Hand made responsibly in Bangladesh from natural seagrass with a coloured jute rim. The jute is coloured with 100% Azo free dye. Both seagrass and jute are naturally renewable, sustainable and biodegradable materials.
Jute plants are easy to grow, have a high yield per acre and, unlike cotton, have little need for pesticides and fertilisers. Jute grows during the rainy season in Bangladesh which is from June to October, and are ready to harvest in four to six months, after the flowers are shed.
Seagrass grows very quickly in shallow saltwater along coastlines and rivers. Once mature, the grass is cut by hand and dried in the sun, then hand twisted and woven. Dried seagrass is durable and moisture resistant.
The producer of the mats in Bangladesh is committed to providing regular employment in a working environment that is safe and hygienic, and pays a living wage to all employees. They have developed an innovative way of producing jute rope and use this to make stylish jute and seagrass bowls, baskets and tablemats. Consequently, this enables them to obtain a much higher return from the jute than when it is sold for basic jute sacks.
