Sustainability and Fair Trade
Fair Trading
Here at Byron Bay Hanging Chairs we are grateful to live in one of the most beautiful parts of the world, but our ethos is more than just bringing a coastal luxe interior to homes of Australia. We are passionate about creating a positive future for the communities and artisans who hand craft our unique pieces. Their craftsmanship and talented skills are a staple part of the Byron bay hanging chairs brand and ensuring they are working in a safe environment is paramount to us. Our artisans are employed by a small, independent production company, based in Indonesia, where they are supported by fair trade practices. This was an important element for Byron Bay Hanging Chairs when choosing how the production of our collections would be managed. As our business grows, so does our production team and the opportunities within, creating employment prospects, bettering lifestyle’s and helping to grow the economy for the benefit of local communities and their families.
Sustainability
Rattan & Bamboo
Rattan and bamboo is a fast growing and renewable palm that has multiple uses and requires no pesticides or fertilisers. In forests where rattan grows, its economic value can help protect forest land, by providing an alternative to loggers who forgo timber logging and harvest rattan cane instead. Rattan and bamboo are much easier to harvest as they essentially only need sunlight and water to grow. Both of these materials can continue to grow in extreme levels of moisture and dryness. It will also grow in steeply soiled land whereas timber would not be supported in such conditions. Both are much lighter in weight for transport, meaning it has a lower carbon footprint compared to metals and other timbers. They require simpler tools - meaning they don't require heavy duty machinery that would ordinarily burn fossil fuels to operate. Using Rattan and Bamboo that doesn't use such machinery reduces pollution to the environment as it can be transported by hand or by simpler carts that can be drawn by animals, not to mention, it grows much faster than most tropical wood.
The benefit of this is that it is much kinder to the soil, contributing to preventing soil erosion as it holds moisture in the soil enhancing the soil instead of depleting it. This means the soil stays healthy for continuous growth. Bamboo is a self-regenerating material, meaning when you cut one pole down, another grows in its place, these new shoots grow within a couple of months. As a fast growing industry, rattan and bamboo farming is heavily relied on for the growth of economies all around the world.
We are proud to produce collections based from bamboo, it is carbon neutral and produces 35% more oxygen than the equivalent stand of trees, contributing greatly to the balance of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
Teak
Where our products promote the use of teak and reclaimed woods, our supplier and production partners must now hold a valid license and certification to be able to work with such timbers. Where possible we dictate that products should be produced using reclaimed woods. This is something that we are conscious of and we limit the quantity of timber usage across our collections.
Packaging
Whilst we import our furniture from overseas, most, if not all of our products are checked and packed in our local warehouse here in Australia. Whilst we do not claim to be perfect, we are proud to be environmentally conscious, meaning we use minimal plastic in our packaging where possible. At least 90% of our packaging materials are card and cardboard offering protection against damages but easily recyclable for our warehouse team and our customer