Whether you need to store away books, pillows, kids toys, or your dirty clothes, the right fair trade baskets can help you keep your place neat and tidy as you KonMari your space.
The ethically-made, eco-friendly baskets in this guide are made with natural and eco-minded materials — often sourced locally — such as raffia, palm leaves, sisal grass, and banana fibers.
Each handmade basket is also produced fairly in artisan co-operatives, fair trade workshops, or perhaps even out of the comfort of the weavers home! The handmade basket brands featured here pay living wages, ensure safe conditions, and even offer additional services such as training initiatives, health benefits, and more.
Note that this guide includes affiliate links which means we may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. As always, all brands meet high standards for ethics and sustainability and are brands we love (that we think you’ll love too).
1. Mbare
Intricately crafted from natural fibers and recycled materials using generations-old techniques, Mbare’s baskets are rich not only in color, but also in heritage and artistry. Each basket is made by Mbare’s artisan partners, most of which are fair trade certified, where all artisans earn living wages for their crafts.
Categories: storage baskets, hampers, wall baskets
Price Range: $24 – $209
2. The Citizenry
Stash away all of your clutter effortlessly and elegantly with The Citizenry’s fair trade baskets made from natural materials such as abaca bark and paja tetera fibers. All of the handmade baskets on The Citizenry are responsibly crafted by artisans working in fair trade conditions and earning wages that are 2x higher than the fair trade requirement.
Categories: storage baskets, hampers
Price Range: $99 – $519
3. Ten Thousand Villages
The original fair traders, Ten Thousand Villages is an incredible resource for finding ethical artisan handmade baskets. By following fair wage practices, paying 50% upfront to their artisans so they can buy raw materials, and providing full payment before the goods are shipped, Ten Thousand Villages embodies an equitable trade model that allows artisan communities to truly thrive.
Categories: storage baskets, hampers, wall baskets, bicycle baskets
Price Range: $7 – $150
4. Baba Tree
The museum-caliber baskets from Baba Tree are part storage, part statement piece. Baba Tree’s baskets are all handmade in Bolgatanga, Ghana by artisans who are fairly compensated. The artisans’ vibrant, striking baskets are more than just aesthetically pleasing too — they symbolize Ghana’s creativity, inspiration, and hope. These baskets are available at Black-owned retailer GOODEE.
Categories: storage baskets, bicycle baskets, decorative baskets
Price Range: $55 – $299 (plus made-to-order artistic baskets upwards of $1000)
5. Swahili African Modern
Swahili African Modern is a Fair Trade Federation member partnering with women artisans in Senegal, Ghana, and Kenya using natural materials like cattails, sisal, elephant grass, and banana fiber and recycled materials like strips from used prayer mats to craft their functional fair trade baskets and hampers.
Categories: storage baskets, hampers, basket bins
Price Range: $72 – $492
6. Will & Atlas
Using natural dyes and earth-minded fibers like jute and palm leaves, Will & Atlas’ eco-friendly baskets are the perfect storage choice for ensuring a non-toxic home. The woman-owned company also ensures artisans are paid living wages and work in safe environments.
Categories: storage baskets, planter baskets
Price Range: $45 – $245
7. Kazi
With colorful hues and one-of-a-kind patterns, it’s easy to get swept away when browsing through Kazi’s baskets. Their beautiful baskets are much more than meets the eye, though. Each handmade basket is crafted using natural, locally-sourced materials by artisans across rural Africa who earn fair wages and have access to training initiatives among other benefits.
Categories: storage baskets, hampers, wall baskets, hanging baskets, planter baskets, food/serving baskets
Price Range: $18 – $150
8. Makaua
Makaua creates timeless fair trade baskets that have a story behind them you’ll feel proud to share. The family-owned and women-led company partners with 50 families— over 100 people — in Mexico who hand-weave contemporary palm leaf baskets. This basket weaving work is egalitarian too as the artisans are able to weave from the comfort of their homes while taking care of their families. Makaua is sold at GOODEE, a Black-owned marketplace.
Categories: storage baskets, hampers, food baskets
Price Range: $25 – $198
The post Fair Trade Baskets and Laundry Hampers to Store Anything & Everything appeared first on Conscious Life & Style.
Fair Trade Baskets and Laundry Hampers to Store Anything & Everything
Just like fashion has been overrun by fast fashion, home goods and furniture have similarly seen a rapid decline in quality. Rugs are no exception.
And similar to fashion, these cheap goods come at a high cost — namely, to the planet and to people. In fact carpet and rug production is rampant with exploitation.
On the other hand, fair trade rugs present the best of what a rug can bring to your home: artistry, craftsmanship, and heritage.
The brands featured in this guide are partnering with (and fairly paying!) skilled artisans who are using generations-old — and sometimes even centuries-old — techniques. These artisans are sustaining long lines of crafts, preserving their cultural diversity, and celebrating the richness of their time-honored crafts.
There’s simply no replacement for a timeless, quality artisan-made rug — they’re like pieces of art you can lay out on your floor or hang on your walls.
So, enjoy browsing through this guide to sustainable rug brands listed out below and best of luck on your search for the right fair trade rug!
Where to Find Ethical and Fair Trade Rugs
Note that this guide includes affiliates and partners. As always, brands must meet high standards for ethics and sustainability to be featured and all opinions are my own.
1. Obakki
Best for: warm-hued handwoven wool rugs
Categories: Area Rugs, Runners, Accent Rugs
Obakki partners with artisan weavers primarily in Oaxaca, Mexico — including individual makers like José — who hand-dyes and weaves rugs on a traditional pedal loom using locally sourced sheep’s wool and natural dyes derived from native plants. The brand also works with Rrres Design Studio, a Latin American studio dedicated to preserving traditional Oaxacan weaving techniques, and sources handwoven textiles from artisan communities beyond Mexico as well, including Morocco.
Each rug is made from 100% wool with no synthetic dyes or backing. Most pieces are made-to-order with a 4-8 week production window, shipped directly from the artisan partners.
Price Range: $460 – $4,159
Conscious Qualities: Natural Fibers, Natural Dyes, Craft Preservation
2. Kiliim
Best for: modern wool kilim rugs
Categories: Area Rugs, Accent Rugs
If you’re well-versed in rug terminology, you may recognize that this brand’s name looks similar to the word kilim.
Kiliim’s rug are made using authentic kilim rug craftsmanship by artisans in Egypt coming from generations of kilim artisans. To ensure ethical production and to support the preservation of this heritage craft, Kiliim pays living wages to all artisans.
Price Range: $95 – $4,812
Conscious Qualities: Ethical Production, Heritage Craft Preservation, Natural Fibers
3. Urban Natural
Best for: browsing fair trade rugs in lots of styles and sizes
Categories: Outdoor, Area Rugs, and Accent Rugs
This natural home and lifestyle retailer has a beautifully curated selection of sustainably-made rugs crafted with materials like jute, sisal, wool, and cotton.
Several brands on Urban Natural are also ethically hand-loomed or hand-knotted, such as Loloi — a GoodWeave partner — and Jaipur Living — a brand that partners with thousands of local artisans to sustain heritage crafts.
Price Range: $259 – $9,755
Conscious Qualities: Eco-Conscious Materials
4. LOOMY
Best for: pet-friendly and performance rugs
Categories: Area Rugs, Accent Rugs, Runners, Outdoor Rugs
Founded by a weaver, LOOMY is dedicated to crafting beautiful artisan-made rugs that will last for decades to come.
LOOMY partners with highly-skilled artisan weavers who craft quality rugs made from eco-minded materials like banana silk, jute, and recycled cotton, plus performance options made from 100% recycled polyester built to withstand whatever life brings you.
Price Range: $298 – $8,298
Conscious Qualities: Natural Fibers, Craft Preservation, Vintage Options
5. West Elm
Best for: fair trade rugs in on-trend mainstream styles
Categories: Area Rugs, Accent Rugs
West Elm is bringing ethical rugs to a broader market with their collection of Fair Trade Certified
wool and cotton rugs. While I recommend browsing the smaller shops listed above first, West Elm is supporting the movement to responsibly-made, fair trade rugs.
Price Range: $$$
Conscious Qualities: Fair Trade production, Majority Natural Materials
6. Jubi
Best for: Modern rugs in vibrant prints
Categories: Accent Rugs, Circle Rugs, Runners
Jubi is a Brooklyn studio founded by textile designer Cassie Dagostino. Every rug is handmade from New Zealand wool by fourth-generation weaving families in Bhadohi, India using traditional techniques. Each rug is made-to-order, meaning no excess stock. Since everything is made to order, expect between 3 and 7 weeks for your rug, depending on the technique used.
Conscious Qualities: Pays Above Market Rates, 100% Wool, Made-to-Order
Price Range: $228 – $668
Shipping: Free worldwide shipping
7. Rejuvenation
Best for: Classic rug styles made in Fair Trade factories
Categories: Accent Rugs, Runners, Area Rugs
Home retailer Rejuvenation has a selection of rugs made in Fair Trade Certified factories. Their collection includes undyed hand-loomed rugs to geometric flatwoven wool rugs. And while I’d typically avoid synthetics, it tends to be unavoidable for outdoor rugs — so Rejuvenation’s Fair Trade 100% recycled poly rug is a good option.
Conscious Qualities: Fair Trade Certified, Mostly Natural Materials
Price Range: $79 – $1,649
Shipping: Contiguous U.S. shipping for 10% of product price (add $20 for HI, AK, and US. territorries)
Liked this guide to ethical rugs? You might also enjoy:
Ethical Home Decor Brands to Curate a Beautiful, Conscious Space
Eco-Friendly Furniture to Furnish Your Home Sustainably
Fair Trade and Eco-Friendly Blankets to Cozy Up With
The post 5 Best Ethical Fair Trade Rugs to Elevate Your Space appeared first on Conscious Life & Style.
As a longtime book lover, I may be biased, but I think a full bookshelf is one of the most beautiful additions to a space. There’s nothing better than seeing a showcase of your favorite reads alongside a TBR list.
A bookcase, though, can of course be used for all sorts of purposes from placing your favorite photos of family and friends to showcasing treasured vintage finds.
Whatever the case, this guide will help you find the right sustainable bookshelf for your living room, office, or wherever you like to cozy up with a good read!
So what make a bookcase more sustainable? What makes a bookshelf non-toxic?
First of all: sustainable and non-toxic are two overlapping — but distinct — criteria. And both of those terms can come with a lot of opinions and varying definitions.
When it comes to sustainable bookcases, I look for:
- Responsibly Sourced Materials: most bookshelves are made primarily with wood. While natural, unsustainable wood sourcing can be a cause of deforestation, so we want to see that the wood was from responsibly managed forests or made from reclaimed or repurposed wood. Some bookshelves may feature metal, in which case recycled materials here are important.
- High Quality Construction: sustainability includes longevity — how long will you be able to use that furniture piece before it goes to the landfill and gets replaced? Look for transparency around craftsmanship and woodworking processes. Another sign of quality is the length of warranty a company has for its products.
- Ethically Made: this one is straightforward in theory — were the people making it paid fairly and working in safe conditions? — but is unfortunately not always easy to find information. In this category, I look for transparency in practices, what relationship the brand has with the manufacturer (some produce in-house which is the best case scenario for transparency!), where it was made, and how well the makers were paid.
Ideally a sustainable bookshelf would also be non-toxic — as toxic chemical fumes aren’t exactly sustainable! But this isn’t always the case. For example, if a company prioritizes upcycled materials, they don’t necessarily have control over what inputs were part of the original materials. And sometimes a company focuses more on ethical artisan partnerships and sustainable wood sourcing, more than, say, using non-toxic finishes.
But when it comes to non-toxic bookshelves, this is what I look for. (Note that non-toxic doesn