Nalu Beads Sustainability
Ethical jewellery, designed in the in UK
Created, inspired and in harmony with nature, Nalu Bead’s sustainability journey is ever evolving as we learn and grow.
The core of our range is inspired by waves, oceans, mountains, the countryside and coastlines in the UK and around the world. To honour our muses, we’re committed to developing planet-friendly practices that don’t harm people, the planet or animals.
Our
SUSTAINABILITY HIGHLIGHTS
- Recycled 925 silver used for many products in our silver range, with the aim to reach 100% recycled
- Lifetime repair service*
- 100% recyclable packaging & reusable recycled plastic ribbons
- Almost completely plastic-free shipping
- Charity jewellery range
- Small team based in North Devon, UK
- All our glass beads and sand bead jewellery collection are handmade in North Devon
- Nalu is a ‘PFND Plastic Free Champion’
Glass beads
- We use a brand of glass called Effectre from the island of Murano in Venice, Italy - the best quality glass in the world
- The glass is bought through a UK importer based in Yorkshire
- 90% of our collection and all our sand beads are made to order in our studio in Braunton, North Devon
- We have a small group of UK based outworkers who help us make up stock for our trade stockists
Silver
- Most of our findings used for Sand Jewellery are made from recycled silver
- We are working hard at traceability with our European suppliers
RECYCLED STERLING SILVER
The use of 100% recycled silver significantly reduces CO2 emissions by over 60%, rather than mining silver.
We use certified 925 sterling silver which is made up of 92.5% pure silver and 7.5% other metals, and is all assay-assured and hallmarked at 92.5% pure. The addition of other metals makes it far more durable than pure silver alone, with no compromise to colour or lustre.
Wraps and cords
- Our cork wraps are sustainably sourced from Portugal from MB cork, no hard chemicals are used in the processing of this cork and eco dyes are used.
- Our leather wraps are sourced from India and are hand dyed.
- Our cord reels are vegan and made from Korean faux suede
Clothing
- Our t-shirts and sweatshirts are ethically produced using factories that are either WRAP (Worldwide Responsible Accredited Production) certified or members of BSCI (Business Social Compliance Initiative). AWDis is also Peta approved.
- AWDis say “Today, when the spotlight is on every aspect of clothing manufacturing, here and overseas, it’s more important than ever for us to ensure that we, and our global partners, share a commitment to fair and safe working practices. And this applies throughout our global supply chain where we demand stringent monitoring of all our suppliers. To police these best practices, we have dedicated in-country teams regularly visiting and inspecting all the factories we use.” Read more here.
Jewellery boxes & displays
- Designed in North Devon and laser cut in Falmouth, Cornwall, UK
Charity
- We support a range of charities by creating charity beads, bracelets and sand pebble necklaces that donate a portion of their sale directly to the charity.
- We opt to donate a proportion of all beads sold to humanitarian causes, such as Ukraine.
We currently support the following charities (last updated March 2023):
- Ask For Jake
- Plastic Free North Devon
- Wave Project
- Surfers Against Sewage
- North Devon Biosphere
- Children's Hospice South West
- Braunton Countryside Centre
- The Cystic Fibrosis Trust
- Ocean Generation
- Marine Connection
- Surf Life Saving
- Keep A Breast Foundation
- Seal Sanctuary
Packaging
- Our gift boxes are all made from cardboard, and we use a local North Devon company to make them
- We try to ship all pieces plastic free. Some of silver pieces are shipped in plastic to prevent tarnishing in transit.
- Our ribbon is made with recycled plastic bottles or wood pulp fibre
People
- Our tiny team is based in North Devon
- We only trade with Fairtrade certified suppliers
- We outsource a small amount of lampworking to outworkers in the UK, primarily in the South West