Our integrity is incredibly important to us, and our integrity dictates that we work ethically. Basically we care about what we do, we care about what we sell and we care about our customers and our suppliers. Without integrity we couldn't function, simple as that.
Our business was never just about making money - if it was we'd have given up long ago! - but about a genuine desire to provide ethical, environmentally-friendly products which help people parent according to their instincts, whether that's by using reusable nappies to lessen their environmental impact, or to carry their baby more in accordance with our natural, instinctive urge to hold and protect our children. We want to support parents and share knowledge and resources - see our links page for books, magazines and websites that we love and that have helped us over the years, and please send in your recommendations back to us to martine@closeparent.com - so that for those of you who haven't met a kindred spirit yet there's somewhere to turn to, maybe even to help justify your choices to family and friends.
The materials we use are the best we can find.
The Close carrier is made from 100% organic cotton. It’s grown in Turkey and manufactured in the same area of Turkey to minimise mileage, and the dyes we use are all certified organic. The packaging is recyclable. All of this is done in accordance with the strict Soil Association regulations and so the carrier is Soil Association certified.
The soakers of the original Pop-in nappies are made from bamboo viscose and cotton; the bamboo is grown and manufactured in China, and bamboo is an incredibly sustainable crop as it grows quickly and doesn’t require pesticides. The Pop-in outer is made from polyester and is TPU coated, so it is a man-made fabric but it’s what makes the nappies waterproof and so is somewhat essential!
When supplying to stores like Mothercare, John Lewis and Boots we have to pass their very stringent quality tests on a regular basis and provide all the appropriate certificates, so this is something we are continuously reviewing.
Our co-director Tony owns our factory in China. He visits them regularly and has recently built a brand new building that serves them much better, in more comfort with more space. It also has living accomodation for the factory manager's parents so this really is a family-friendly company! The workers get more holidays than most employees in China, including days out together as a company which Tony organises. Both Claire and Hester have visited the factory and spent a good amount of time there, so we know, hand on heart, that it's good. We pay a very fair price for the goods we manufacture there and this in turn filters down to good wages for the workers.