticides or fertilisers and is harvested from a sustainable supply source.

PLASTIC-FREE WATER BOTTLES
Stainless steel and glass water bottles for replacing single-use plastic alternatives

BANISH SINGLE-USE
Ceramic travel coffee cups with silicone seal to replace single-use coffee cups

Over the coming years we are going to build on our zero-waste kitchen range, offering customers an alternative to single-use plastics. We are also introducing a new system of symbols to draw attention to material qualities and manufacturing processes, including plastic-free, food-safe, recycled, recyclable, and biodegradable to help keep our customers informed in their buying choices – keep your eyes peeled for updates on our website coming soon. We'd love to chat more and hear your feedback and ideas on our Sustainability Mission!

This collection of plates and cutlery is made from 100% bamboo and has the design etched into the wood. This means the product is food-safe and completely biodegradable.

A handy alternative for reducing plastic! Our sets of cotton storage bags are perfect for packing up your fruit, veg, pasta, dried snacks or grains. A wonderful everyday reusable, bringing planet-friendly materials to the convenience of storage solutions.

Our string shopper bags are a simple planet-friendly switch. Made from 100% cotton, they are a fantastic strong alternative to using plastic bags to carry produce.