Seagrass & Jute Tablemat

Seagrass grows very quickly in shallow saltwater along coastlines and rivers. Once mature, the grass is cut by hand and dried in the sun, then hand twisted and woven. Dried seagrass is durable and moisture resistant.

Jute plants are easy to grow, have a high yield per acre and, unlike cotton, have little need for pesticides and fertilisers. Jute grows during the rainy season in Bangladesh which is from June to October. The plants are ready to harvest in four to six months, after the flowers are shed.

Jute plants help to clean the air. During growth they take in three times more CO2 than the average tree, converting this CO2 into oxygen. Jute plants also enrich the soil. As these plants grow fast, they are often used in crop rotation. The leaves and roots left after harvest enrich the soil with micronutrients, maintaining soil fertility.

ReSpiin tablemats and coasters are hand woven in Bangladesh through a supplier working towards WFTO membership. The supplier is committed to providing regular employment in a working environment that is safe and hygienic, and they pay a living wage to all employees. Together they have developed an innovative way of producing jute rope and stylish jute baskets which means they can produce a much higher return from the jute than when it is sold for basic jute sacks.

Not only are seagrass and jute totally natural and sustainable, both are also renewable and biodegradable materials.

The sewing thread used is made of 70% polyester and 30% cotton. It cannot be 100% cotton thread as this will not tolerate the sewing machine tension needed to be able to stitch the seagrass and jute into place.

Each mat features a little fabric ReSpiin label stitched onto the rim and comes with a recyclable swing tag. Wipe clean with a damp cloth.