Sustainable Materials
Gitzell FairTrade supports the work of marginalized women who use recycled and upcycled materials and other sustainable resources to weave products for commercial sale and by doing so provide for their families.
Common African flora we work with:
- Kinkahe, which women from Bolgatanga, Ghana twist and turn from a common grass into beautiful baskets.
- Raffia, which the Mpigi women of Uganda source from their swampy homeland and use to hand weave fruit bowls and wall art.
- Sisal, which the Kitui and Taveta women of Kenya turn from a semi-arid crop into a reusable tote bag.
- Sweet grass, which the women of Theis, Senegal wrap in recycled plastic to make environmentally friendly bowls.
What is sustainable about materials like these?
- Kinkahe or Vetiver grass, also known as elephant grass, aids in soil and water conservation, helping smallholder farmers with environmental rehabilitation, including erosion control, runoff retention and remediation of polluted areas.
- Raffia is a zero-waste, renewable, sustainable, and biodegradable alternative to plastic that can be harvested multiple times a year and does not require pesticides to thrive.
- Sisal is a natural fiber extracted from the Agave Sisalana plant. This hardy succulent thrives in arid and semi-arid areas, making it an important crop in Kenya for providing income to farmers and creating employment opportunities in rural areas.
- Sweet grass is a renewable, sustainable, and biodegradable natural fiber with an energy-saving production and sun-drying process.
- Banana leaf
- Gourd in our products is sourced from the calabash fruit. The production process utilizes zero-waste practices in repurposing shelled fruit rinds to create jewelry and ornamental products rather than discarding them
- Horn and bone in our products is sourced primarily from goats. The production process utilizes zero-waste practices in using goats for meat, leather, and bone.
- Palm leaf: similar to Sisal, palm leaves are used as an alternative to single-use plastic. They are biodegradable, compostable, and don't release harmful chemicals when they break down.
