4 Sustainable Reasons to Choose SmithTaylor for Your Eco-Friendly Coasters
Visiting our Trees for the Future Partners
In the realm of kitchen and dining, like in all aspects of our lives, we need to shift the conversation towards how our choices echo beyond our homes. For me, this isn't about jumping on a bandwagon, but about acknowledging that our planet requires a gentler touch, and how even our dinnerware can reflect this broader consciousness. As someone who’s passionate about making a difference, I’ve learned that even small changes matter.
Through the lens of SmithTaylor's commitment to sustainability, here’s five compelling reasons to embrace eco-friendly coasters!
1. A Tree with Every Purchase
We plant a tree with every order we receive, no matter how small. However, it’s about a lot more than adding numbers to a forest. We partner with Trees For The Future to create ‘Forest Gardens’ that rejuvenate ecosystems and remove damaging monoculture within just five years. Every 5000 trees create a Forest Garden, and each Forest Garden provides food and income for families, empowers women and communities and combats environmental degradation.
Over 30 million trees are felled every year, yet they are pivotal to cleaning our soil and air, providing income, nutrition and protecting us from the elements. Since 1989, Trees for the Future has so far planted over 300 million trees, and we are immensely proud to have contributed over 120,000 trees to this total, making us a carbon negative company. Each order with us is a step towards a greener planet, proving small actions can drive significant change.
2. Craftsmanship Meets Sustainability
It’s important to us that customers do not have to choose between eco-consciousness and aesthetic appeal. We believe we make the best cork-backed coasters in the UK, and we do so with our sustainable values at the front and centre of our processes.
Our coasters are crafted from natural eucalyptus wood with a non-slip cork base, and feature a thin, removable laminate for durability, combining sustainability with sleek design. All our cork and wood (and paper for packaging) are sourced from Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) approved suppliers, highlighting our dedication to sourcing responsibly.
Cork sourced from FSC-approved suppliers.
3. Zero Waste, Plastics and Packaging
How we handle our waste is just as important to us as how we handle our products. We’ve embraced a zero-waste ethos, recycling every piece of waste we produce, that not only reduces our footprint but actively contributes to a sustainable cycle that benefits the environment.
We've also redesigned our packaging, opting for repurposed boxes and ditching plastic for recycled paper alternatives, which has slashed our plastic consumption by nearly a tonne each year. Our commitment extends to our packaging materials, which boast 60-90% recycled content and come from FSC-approved sources, ensuring they can enter the recycling stream with ease. Moreover, by optimising our packaging dimensions to perfectly fit our products, we've managed to lower shipping volumes and boost fuel efficiency. We aim to continue setting new standards within our industry.
4. Moving away from Melamine
Our choice to forgo melamine in our coasters stems from an ethical commitment. We appreciate that melamine offers durability and heat resistance - however its complex makeup and brittleness present recycling challenges, making it a less than ideal candidate for eco-friendly initiatives. Melamine is a thermosetting plastic, and by its nature can't be easily remolded or recycled, leading to difficulties in sustainable disposal.
Instead, we utilise materials like natural cork and board for our coasters. These materials not only ensure our products are durable and visually appealing but also fully embrace environmental responsibility. Our coasters and placemats allow for the majority of the product to be recycled or biodegraded once its laminate layer is removed, significantly minimising waste.
Since first setting up Wraptious in 2013 and taking on ownership of SmithTaylor in 2021, sustainability and eco-conscious practices have been a key driver of mine that I’m grateful is shared with our whole team. However, it was something we used to just quietly focus on in the background, never wanting to openly ‘show-off’ what we do. In time and after feedback from many customers, we realised we should be proudly shouting about it! We heard that our customers wanted to know what our values were and what we were achieving, and through sharing our practices, we now hope to also help drive change across the industry.
We hope you may choose us for all your coaster needs, and thanks for reading!
Simon x
