Sustainability
MISSION STATEMENT
Craftsmanship deserves a place in the modern home, and we are committed to reviving artisanal traditions that have been passed on from generation to generation. For us, sustainability translates to well made pieces that stand the test of time. We strive to only create purpose-led products and manufacture them in a way that supports independent craftspeople, keeping artisanal techniques and tradition alive.
We are committed to making a positive social and environmental impact within our supply chain and continually evaluate how we can reduce our footprint. We recognise that we have a responsibility to limit our impact on the environment beyond legal and regulatory requirements. We will encourage suppliers and other stakeholders to do the same.
PRODUCT
Being a product led business, our sustainability strategy focuses strongly on this area. We create purpose-led product using quality materials and manufacturing techniques which will help our pieces last. As a brand we encourage buying second hand, repairing and upcycling. A lot of our products are multi-use and functional, providing customers with pieces that can be used for a lifetime.Â
We work closely with our suppliers to continually review the materials and techniques we use to see if we can improve the lifespan of a product, and to continue to explore sustainable materials and techniques in all product development.
FREIGHT
We work with an international supply base across Europe, India and the Far East and as a result, use a mix of Road, Sea and Air freight to ship products to our UK warehouse. Whilst we currently only use air freight when there is no alternative, we have identified our air shipment mix as a key area for us to do better.
Within the UK we ship with DPD, who are fully committed to being net zero by 2040. For shipments from our studio to local businesses and customers in London we use Quiver, an emissionless delivery service. For International shipments we offset all carbon emissions by 200%.
PACKAGING
As a retailer providing homeware to customers directly, our product packaging forms a large part of our environmental impact. We have worked hard to improve the recyclability of our product packaging over the last 3 years to reduce our impact on the environment and make it easier for customers to reuse and recycle their product packaging at home.
We face the challenge of shipping fragile products in the safest way, but also in a way kind to the planet. Typically the retail industry has relied on polystyrene and bubble wrap to ship goods from supplier to customer safely. As of the end of 2023, we have eradicated most polystyrene and moved to paper and cardboard as our main packing materials.
CARBON EMISSIONS
As we are a business which produces a physical product, our supply chain has the greatest impact on the planet and forms the vast majority of our carbon emissions. Unfortunately we will never be able to exist entirely sustainably due to the nature of our business, but will always seek to improve our impact as we develop our product ranges and expand.Â
Whilst we currently track our total carbon emissions as a brand, our goal by 2025 is to understand the carbon footprint of every one of our product categories. From this we hope to work with our suppliers, freight providers and fulfilment network to reduce this year on year.
COMMUNITY
People are at the heart of any business and we strive to look after our team in the best possible way. We are committed to supporting our predominantly female team by fostering an open and collaborative studio culture that encourages growth.
Our customers and wider MG&Co. audience always come first and we have a dedicated customer service team who are committed to listening and learning from all feedback received as well as swiftly responding to enquiries.
In 2023 we supported Medecins Sans Frontieres and The Trussell Trust. Every team member is part of the decision making process when choosing our charity partners and is also given 4 paid volunteering days per year.