Sustainability is about meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs. In order to ensure our production does not compromise the future Weaverbirds are focused on the following aspects of sustainability:

Environment: We only use locally sourced materials, both to strengthen the economic base of the community as well as to reduce the carbon footprint of our products. All Weaverbirds products are handwoven from 100% sustainable cotton certified by Cotton made in Africa (CmiA). The goal of CmiA, an initiative of the Aid by Trade Foundation (AbTF), is to sustainably improve the living conditions of cotton farmers and their children in Sub Saharan Africa using the principle of helping people to help themselves through trade. 

Social responsibility: We employ local Ugandan artisans and workers in fair-wage settings with opportunities for additional training, aiming to nurture a demand for their skills and empowering their communities to prosper

Economy: We believe the best way to promote sustainable economic development is through strengthening local economies. We do this by creating lasting employment opportunities in fair-wage settings

Aesthetics: We believe that by creating high quality handmade slow fashio, the right balance between humans and nature can be found.

All Weaverbirds baby wraps are made from 100% Cotton made in Africa (CmiA). Cotton made in Africa is an initiative of the Aid by Trade Foundation (AbTF) that helps African smallholder cotton farmers in Africa to improve their living conditions. The goal of the CmiA is to sustainably improve the living conditions of cotton farmers and their children in Sub-Saharan Africa using the principle of helping people to help themselves through trade. Child labor, dangerous pesticides or genetically modified cotton are strictly forbidden. The latter ensures there are no Bt toxin in any of our baby wraps. Smallholder farmers get a fair and timely payment and are trained in modern, efficient and sustainable cotton farming practices. You can read more about the criteria for CmiA here.

The activities related to Cotton Made in Africa are derived from the following critical sustainability goals:

• People – social equality for smallholder farmers in Africa
• Planet – protect the environment
• Profit – higher yields and incomes for cotton farmers and their families

You can read more about the Cotton Made in Africa Initiative on www.cottonmadeinafrica.com. All Weaverbirds baby wraps are woven with cotton grown, harvested, spun and dyed in Uganda by Fine Spinners Ltd. who have been Cotton made in Africa certified since 2014.

Manufacturing is one of the only ways through which Uganda can sustainably create better, well-paying jobs for its young and growing population. Therefore weaverbirds focuses on using only locally sourced materials both to strengthen the economic base of the community as well as to reduce the carbon footprint of all of our products. This means that even when imported items can be purchased cheaper and easier we prioritize to identifying and using products Made in Uganda. This includes everything from the sustainably sourced cotton used for the wraps and the tote bags, to the spun polyester thread used for hemming.

Whereas charity can provide immediate relief to people in need, we believe the best way to promote sustainable economic development is through strengthening local economies. The goal of weaverbirds is long-term: to create sustainable employment opportunities that can permanently lift people out of poverty while protecting our planet. At present Uganda exports more than 95% of its locally grown cotton of which a large share is certified sustainable. However, Uganda has very little value adding industry as most products are exported raw (unprocessed). Consequently Uganda is losing out on a significant revenue increase. Weaverbirds is among the 5% of companies supporting the local industry and the brand “Made in Uganda”.

All weaverbirds products are one of a kind. A hand-made process guarantees that each  product is unique and personal. With quality workmanship in focus, our products help foster an appreciation for local artistry, as well as highlight the connection between the products themselves and the people who make them. Weaverbirds employs local Ugandan artisans and workers in fair-practice settings with opportunities for additional training, aiming to nurture a demand for their skills and empowering their communities to prosper.

We are constantly trying to reduce our carbon footprints. We do this by only using locally sourced products, having our products handcrafted with limited machine usage and by carefully designing our products so waste is limited.

Because we source our products locally, transport (one of the biggest contributors to climate change) is limited. Almost the entire production is handmade which is significantly more environmentally friendly than mass-produced machine-made items.

Furthermore, each wrap is designed in the width required not only to increase the strength and durability but also to avoid any unnecessary waste of materials. Our tote bags are especially designed so zero handwoven fabric is being wasted and we strongly encourage our loyal customers to become stewards of our planet and use the bag when shopping to limit the use of plastic.

Photo courtesy: Cotton made in Africa and Liv Pommer Jensen