Earth Happy Initiatives at Wink
At Wink we are not only passionate about good design – we are also super passionate about our environment. We believe strongly in ensuring that through our manufacturing processes and actions we make as positive an impact as possible, and minimize our negative effects on our planet.
When I was still in the early research days for Wink I discovered that the usual materials used in making beds are harmful for the environment and that did not sit at all well with me.
Specifically, there were two facts that I came across that really disturbed me: (1) foam can take anything between 500 to 1 million years to decompose and (2) foam products fill up around 30% of landfills around the world.
How awful! It was these terrible truths that became my driving force for making Wink as sustainable as possible, from product to packaging.
Here are a few ways that Wink is playing its part in keeping our earth happy:
SHEEP WOOL:
Knowing that I did not want to use foam I embarked on a research mission to find a suitable alternative. We prototyped a number of different products and eventually settled on wool. Wool is the most perfect choice for Wink. We use wool that is from NZ sheep and
is manufactured in NZ so we are supporting local industry, another aspect of which I am passionate about.
The attributes of wool are fantastic. It is natural, renewable and bio-degradable. It’s also toxin-free, hypoallergenic, non-irritant, odourless, breathable, dust mite resistant, is able to filter harmful VOCs and flame retardants. It also forms part of the natural carbon cycle.
I just loved researching how fantastic sheep’s wool was going to be as a replacement for foam in our bedheads. Its longevity, due to the high quality and durability of wool, provides for the perfect alternative material and it truly is renewable as sheep naturally grow a new fleece every year, which then needs to be trimmed for their welfare.
I also loved that our supplier is fully committed to sustainability and all offcuts are recycledwithin their factory.
Plainly said: we ❤️ wool!
SCREWS REPLACE THE GLUES
Getting more into the nitty-gritty of things we’ve substituted the wood glue for screws in our bedheads. Once again, this minimizes the off-gassing of VOCs.
THE BACKSIDE
Ordinarily, the backing and/or lining fabric used in upholstery is cheap drill that is bleached and then dyed black. This clearly uses many chemicals in its processing so we’ve opted for unbleached calico. This calico takes markedly less processing to make so is much closer to its original form and as a result, is a natural off white colour and may even have small flecks of cotton seeds visible. Bleaching requires huge quantities of water and energy, and chlorine, which is a by-product of bleaching, is a toxic chemical that ends up in our water and soil remaining in the environment for several years potentially harming wildlife. We are totally happy to use natural cotton lining as a preferred alternative!
TIMBER
The timber that we choose to use at Wink is produced in Aotearoa, using NZ grown timber sourced from sustainably managed forests. The timber carries the Environmental Choice New Zealand Certification and is certified by the FSC (Forestry Stewardship Council) which ensures that the forest is managed in accordance with FSC principles and criteria by following exacting social and environmental guidelines.
We specifically use timber that is made to have the lowest emissions possible. Its emissions are equal to those found in timber in the natural environment, whereas other more cheaply produced timber board uses solvents that are harmful to the planet and increase the off-gassing of VOCs. Therefore you can rest more easily and sleep more soundly. 💤
NO LIVE PLUCKING
Yes, another shocking fact. We won’t get into the details (spoiler alert: it’s absolutely awful) but we’re happy to say that we instead use duck feathers which are a by-product from a duck farm in Waikato.
OLD SCHOOL IS STILL COOL
Maybe not for some fashion trends (I’m looking at you neon unitards) but we definitely say yes to card liners for our lampshades over the plastic liners that are more commonly used.
PLASTIC-FREE PACKAGING (we even use eco-tape!)
Your product will arrive snuggly wrapped in recyclable, biodegradable, and (made from) recycled cardboard and earth-friendly eco-tape resulting in guilt-free online shopping 😉
We feel super proud of what we’ve created at Wink: stylish, design-led and custom-made bedheads and accessories, that are made from sustainable materials and seek to be as planet-friendly as possible in everything that we do.
