Product requests and sourcing

A.K.A: Lucy's Lowdown

Hey, Lucy here. I often get asked to stock certain items or brands and usually the reason I don't is because of something to do with the supply chain, ingredients or materials. This page is where you can make requests and see updates on brands I am either actively interrogating (sorry, questioning!) or have decided not to stock.

I've visited plantations, markets, trade shows, third world country artisans and worked with ethical brands big and small on checking their supply chains. I can't say that there aren't still things I miss, but my criteria for what I stock is very strict.

Beyond the supply chain and material side I am also very passionate about living in a healthy way, avoiding toxic ingredients, oil industry byproducts and cheap fillers which enter so many products we consume.

The ones which don't make the cut, but are very very welcome to make the improvements suggested

Rejected products (for now)

Seep compostable loofah sponges

Reason: Made in China

Solution: We already sell UK made sponges.

A few brands sell loofah bonded to cellulose sponge, while it is a great idea, it's a lot of product moving a long way around the globe when we have sponges made right here. Or we sell pure loofah which is grown and made in Egypt.

I looked into getting these made and the best I could find was... buy sponge from europe, ship to India to be sewn together with loofah, ship back here.

Suggestion for brand: Use Egyptian loofah and UK made cellulose sponges, and make them in the UK.

Bin bags, compostable or not

Reason: Mostly made in China, actually not a huge difference if they are compostable as they get burned or buried.

Solution: There isn't really a comfortable solution. If you need bin liners, try to buy recycled, or re-use bags you already have. Go super eco and try a re-usable bin bag (not sold here though).

Bamboo husk, Rice husk, Wheat husk utensils and foodwares

Reason: These composite plastics are usually 30-50% melamine or polypropylene, bonded with bamboo, rice or wheat husks. Marking them unrecyclable (in mainstream) and non-biodegradable. They also break down over time, especially when used for hot food/drinks and leach plastic in to your food.

"you can't polish a turd but you can roll it in glitter" is the saying that comes to mind.

Study Links:

Gov Food Uk website

Reusable ear buds/swabs. (LastSwab and others)

The issue with the plastic reusable ears buds is that they are small, and near impossible to recycle.

The company Last Swab had very vague information on recycling saying it could be put in curbside. This is 100% never going to work.

They are small pieces of plastic made in China (Lastswab made in EU), put in another plastic box.

For these reasons we sell Organic, Fairtrade Cotton buds with FSC recycled paper cores. They compost!

Suggestion for brand: Launch a guaranteed recycling scheme. Stop implying consumers can simply "recycle" them when they have no way to do this.

I'm looking into these, and will share what I'm asking and waiting to hear about

Products currently under interrogation

Toilet roll (NOT an easy one)

Bamboo:

  • Sorry, just not going to happen.
  • But the best option for bamboo is definitely Naked Sprout who ship the pulp from China (which is compressed), manufacture in Spain then train freight the rolls to the UK.
  • All other bamboo loo roll is made in China, that's a lot of bulky stuff clogging the oceans with noise.

Sugarcane:

  • On the fence, as it is all made in China but sugarcane is a waste byproduct so it's using a great material. But maybe it's better that people in the far east use it, not us?

Recycled:

  • Currently testing a few UK made recycled toilet paper brands

Further thoughts:

  • I'm not sure I will hold stock of loo roll and might drop ship direct from factories, to save an extra journey of loo roll (and having to pay a lot more in storage for pallets worth of loo roll)

Request a product or brand:

Want us to stock something? Fill in the form below or email us at hello@coconutandcotton.co.uk and we will keep you updated on whether we will stock it.