I have a stunning sustainable brand to share with you today! Tessa started up Toast Handmade and they make all of their products from hemp or hemp twine.
Brand Name: Toast Handmade
Do you have a retail store, an online store or both? We have an instagram account @toast_handmade and will start to list products on the plasticity. website www.plasticity.co.za
What products do you offer?
We offer products which are made with hemp fabric and hemp twine
Our hemp fabric range includes a tote bag, hair scrunchies, drawstring bags and kitchen cloths
What made you start this business?
This brand emerged out of my passion for hemp! I want hemp to be as common as ‘Toast’ and so that’s the little anecdote behind our name :). I believe that natural fabrics should be the norm, and would love to see hemp more widely available to the South African market. Hemp is not currently grown here at a commercial level due to certain legal restrictions around growing and cultivation the hemp plant. I think that growing hemp locally would be a game changer for our local green economy – there is just so much you can do with this plant. We need to raise awareness for the uses of hemp and create a local demand for it. But even supporting the growth of hemp worldwide has great environmental benefits.
How do you choose the brands you work with?
We are still a really ‘new’ brand so we’d be looking to work with brands who have made a commitment to responsible production and are contributing great products and services for the conscious consumer and participating in the slow made revolution.
What does sustainability mean to you?
Sustainability to me isn’t possible without community. Sustainable is local, and connected. If we are aware of our impact and our personal butterfly effect, we more readily make the necessary shifts like buying products that cost a little more because you know they are made ethically and in a way that is earth-positive, or going without certain things because they’re just unnecessary. Learning to love the clothes you already own, and buying things made locally, that you know you’ll love for a long time!
What do you feel is the biggest misconception out there when it comes to sustainable living?
That you have to be a minimalist and are not allowed to ever use plastic again. We are all on our own journey, and in the modern, convenience-centered world we live in, sustainable lifestyle alternatives aren’t plentiful. You have to be a little more mindful of what you consume and the impact of those choices. Sustainable living will look different for everyone. It’s a journey.
What tip/s would you give to someone just starting out on their waste-free journey?
Start with the changes you’re most comfortable making, and then take the next step in the direction you want to move towards. I’d start with just slowing down and becoming comfortable with ‘less’.
What has been the most challenging part about living a zero-waste life?
I’m not a naturally organized person, and have lost my e-coffee cup a few times… A zero-waste life in the world we live in is definitely going against the grain. I’m still very much on that journey.
As a business owner, I’ve taken steps towards ensuring that as little waste is generated as possible. I have found some amazing alternatives to our unsustainable norms. For example Our smaller orders will go out in a mielie mailer. Bigger orders will simply be sent out in a re-used or new cardboard box (which can then also be reused)
What are 3 of your favourite products within your range?
I love our hemp scrubbies, they have endless uses! There are 3 different scrubbies in our scrubbie combo. Those are my 3 faves but I also LOVE our hemp scrunchies and everything else we make.
