Bespoke Bindings is passionate about

Sustainability

A core value of Bespoke Bindings is sustainability and looking after the environment.


All books are safely protected and sent in fully recyclable packaging. Single-use plastic is avoided.


Bespoke Bindings is an ethical vegan brand that supports the planet as a whole. Therefore leather derived from animal skin is not used upon book covers. Instead I support companies producing high quality alternative plant-based leather, which is made in kinder ways and remains hard wearing for your books.


Below are other ways in which Bespoke Bindings remains a sustainable brand.

Shop Local:

I always shop local and support small online creative businesses. There are many craftspeople with small growing stores that I follow online which are making beautiful handmade luxury products. These unique, creative people, and their businesses, need our encouragement to grow. Also, by shopping local to us we are directly supporting small businesses on the high street.


Shopping local also means there is a lower carbon footprint as goods are made locally without unnecessary emissions from extra transport.

An image of a local boutique gift shop selling handmade goods by local artists and artisans. There is a rail of colourful clothing and 2 rucksacks hanging from the wall one blue and one green. There are some handmade leather hand bags and purses on display on a table colourful ceramic pots on shelves on the wall in the background.

Reduce:

I am passionate about reducing the volume of waste going to landfill, along with nondegradable waste.


Toxic man-made materials such as plastic, damage the environment and directly harm wildlife.

I choose against single use plastics and reuse where possible. I also choose materials that are recyclable or biodegradable, especially for my packaging.


I support charity-led businesses that sell surplus manufactured stock to divert away from landfill. Examples include ReusefulUK which has many stores nationwide, allowing everyone to purchase clean and reusable scrap waste material which has been donated from businesses with surplus resources. Many people use these materials within arts and crafts!

Click here to visit ReusefulUK, a true inspiration!
The image is in black and white and shows a depressing amount of none recyclable rubbish such as plastics polluting the landscape and piling up high. Two animals a cow and a bull are scavenging from the waste.

Reuse:

It's very rewarding to adopt a make-and-mend mentality.


There are so many limited edition, traditionally crafted and fascinating things to be found at antiques markets and fairs. By purchasing these second hand items, we can then customise them to create something furthermore unique for ourselves.  As an added bonus, these items are also diverted away from landfill.


Up-cycling is the process of re-using an item that was intended for one use, and then customising it to serve a new purpose. I have created book covers using upcycled vintage materials, such as vintage wallpapers, sheet music and high end decorative fabrics from Sanderson and Liberty of London.


Scroll down to find links to these books.

The image shows a vintage homewares store. A large window and white brick wall means the space was one industrial and it may be an old factory. There are various items such as mismatched vintage tables and chairs. The furniture is coloured white, tan brown, and dark brown so they complement one another. There is an old fashioned landscape picture of some flowers which is hanging very high on the white brick wall and an old pair of step ladders and a large cream clock with roman numerals sit next to the picture.
Recycle and decompose:

The decorative packaging and shipping boxes which you receive from Bespoke Bindings are ALL sustainable and can be recycled at home by customers.


The 'Thank You' cards that customer's receive can be planted, as they contain seeds and are printed with acid -free inks. The gift wrap tissue paper is even compostable!


Scroll down to learn more about Bespoke Binding's sustainable packaging.

The image shows a thank you card from Bespoke bindings which is given out with every order. The card is cream and made from handmade paper pulp with seeds. The cards are stamped with the message Thank you for supporting bespoke bindings a small business and sustainable brand this card is made from wildflower seeds please plant after use and enjoy. The card is laid on a cream canvas table cloth with rustic autumnal leaves in green yellow and brown.
Sustainable Packaging used for books

The eco-friendly materials I use for packaging may not be the prettiest, but they offer much needed protection to your purchases.


I have used bubble wrap in the past as it is readily available and does the job as a reliable protective layer. However I have always disliked using it, as it is hard to recycle and it is nasty to wildlife if not disposed of correctly. My quest to find protective eco-friendly packing material wasn't going to be an easy one! I did however discover a product called Cushion paper (see link below). It is shock-absorbing, made from recycled paper and is 100% recyclable, so it's a winner all around!


I have included links below to learn more about the companies I use for my packaging;



An image of paper based protective packaging instead of bubble wrap, called cushion paper. It is corrugated with a wavy surface texture and included when posting books to customers. There is also a business card for Bespoke Bindings.
The image shows a beautifully wrapped handmade book in recycled white tissue paper within brown sustainable packaging boxes and a Bespoke Bindings business card on top with the green logo. The open box is stacked on top of another box with a stamp saying Sustainable Packaging.
Up-cycling projects using vintage materials salvaged from
antiques fairs and markets

Click the links below to view the books

An image of vintage retro patterned wallpaper in rolls. The top one is blue flowers olive green leaves and orange flowers on a soft black background. The second roll is modern orange mustard and chequered patterned brown flowers on a white background with light brown stalks. The third roll is a detailed paisley floral pattern of flowers and leaves in yellow light olive green and orange on a white background. They are all from the 1970's and 1960's era.
The image shows a vintage floral fabric photo album. The floral pattern on the album is in red light pink dark pink light green dark green and mustard. The album has a gold metal eyelet with dark red leather cord running through it.
The image shows various colourful Vintage mid century sheet music covers. There are illustrations for my fair lady and never do a tango with an eskimo.