Gift Focus - Nov/Dec 2019 (Issue 116)

33 FAIR TRADE Make a difference With Fair Trade you have the power to change the world every day. Best Years has been specialising in ethical toys for more than 10 years and is a company truly passionate about toys. The company found a wonderful factory to make its first knitted dinosaur toys more than 10 years ago, and since then has partnered with a wonderful Fair Trade cooperative who hand-make knitted and crochet toys in rural Bangladesh creating thousands of fairly paid and flexible jobs in the process. The collection consists of a large number of toys and rattles to suit all ages, from dinosaurs and astronauts to mermaids and unicorns. E: sales@bestyears.co.uk bestyears.co.uk An exciting new development for Tilnar Art is the way the consumer is becoming increasingly aware of the environmental impact of the products they buy. It feels like the consumer is finally ‘catching up’ and Tilnar is actively promoting the environmental, zero-plastic qualities of its products. There is a particular focus on the Recycled Aluminium Collections and the Soapstone Collections, which have less than one per cent environmental impact when compared to plastic or resin products. Tilnar Art will be introducing new Soapstone Point of Sale and swing tags to promote this. The Meg Hawkins Collection combines Tilnar’s signature range of recycled food-safe aluminium bowls, coasters and dishes with Meg Hawkins’ stunning wildlife paintings. They are Fairtrade and handmade by Indian artisans working in cooperatives. A selection of Meg’s watercolour wildlife collection is exclusive to Tilnar Art on recycled aluminium bowls and coasters. Each product isn’t only recycled but is completely recyclable and comes in a superb plastic-free presentation box making a perfect eco-friendly gift. The Handmade Soapstone Collection has less than one per cent environmental impact in terms of production and disposal compared to equivalent plastic or resin-based products. Tilnar Art is proud to say this is a zero-plastic product. Stone sculptures have been carved in Kiisi in Kenya for more than 60 years. Kiisi stone is soft and varies in colour from white to rose and even grey. Carvers work in small groups with each group specialising in certain carvings. The carvings are then polished and dyed in vibrant colours and beautiful etchings inscribed in them by skilled teams of artisans. Not only are the company’s products environmentally friendly, they’re also Fairtrade. Fairtrade is about better prices, decent working conditions, local sustainability, and fair terms of trade for artisans, farmers and workers in the developing world. By requiring companies to pay sustainable prices, Fairtrade addresses the injustices of conventional trade, which traditionally discriminates against the poorest, weakest producers. It enables them to improve their position and have more control over their lives. T: +44 (0)1277 362 815 tilnarart.co.uk 