The best decor is Nature and we wouldn't want to run a business that is a threat to the environment we live in. Guilt-free shopping is what we aspire to provide. While we can't say we have found eco-friendly alternatives to everything we do (for example, transporting is never going to be perfectly eco-friendly), we're working on these problems, along with the rest of the world!
Here's how we are trying to make a difference:
1) Sustainable Materials: Most of our items are made in sustainable materials like metal, glass, ceramic, wood, concrete and compressed wood and canvas. We also use scrap material in creative ways. For example the left-over bits of plastic "cane" from our Psychedelic chairs are used to produce everything from our shopping bag handles to smaller cool products.
2) Made in India: Everything on the site is, and always has been, made in India. The less a product travels, the better. And why not support local industry and handicrafts while we're at it? We are lucky to have access to a variety of incredible craftsmanship in our country.
3) Seconds: There is an enormous amount of damage that comes along with manufacturing, shipping and storing fragile items. The smallest imperfection makes an item unsaleable. Enter our Seconds initiative. Here's how it works. We offer items that have a small imperfection for a lower price. Via our consumer touch points (Whatsapp, Instagram, FB Messenger, email etc), we show customers the exact item they will receive along with the imperfection and quote a price accordingly. If we have a deal, the customer sends their shipping details and gets a payment link. Once the payment is completed, the product is shipped out.
Minimum savings would be 20% off the usual rate. Keep in mind that several of our products are bulky and fragile so we still pay the usual shipping rates and cannot discount as much as we would normally like.
While the Seconds initiative hasn't been announced yet formally, we have started working with customers especially when they want items that are otherwise out of stock. Please contact us if you see an item that you like and would like to know if there are Seconds options available. This is a time consuming process at a time when we are short of staff so bear with us if we take some time to track down your item.
Through Seconds, we waste less and customers get a good deal. Win-win. We are working on getting the Seconds initiative running at our studio in Mumbai once we are able to open to the general public post Lockdown.
4) Packaging: While we use cardboard boxes and paper bags, we haven't found a fully eco-friendly alternative to packaging materials such as foam and thermocol which are typically used for delicate items. If you have any ideas, hit us up!
However, we do try as much as possible to reuse packaging and it may sometimes mean that your package is not as "pretty" as you (and we) would like. But we took a long hard look at the environmental issues around us and decided we can't in good conscience create more garbage for the world to handle. We think our customers may feel the same. We would love it if you could reuse our packaging as well or return it to us if you are passing our way (in Worli, Mumbai).