Ethically manufactured products are not just a question of sourcing eco-friendly materials. Every production involves a factory with human beings on the shop floor, CO2 emissions from the rooftop and a carbon footprint from the transport to the final destination. As a manufacturing brand we cannot completely eliminate our CO2 emissions and the carbon footprint. But every day we can choose to go the most responsible way to reduce the impact of our processes on the planet and secure fair conditions for the human beings who
work for our suppliers.
What is an eco-friendly material? Free from harmful chemicals? Long lasting? Based on renewable resources? Recycled? Recyclable? All of these questions are equally important and reflected in our product development, supply chain and manufacturing.
Why have we chosen bio-based Ecozen® instead of rubber and silicone for our Travel Life collections and kids’ tableware? Because Ecozen® is not only based on renewable resources, it is also extremely durable and stays looking good for many years. Our textile collection is based on certified organic cotton or OEKO-TEX® standards which means that it’s not only the fabric which is organic, the staining and the printing are also carried out in a responsible way. From 2018 onwards we switched to FSC certified paper and recently we have restructured our jewellery production which means that our jewellery is now based on recycled silver.
These are just some examples of how we work. If you have any specific questions about our manufacturing process and supply chain you are always welcome to contact our department for sustainable procurement: responsiblity@designletters.dk
Products from Design Letters are based on original design, developed from scratch by our design team in Copenhagen. This gives us full control over all the ingredients we use. We like fashionable colours but beyond the aesthetics we are always considering how we can create long lasting, practical designs that will be relevant and useful for many years.
Our tableware collection in Ecozen® has a lifetime breakages guarantee and the entire To Go collection is created for the purpose of replacing disposable food packaging. The porcelain collection from 2011 is also an example of extreme durability and high quality, designed and manufactured to last for generations to come. There’s also a personal cup which reduces the need for frequent dishwashing at home or in the office, where there’s usually a high consumption of cups and glasses throughout the day.
Since 2018 we have commited ourselves to using exclusively ship (80-90%) and train and as a mode of transport. Today our goods transport is 98% based on cargo shipping and train. The reason why it’s not 100% depends on the fact that we always have a small amount of product development samples that require air transport. To get closer to the 100% we have recently invested in a 3D printer which will further reduce the need to transport samples by air.
In 2018 Design Letters® started a plastic free packaging revolution with the goal of being 100% free from disposable plastic within five years. Today 95% of our packaging is plastic-free and the remaining 5% is partially made from biodegradable and recycled plastic. We only use disposable plastic packaging for our jewellery, bedlinen and paper goods in order to protect these specific products as best as possible. It is our goal that, within a year, this remaining 5% will be based 100% on environmentally friendly plastic.
Since 2009 Design Letters has been working closely with a very small circle of carefully selected suppliers. In fact, we collaborate with just approximately 10 main suppliers across all of our product categories. Our suppliers are factory owners with whom we share a code of behavior which covers areas such as environmentally gentle procurement and production, work environment and wage conditions. That said, there is always room for improvements and we regularly consult with our partners on how we can achieve this. The plastic-free packaging policy from 2018 is a good example of the progressive
co-operation we have with our suppliers. Our mutual understanding and common values are also formally united in a code of conduct agreed and signed by our partners.
We have an ambition to be good corporate citizens. Respecting all people and supporting the green transition.
If you for some reason no longer need your Design Letters® product, you can either choose to sell it, hand it in to a thrift store or a charity shop or dispose it at a recycling station. If you choose the latter, it is important that you do it correctly.
99% of our materials can be recycled. Please follow our guide to correct and environmentally friendly disposal. If you are in doubt about how to dispose a product, you are welcome to drop it off in one of our stores, and we will ensure proper disposal. If you have any questions, you can also send them to responsibility@designletters.dk and we will get back to you.
To ensure correct sorting and disposal, you can check each product’s material composition by looking at the bottom of the product.
Ecozen® is recyclable bio plastic and should be deposited as “hard plastic”.
PP is recyclable plastic and should be deposited as “hard plastic”.
Glass can be remelted and should be disposed as “glass”. If the glass product consists of other parts, be careful to sort it from the glass part before depositing the glass.
Untreated wood is natural wood without paint, varnish or oiling. Natural wood should be disposed as “untreated wood”.
If your textile product is intact and without stains, we recommend you to donate it for charity or resell it. If you choose to deposit it for recycling it is especially important that it is free of oil stains and paint.
Silver, gold and brass are all materials that can be remelted and turned into new jewelry or other products. We recommend that you resell your jewelry if you no longer wish to keep them. You can either sell them privately or to an authorized metal wholesale dealer. If you choose to dispose your jewelry this should be disposed as “metal”.
Old chargers, cables & powerbanks should either be passed on to a friend or family or, if the items are damaged, be delivered to a tech shop for repair. If you do not wish to make use of these two options for recycling, the items should be disposed as small electronic devices at the local recycling station.
Tritan™ is recyclable plastic and should be deposited as “hard plastic”.
Ceramic is reusable in certain cases and should be disposed as “tiles & porcelain”. If your ceramic items are intact and reusable, we recommend that you donate them to charity.
Treated wood is all wood that has been chemically processed to resist wear and tear. For example, painted or oiled wood. All treated wood should be disposed as “treated wood”.
Steel can be recycled over and over again, and should be disposed as “steel” or “metal” depending on the categorization at your local recycling station.
Silicone is not recyclable. It is therefore important that silicone parts such as straws and other spare parts are separated from the main product and deposited separately as general waste.
Paper and cardboard are both recyclable but must be separated before disposal. A book cover should be disposed in the cardboard container. The inner pages must be disposed as paper.