The difference you make through Artisanne
In the 8 years since Emma and I started Artisanne, we’ve all become more aware of climate change and the importance of buying thoughtfully and wasting less. For some companies becoming more sustainable has meant drastic changes to their processes, but not so for us.
Why? Because, from the outset we were founded on and inspired by the traditional and beautiful artisanal craft of hand weaving in Senegal using the naturally and abundantly growing Ndiorokh grass. Even the long colourful plastic strips used to bind the grasses are recycled from used prayer or bazin mats so nothing is wasted.
That doesn’t mean we’re not continually looking for ways to improve - we’ve minimised our packaging and ensured it’s fully recyclable, consolidated deliveries to reduce courier journeys and emissions and improved our warehouse practices too.
There’s also a wider purpose behind every basket you purchase, since we truly support our community of 110 women weavers (we started with just 3!) in Thiès, Senegal with a ‘Journey to Learning’ initiative. This currently funds much needed educational supplies including pens, books and geometry sets to help support the weavers’ children. By paying our weavers directly, with no middle men involved, they in turn can support elderly relatives as well as their children, while developing new design and management skills to grow the team and ensure a steady supply of the highest quality baskets. We’re so proud that Artisanne earned a Global Good award for social impact, is now one of the main employers in the village and has been Fairtrade accredited since 2018.
Even back home we sell through a network of small shops in the UK who are often at the heart of their communities keeping their High Streets alive and thriving. We’re delighted our baskets have a following of eco and style conscious customers and really value our close relationship with these small shopkeepers.
Above all, we owe it to you, our loyal customers to deliver Artisanne baskets of exceptional quality with contemporary designs which will last and evolve with your storage needs, ideally enhancing your homes for years to come. We believe we’re all in this together and together we can make a difference.