Information about the values and ethics underlying my brand. Brand values Brand values At Paper2pearls I design and make jewellery and gifts by re-purposing and recycling materials that would otherwise likely be destined for landfill, or to put it another way I make jewellery from rubbish, specialising in reusing old paper from old books and sheet music. Below I have gone into more details about how I source materials, what I use and how I pack and ship items. It is a statement of where I am now and so I regularly review it.. I am proud to have been awarded plastic free champion status for my business and i am all a member of Blue Planet I have teamed up with Ecologi so that a tree is planted for each order I receive. Suppliers I source my supplies in a number of ways including the following: Charity shops eBay, Etsy Swapping items with other jewellery makers. Family and friends who save items for me. The precious metals I use are from a British company with clear ethical policies in place and the sterling silver wire I use to make my earring hooks is made from recycled silver. Materials and making Materials: Most of my jewellery will be made using repurposed, vintage or natural materials. This may include the following: Old books (ones that have come, or are close to to the end of their life as being suitable for reading). I also recycle old plastic bottles, dvds, HDPE plastic e.g. bottle tops and can tabs. Vintage and recycled beads and embroidery threads. Natural materials including flowers, and beetle wings. I use wings from Elytra beetles which are a traditional food in Thailand and for hundreds of years the wings have been used for embroidery and jewellery making. As other foods became available and farming practices changed they became less wide spread and it became clear that they played a key role in the eco-structure of the native environment. Today farmers are encouraged to "farm" them and after they die at the end of their life cycle the wings are collected and sold thus helping the environment and the farmers. I buy my wings direct from Thailand so the money goes into their economy. I aim to use the minimum of synthetic products as these are byproducts of the petrochemical industry. Unfortunately I have been unable to find suitable environmentally friendly varnish and glues but the search for these continues! I work from home in my own jewellery studio at the bottom of my garden. My electricity supplier supplies hundred percent renewable energy. I drive a hybrid car which means that my petrol use is much reduced. Packaging and delivery Paper envelopes made from recycled paper. Business cards made from plain card so they can be recycled and the use of QR codes to replace business cards at craft markets. Biodegradable stickers supplied by a small UK based business. Ensuring any paper used for gift wrapping is recycled and unbleached. Cardboard boxes for posting items in. I also recycle boxes and padded envelopes that I receive. I use natural raffia, jute and brown paper tape to secure and seal packaging and parcels. Mail-order items are sent via Royal Mail.

These are the questions I get asked most often and is the place to look first. Here you can find the answers to questions I am often asked about my jewellery as well as my shop policies for on-line purchases. If you can't find the answer to your question please contact me by sending an email to paper2pearls@gmail.com 1:ORDERS FAQ about my book jewellery Do you make it all yourself? Yes, I hand fold all the pieces from a range of different books. Is it waterproof? Unfortunately much as I would love to say yes, the answer is no. The only varnishes which are guaranteed waterproof are yacht varnishes which are not suitable for small items such as these, or for paper. Pieces are water-resistant. I have researched on-line to find the most suitable varnishes and apply an initial thin coat before starting to fold and then several coats after folding. This makes the pieces stronger as well as making them water- resistant. How long does it last? Treated with respect and in a dry place, e.g. kept in a jewellery box or earring rack these pieces should last for several years.They are not suitable for babies or young children. General questions Payment I accept payment by PayPal Postage and packing UK p&p is free on most items. I only sell within the UK on here, for international sales please visit my Etsy shop www.paper2pearls.etsy.com 4:RETURNS Returns I will accept returns for most items as long as they are returned undamaged and in suitable packaging to ensure they do not get damaged in the post. I do not accept returns on custom items unless they arrive damaged. I will not refund the cost of return postage but will refund your payment once I have recieved the item back in good condition. For hygiene reasons I cannot accept returns on earrings or hair accessories. Unwanted items should be returned within 15 working days of the original order. If items are collected in person I will deduct the cost of postage from the price charged. Cookies This site uses cookies. But then you probably guessed that anyway.

A glossary of terms often used when claiming that a product or service has good environmental standards. Green glossary This is just a brief glossary of the most popular terms used. I’m including it here as I strongly believe that having an understanding of what they mean helps when making choices and makes it harder for companies to use greenwashing (don’t worry, that one will be included) to bamboozle us. Eco-friendly This is not the best term to use as it isn’t very specific. It refers to things that don't harm the environment but is open to interpretation and does not mean the same to everyone. Environmentally friendly This refers to minimising harm to the environment by aiming to help improve it and making as little impact on it as possible. Ethical An ethical business demonstrates integrity and fairness. They are transparent about their business practices and policies. Businesses with these qualities have loyal workers and customers. Green A green business is one whose products do not cause significant harm to the environment and in fact may even improve it and the health of humans. It is a very wide term and its meaning is similar to that of sustainability. Greenwashing This refers to businesses that deliberately aim to make it appear that their products are environmentally sound when this is not the case. This is often done through how packaging is designed to project a "green" image and making misleading environmental claims. Recycled This refers to a material that is collected and then processed back into the original material or a new one e.g. plastic bottles recycled into polyester filling. Repurposed Repurposing turns an item into something completely unrelated to its original purpose, for example turning DVDs into jewellery. Reusable Self-explanatory, an item that can be used for the same purpose many times as opposed to a single use version, e g. A metal water bottle rather than a single use plastic one. Sustainability This refers to a business that causes none or minimal damage to the environment. This means it also seeks to maintain or improve the environment in the longer term and so importantly will not have an adverse effect on future generations. It has three aspects to it, as well as not harming the environment a sustainable business should also have a commitment to social and economic benefits. Upcycled This refers to something having value added to it while keeping it in its original form. One of the most popular uses for this term is with old or vintage furniture which has been painted or has had other decorative effects added to it. Vintage An item such as furniture, clothing or home decor that is at least 30 (or sometimes 20) years old.