Our Bit for The Planet

Our Bit for The Planet

Sustainability is no longer a buzz word but an expectation.

Research shows that around 12.7 million tonnes of plastic waste ends up in the ocean every year & as we are constantly reminded the world is getting warmer every summer. At Artichoke we have always tried to source as many products as we can that are manufactured either in Europe or The Mediterranean area & this search continues, we have however been taking a closer look at how we get items to you once they have been bought.

Find out below why we do what we do & how we intend to improve on things:

Why do we use Royal Mail?

We send everything out to you by Royal Mail on their 48 hour tracked system. Whilst Royal Mail are following their own policy to reduce their impact on the planet they are our courier of choice because we work on the basis that the postie is probably delivering to your house or very near it anyway, so we have by taking this simple step avoided two unnecessary courier journeys.

” We’re the greenest carrier in the UK. Our posties walk up to a billion steps every day, covering over half our delivery routes. They help to give us the lowest carbon footprint per parcel of any major UK delivery company. When it can’t be delivered on foot, we have the largest electric delivery fleet with 7,000 electric vans & are aiming for 100% zero emissions in the final mile by 2035″  Royal Mail

Why Don’t we offer Free Returns?

Obviously there is a financial consideration but if like a lot of businesses we charged to send items to you & offered free returns as an alternative, we would save ourselves a lot of money.

The real reason always has been to stop people buying items they have no intention of keeping (I am sure you have been behind that woman at the post office counter) & reduce the impact that has on the environment. Instead we call every new customer to check that they know the brand that they are buying, are happy with the sizing, to answer questions they may have & to encourage them to always contact us prior to purchasing any item that they are unsure about. This keeps our returns to a minimum, helps the planet & of course our customers as well.

Mailbags

The grey mailing bags that we use are made from 25% re-cycled plastic & are 100% degradable.

Packaging

With the exception of Anna Montana all our brands deliver items to us in single use plastic bags , so in 2021 we decided to give these a longer life span.

When available rather than popping them straight in the bin, we give the bags that our stock is delivered in a new lease of life. Unless you specifically ask us not to in the comments section of the order, our parcels will contain new clothes in nearly new bags. When at certain times of the year, single use bags are not available to re-cycle we use biodegradable carrier bags.

Postcards 

The wood pulp that our postcards are made from has come from a sustainable forest source

Carrier Bags

We do not charge you for the paper carrier bags that we have in our Swaffham showroom, however please do not be surprised if you are asked to donate 10p to our charity of the year in order to be given one.

We will however give you free of charge one of the single use plastic bags that stock items are delivered in.

Clothing Re-Cycling Service

We offer a re-cycling service to all our customers. If you would like to bring items that you no longer require we will ensure that they reach The Buckingham House, Riding For The Disabled Group. Twice a year this amazing charity holds two jumble sales to raise funds for their riders.

If you would like further information on how we are trying to reduce the impact that our business has on the environment please email us at sales@artichokecollection.co.uk