At Marz Designs, we produce a range of components in a number of different materials including timber, metal and stone. While these materials are essentially raw they are still extracted from the earth. The truth of it is that we produce products that do have an environmental impact. So, why do we claim to be ‘driven by sustainability’? Because we aim to minimise and mitigate our footprint on the planet where we can. This is really important to us.

Our Current Shipping Practices

Did you know that 91% of plastic packaging waste is sent to landfill or ends up in the environment? 
 
While a hypothetical product may be produced from completely sustainable materials and through completely sustainable processes, often the most damage is done when the product arrives at your door enveloped in plastic packaging. Unfortunately, plastic often escapes the recycle and reuse processes with roughly 63 pounds (28.5 kilograms) of plastic packaging per person ending up in landfills in the U.S. every year. This has astronomical implications on the environment, and in particular, marine wildlife (learn more about single-use plastics here).
 
Plastic is a problem, and it is our ambition to help solve this problem by eradicating plastic in our shipping processes and ensuring that when our products do arrive at your door, they arrive lightly.

Here’s a list of Marz Designs current shipping practices:

• We use recycled packaging contents. For example, we re-use the expanded paper from our ceramics suppliers and timber suppliers as pack fill. 

• We use packaging materials which are recyclable at the end of their life cycle instead of ending up in landfill (including paper tape).

• We optimise our box sizes rather than having one standard size for all. Boxes that are too large not only waste space but they require more packing material and weigh more.

• We’ve got our suppliers sending us components in recyclable packaging materials. No foam or plastic, which minimises the waste through our workshop. This is an ongoing process. Marz Designs is always applying pressure to our suppliers to ensure they utilise recyclable materials in their shipping processes.

• Any soft plastics we do receive are sent to recycling.

• Imported components are generally sent via ship rather than by air, which creates far less CO2 emissions, though there is of course more that can be done to make shipping more sustainable and protective of polluting the marine environment.

• We use a thermal label printer for our labels. Thermal label printers negate the use of plastic toner and ink cartridges, which can take anywhere between 400 and 1,000 years to decompose in landfill.

• We use two main shipping carriers day-to-day – DHL and Fastway – who have both implemented supply chain best practices aimed at reducing the carbon footprint related to shipping and distribution.

• We consolidate orders to reduce our carbon footprint. We ask our customers to wait a little longer to receive all the purchased products together, rather than sending individual packages out separately as they become available.

• Instead of printing and distributing with every product, we make all of our Installation Guides available to download from the Resources section of our website. Save paper and printing by sending a PDF Installation Guide directly to your electrical contractor.

Our Future Sustainability Practices 

Marz Designs incorporates as many eco-friendly practices into our packaging and manufacturing processes as we currently can, but we recognise that we are a long way from where we would like to be and where we need to be to do right by our environment. 
 
We are always exploring and researching new ways to reduce and omit plastic waste through our supply chain and will continue to update our valued clients and the industry in an effort to support and motivate other businesses to do the same.
 

Imperfect Products Available to Purchase

We are currently working towards having an Imperfect Lighting section in the Shop, which allows clients to purchase products with slight imperfections at a discounted rate. This reduces our waste through the workshop and allows us to find a home for perfectly good products.

Carbon Neutral Shipping

Finding a way to offset our carbon footprint and offer carbon-neutral shipping is the logical next step for our business – something that requires time to refine but something we have our sights on.

As designers, we have a global responsibility to promote longevity and thoughtful consumption and as such, Marz Designs products are made to order, not en masse. And while we do take from the earth to create our products, they are designed and manufactured to adorn your ceilings and walls for a lifetime. 
 
When our lights arrive at your door, we give you all the tools you need to provide long-term care of the materials. Check out our Accessories for a range of tested care products that will best contribute to the life expectancy of your product.