Brand Review: ReSpiin
Is ReSpiin a Sustainable Company? An Eco-Friendly Review.
ReSpiin is a sustainable lifestyle brand that celebrates recycled and renewable materials.
When on her buying travels in 2014, founder Charity Nichols came across recycled wool for the first time and loved the fact that it turned what was considered ‘waste’ clothing into something new and beautiful. In early 2015, whilst on another sourcing trip, she spotted some jute baskets – but these weren’t like the usual jute bags and baskets we were used to back then. They used a clever woven jute rope that was coiled into stylish bowls and baskets. It was by bringing these two materials together that she came up with the idea of a lifestyle brand that was all about showcasing materials often considered substandard but when done well could be beautiful and sustainable. Using the Re in Recycled and Re in Renewable, together with the spinning that was happening in both the recycled wool fabric and jute rope, the name ReSpiin an obvious choice!
Over the years new materials have been added to the ReSpiin range, including seagrass, upcycled saris and most recently recycled cement sacks.
Is ReSpiin an Ethical Company?
1. Labour Practices:
ReSpiin is all about personal relationships and is as far away from mass produced as you can possibly get! Charity, the founder of ReSpiin is in close contact with the producers in India and Bangladesh constantly and first visited them in 2015, returning in 2018, and has a further visit planned in early 2025. On these visits products and materials are discussed and working conditions are examined. Time is taken to meet with the individual workers and appreciate their craftmanship as well as checking in with them.
ReSpiin producers are split by the materials used in the products production.
All the ReSpiin baskets have a SEDEX ethical trade audit, with the latest audits in 2022 and 2024.
SEDEX is an international organisation that is dedicated to driving improvements in ethical and responsible business practices in global supply chains. The audit requires details on Labour Standards, Health & Safety, Environment and Business Ethics, known as the 4 Pillars.
It is possible to produce items similar to those that ReSpiin make, without this in depth and well regarded auditing. Many other manufactures do, but having a regular SEDEX Audit is a way of independently examining the ethical, social and sustainable practices of ReSpiin throughout the whole supply chain, and is a key part of the brand's identity.
ReSpiin was also independently assessed as achieving an ECOTA Fair trade certificate last audited in 2018.The Cement bags supplier is a Fair Trade certified company, Good Weave member and SEDEX 4 Pillar certified company.
ReSpiin's Environmental Impact
2. Sustainable Materials & Product Lifecycle:
From the start ReSpiin has been all about finding the best recycled and renewable materials and making them into beautiful products for those wanting to live a more sustainable lifestyle.
Wool.
Used wool fabrics are collected in recycling banks around the world. They are sorted into colour, broken down into fibres, spun into yarn and then woven into fabric.
Wool is naturally a durable material and when well cared for, can last for years. Fast fashion is a growing problem, with many items of clothing are being disposed of on a whim. In the UK alone, over 700,000 tones of clothing are sent to be recycled each year. Giving a second life to recycled wool is an important part of the circular economy.
Recycled clothing is collected from recycling banks, retailers’ take back schemes and from manufacturers’ waste and taken to recycling projects to be processed. Once there it is sorted into material type, such as wool/wool mix and cotton.
The recycled textiles are sorted into colour batches, cleaned and then broken down into fibres. These fibres are re-spun into new yarns, ready to be woven back into new fabrics.
The ReSpiin collection of wool throws is simply beautiful and the stunning colours are unique in the fact that it's the natural result of the recycled wool garments used to make them - no dyes are added of any kind. Once respun and woven, the recycled fabric makes a great quality throw with a felt like feel and just the right amount of weight, adding classic charm to any space or decor.
Environmental Impact:
- Recycling Reduces Waste : Recycling textiles reduces greenhouse gases and saves landfill space. By reusing the yarn to create items with a long lifetime, such as our blankets + cushions, it delays and reduces the quantity of textiles that go to waste.
- Extends Wool Lifecycle: Research by the ‘Centre for Colour and Textile Science’ at Leeds University has actually shown that wool products have the potential for two or more uses or ‘lives’ and a total ‘active life’ of 20-30 years.
- Container Shipping: Many container ships return to India empty and often have to have water filled barrels put on board to keep the ship balanced in the water. So adding ‘cargo’ such as recycled clothing to these ships can be helpful.
Jute.
Jute plants are easy to grow with little need for fertilisers or pesticides and have a high yield per acre. They absorb more CO2 than trees so are good for the air, and are enriching for the soil.
Jute is an incredibly fast growing fibrous plant, it takes just 3 months to grow to 15 feet! It doesn’t need to be treated with any chemical pesticides or fertilisers, grows much quicker than crops such as cotton, and can also be grown using natural rainfall rather than expensive and unsustainable irrigation systems.
During harvest the jute fibres are cut and bundled and the inner stem and outer fibres get separated. Once dry the outer fibres are taken to the jute mills to be woven into jute yarn.
The jute baskets are made by weaving jute yarn around the raw inner jute stem - making a chunky and durable jute rope. They then coil this jute rope into wonderful baskets, sewing the rope in place using sewing machines.
ReSpiin collection of useful and very popular baskets include coloured jute rope too - all dyes used are of course azo free. The collections are named after natural elements and articles such as Fire, Beach and Pebble reflecting their colours and natural foundations.
Environmental Impact:
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Low Environmental Impact: Jute can be recycled, will biodegrade in 1 to 2 years, and can even be composted.
- Absorbs Carbon Dioxide: Jute absorbs Carbon Dioxide and releases Oxygen at a much faster rate than trees.
- Elevating Jute: Their baskets make the very best of this wonderful and sustainable material - why make a simple jute sack when you can make a beautiful jute basket!
Seagrass.
Seagrass is a natural, renewable resource. It grows in shallow coastal waters and estuaries, forming dense underwater meadows that protect against erosion and provide a rich habitat for marine life. It is harvested by hand and can regrow within 10 days. The seagrass is farmed sustainably in Bangladesh, it plays an important part in stabilising the soil and protecting the land from flooding.
Environmental Impact:
Upcycled Saris.
In a way to breathe life into old saris, by weaving them together with sustainable seagrass to make a beautiful, one of a kind basket. Old saris are sold by households to pedlars, who sell the saris onto companies who usually recycle them. While recycling is great, the process does require a lot of energy. Instead, ReSpiin reuse the saris. They don't process them at all - they are simply cleaned and sorted, before used to create home accessories. Because each sari has a different colour and pattern, each product in the Sari Collection is genuinely unique.
Environmental Impact:
- Reduces Textile Waste: Discarded clothing ending up in landfill is a major global problem. Reusing textiles reduces greenhouse gases and saves landfill space.
- Extends the Lifecycle: By reusing the saris to create items with a long lifetime, such as our Sari + Seagrass Bowls, it delays and reduces the quantity of textiles that go to waste.
- Minimum Impact on the Planet: Unlike recycling, there is no industrial process involved for upcycling. The saris are cleaned and reused as they are, so it requires much less energy.
Recycled Cement Sacks.
Discarded cement bags are one of the common waste materials in the construction industry. Transforming them into new usable fabric reduces waste and contributes to the circular economy. Used cement sacks are cleaned, shredded, melted down and then made into fine fibres. The fibres are dyed (with azo free dyes) then woven into fabric. The fabric is a durable recycled plastic.
This collection of bags and pouches is completely unique and so reasonably priced too!
Environmental Impact:
- Reduces Waste: Discarded bags are transformed into useful items rather than being dumped or contributing to landfill.
- Extends the Lifecycle: The plastic used in making the original cement bags is incredibly durable. Giving it a new purpose might just give it a job for life.
- Economic Benefits: The fabric produced is durable, versatile and cost-effective. Reducing need for raw materials.
3. Packaging:
All packaging used by ReSpiin is recyclable, sustainably sourced card and paper, Swing tags are attached with jute ties.
4. Transparency and Communication:
ReSpiin is transparent about their values and practices. It was very straightforward to find out the information about products and the sustainable materials they use on their website. They have included a lot of information about the environmental impact of each of these materials in a comprehensive, easy to review style. Their commitment to regular ethical auditing shows a true commitment to fair labour practices and clear sustainability practices.
Kate's Conclusion
ReSpiin are dedicated to sustainability. Their recycled homewares are designed to breathe new and sustained life into discarded used materials and they do this in an eco-friendly, low impact way.
Their sustainably grown, natural materials are so well thought out and contribute to the local environment in a beneficial way as well as providing secure and fair employment to local people in India and Bangladesh.
Key to this is Charity's relationships with the producers, they work together as a team throughout the entire supply chain.
Finally, ReSpiin products are simply beautiful, designed to last a long time and bring joy to the people who buy them. I would consider that to be a winning combination.
Ready to embrace a more sustainable lifestyle? Explore the range of ReSpiin homewares available at Green Tulip and join us in making a difference!
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