Made Personal ❌ The Planet
At MadePersonal, we prioritise sustainability throughout the entire creation process. We are delighted to offer a large selection of environmentally friendly solutions. We are dedicated to providing gifts that won't cost the planet. We look for items that are carbon neutral, recyclable, use less water and are made from sustainably sourced materials.
We ♥ Our Bees
Bees are in serious decline globally and are now considered an endangered species. As Bees play such a vital role in the environment we have installed a beehive on our grounds to convey our commitment to sustainability and biodiversity. The hive programme offers a unique opportunity for employees to interact with the bees.
When we look at the honey bee, they thrive and succeed by going out of the hive and interacting with their environment, and they leave everything they touch in a better way than when they found it. We believe this philosophy is true also for successful companies in business in Ireland, who thrive because they understand that people and planet are just as important as profit, and that all three are interdependent.
Packaging
We aim to combine the practical with the sustainable. Packaging has a practical role to fulfill as protection of the item such as to communicate recycling options, how to use a product and to provide legally required information. All our products are packed in a way that is sufficient and efficient so that we only use packaging materials that are necessary.
Ethically Sourced Products
Sustainability is at the core of our sourcing strategy. The long-term goal of sustainability sourcing is to build lasting supplier relationships while improving environmental and social goals. We focus on offering organisations customisable and sustainable products to help reduce their environmental footprint. We work closely with our partners to enable collaborative sustainable strategies.
When sourcing products, we trace the value chain back to the raw material so that we are fully informed on where and how the product is made. As a seller of products, we have the responsibility to check and monitor the factories where our products come from. This is performed regularly.
We always aim to source locally where possible and seek the products with the lowest environmental impact. Building relationships with local suppliers also allows us to minimise the threat of supply chain disruption while boosting the local economy.
At MadePersonal we respect human rights and do not tolerate any form of modern slavery. We work in partnership with our suppliers to prevent acts of modern slavery and human trafficking from occuring within business and throughout the supply chain
Sustainable Materials
When sourcing, we favour materials with a reduced environmental impact throughout their entire life cycle.
We also always source 100% organic cotton textiles and opt for recycled, bio-based and biodegradable plastics.
Preferred Raw Materials
Bamboo
Bamboo is 100% biodegradable. In comparison to a tree taking which can take up to 30 years to reach full growth, bamboo can grow to its full size within 3-4 months. Bamboo fibres boast antibacterial properties which means we don’t have to add chemicals to the surface.
Organic Cotton
When sourcing clothing we opt for organic cotton over conventional cotton. Organic cotton uses significantly less water during production. According to the WWF, it takes around 2,700 litres of water to produce the cotton required to make a single t-shirt.
Cork
Cork is extremely durable as it comes from trees but the tree does not need to be knocked down. Only bark of the cork oak is harvested after which new bark grows. This makes cork an efficient, renewable source that also generates no waste. Cork trees retain a high amount of C02
Preferred Raw Materials
Aluminium
Aluminium is durable and can withstand high temperatures. Unlike other metals it is not prone to rusting and require little maintenance. This means aluminium products last much longer, increasing reusability.
Vegetable Tanned Leather
We only use traditional vegetable tanned leather. Vegetable tanning is the most environmentally friendly way to dye leather, due to the use of natural ingredients rather than chemicals. Raw materials used for this process are natural tannins, obtained from different parts of plants including woods, barks, fruits, fruit pods and leaves.
RPET ( Recycled Plastic)
RPET saves on the use of fossil fuel. Less CO2 is emitted and water is used in the production of RPET compared to traditional plastics.
Decarbonising Our Business
Our commitment to sustainability starts in our workshop based in Kildare Ireland. To minimize our carbon footprint we focus on three things; reuse, recycle and reduce. Here are some of our daily commitments:
Our Daily Commitments
Reuse
Throughout our supply chain we reuse material when possible. Once an item has reached the end of its lifespan, it will be assessed whether the whole product or its components can be converted into a new product or reused in other applications without the need for disposal.Daily examples of this implemented is reusing cardboard boxes & pallets.
Reduce
We want to reduce the amount of single use bottles and cups that end up in the landfill every year. That is why we encourage the team to use reusable bottles and cups that are gifted to them as a welcome gift.
We use automated systems that optimize workflow and reduce energy and carbon emissions. We have recently undergone a workshop lighting upgrade that now uses low energy lighting.
Recycle
If an item cannot be reused we always try and recycle. We encourage our team to recycle daily with designated recycling bins throughout the office. We also love to upcycle when possible. 60% of our office furniture is upcycled old furniture.
Transport
We always attempt to use local suppliers first to help the environment. For long-distance we favor transportation modes such as trains and boats that emit up to 150 times less emissions than planes.
