What is it made from?
Fair Rubber (the Fairtrade of rubber) - natural rubber from FCS well-managed forests.
Organic cotton – GOTS certified (global organic textile standard).
Cardboard packaging
Where is it made?
In Sri Lanka. Plastic Free Gardening, my supplier, only deals with plantations that have not replaced any natural forest and have a certification to prove this.
Is it sustainable?
Natural Rubber – Tapped straight from living and growing rubber trees, natural rubber is the sap of this kind of tree. Grooves are cut into the tree and a container attached to the trunk for the sap to collect in. There are issues with monoculture plantations of rubber trees in some countries, but natural rubber is a much eco-friendlier option than synthetic rubber which is synthesised from crude oil. As you no doubt know, synthetic rubber doesn’t biodegrade but instead breaks down into harmful microplastics. As rubber trees are not cut down to access the sap, they are useful for CO2 capture and storage.
Organic cotton – Cotton needs a ridiculous amount of water to grow. It is also very labour intensive because cotton attracts lots of pests. In terms of sustainability, cotton is not the most sustainable, however, many of the alternatives, like hemp, aren’t grown on the same scale (hemp requires fewer pesticides and water). Cotton is much better if it is organic. Organic means no pesticides for one. If you spray pesticides all over your cotton, they are going to get into the water, which will be absorbed by the soil, resulting in pesticides in the water supply. Not to mention all the other toxins used in the production and manufacturing of non-organic cotton. Buy organic cotton because the alternative is appalling.
Is it ethical?
This is Fair Rubber – have an open and transparent supply chain. Fair Rubber is the equivalent of the Fairtrade for rubber. Fairtrade has its limitations, as it only covers certain commodities such as coffee, chocolate and sugar. Fair Rubber works to ensure that rubber tappers work under fair conditions and are paid fairly, currently 40% higher than the market price, which is the fair-trade premium. This helps provide a regular income to the workers. They also make sure that the rubber is produced to a certain standard. The rubber used by Plastic Free Gardening is also FSC certified.
Plastic Free Gardening support this alternative trade system with their business, one that promotes and implements a fairer system for workers and protects the environment and animal welfare. All of their products are produced under this fair-trade system and they pay the fair-trade premium to all of the producers they work with, which helps benefits the communities in these areas.
Extra Good Stuff:
Martin, the co-founder of Plastic Free Gardening, is based in London. Martin is a keen gardener, who is helping make gardening greener using his knowledge of how to source ethical and sustainable products and applying these practices to his hobby.
Conclusion –
Green and fair so you can handle your gardening with care. Prune and plant your produce with pride using these green-fingered gardening gloves, they aren’t just green-tipped for show!
