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Arcadia Home
Best Practice Achievements
Sustainable Materials
We make a conscious effort to manage our materials selection, seeking materials we are confident are sustainable, such as legally harvested forest products, responsibly produced plantation products, and recycled content:
Recycling and Reclamation
We factor disassembly, recyclability and product reclamation into buying decisions. We offer a product reclamation/product reuse policy:
Return and Reuse
We use recycled or recyclable packing/packaging materials, offer blanket-wrap transportation arrangements for customers and have a carton return/reuse policy:
Chain of Custody
We ask for verifiable chain of custody documents (i.e. legal logging certifications) before buying products containing wood:
Decrease use of Toxic Chemicals
We have decreased our use/acceptance of known toxic chemicals for treatments, binders and finishes, replacing compounds that compromise indoor air quality and are harmful to human health:
Low Environmental Impact Textiles
We are asking our vendors for textiles that have a lower environmental impact, i.e. organic cotton in place of conventionally-grown cotton, as well as seeking other eco-friendly textiles:
Life Cycle Analysis
We are moving forward on doing a Life Cycle Analysis and/or are applying for SMaRT certification:
Local Sourcing
We extract, manufacture and distribute for consumer use within a 500 mile radius for at least a portion of our product line:
Third Party Certifications
We hold third party certifications for some of our products, or as a store, we promote and educate the consumer on the meaning of various third party certifications:
Sharing the Wealth
We take responsibility for sharing our commitment to sustainability up and down our entire supply chain, rewarding our vendors with increased business for partnering with us on sustainability issues:
Social Responsibility Code
We have a written Social Responsibility Code of Contact that is a baseline for employee relations:
Supplier Responsibility
We have written and distributed a Supplier Responsibility Code of Conduct for our vendors and conduct training at our partner facilities on the adoption of same:
Health and Safety Code Compliance
We and our partners meet or exceed all local health and safety codes and can document our health and safety working conditions in all our facilities/stores:
We Pay Living Wages
We pay a living wage rather than minimum wage and extend that around the globe:
We Sponsor Sustainability Events
We have participated in or sponsored in-store, community and/or regional educational events on sustainability and the environment:
We Inspect
We investigate and mitigate any negative environmental impacts from our operations:
Save Paper and Other Office Resources
We save paper and other office resources with a policy expressing an aversion to excess written documentation:
We Use Energy Specialists
We have had an energy specialist or utility company audit to measure our conventional energy usage and are on track to reduce it. We are replacing a portion of the energy we consume with certified renewable energy, either directly, via a program of our local utility, or via Green e-Power:
Updated Inefficient Equipment
We have replaced outdated and inefficient equipment, identified and changed wasteful resource procedures and implemented tighter operational controls:
Energy Efficient Lighting
We have increased the use of day lighting and/or are upgrading to more energy efficient lighting system:
Verified Sustainability Claims
We make only verifiable sustainability claims in adherence with FTC mandates against greenwash and in support of their Environmental Marketing Guides:
Committed to Training
We are committed to conducting training in-house and in the broader community about global climate change and our partnership with the SFC:
In keeping with our commitment to continual improvement, we are planning to take the following actions this year: On reducing energy consumption:
Our production process is optimized by the use of sustainable technologies. As all of our products are handmade, very little energy is being expended in the manufacturing process. At the same time, the campus where the artisans work is equipped with the technology to harvest and recycle rainwater, generate solar power, and use water recycled from the dying process via a treatment plant to support green belts around the property.
In keeping with our commitment to continual improvement, we are planning to take the following actions this year: On how we will manage our primary material or service to a more sustainable direction:
Our hand felted wool-- which is untreated and natural-- comes from sheep that feed freely in the native desert surroundings. The felt-making process supports the sustainability and resiliency of the surrounding community. The artisans and their neighbors have innovated a use for the byproduct of felt making, which is called “wool manure.” Instead of going to waste, this byproduct is used by local farmers as a natural fertilizer. Beyond the nutrients in the wool itself, wool naturally absorbs water – about 20 times its weight – so gardeners and landscapers can conserve more water by using the wool manure. As the wool soaks up in the soil, it fluffs up and expands, increasing soil porosity and improving the soil’s ability to retain oxygen.
Arcadia Home hand-knitted products, like our popular dog and cat breed ornaments, are made by our partners high in the Andes Mountains of Peru near the shores of Lake Titicaca. This Fair Trade artisan group is unique in that it is made up of women farmers taking a break from their seasonal work of farming their land. They live and work near the city of Puno, an area dominated by Lake Titicaca, the world’s highest navigable lake, and is the capital of Peru’s folkloric tradition. The material we use, alpaca, is a natural fiber that comes from the world’s oldest domesticated animal. For thousands of years, alpacas have been bred exclusively for their coats, which produce some of the most luxurious fibers in the world.
Not only is alpaca a wonderfully luxurious natural fiber, but alpaca cultivation provides small family farmers in this area with a steady source of income (and fabulous gardening fertilizer). As these animals are crucial to the livelihoods of farmers in this area of the world, they are treasured, well treated, and highly respected. Alpacas are also one of the few herd animals which do not damage the terrain they graze and roam on. The alpaca's two-toed feet are soft pads protected on the top and sides by toenails. Unlike hard hooves, they leave the terrain undamaged. As they graze, they only eat the top of the grass rather than uprooting it as many other animals do. This means that the fields they graze in are well maintained and can be used for a variety of purposes, including planting crops.
In keeping with our commitment to continual improvement, we are planning to take the following actions this year: On education and promotion of the sustainability cause:
Arcadia Home is committed to educating our artisans and customers on the benefits of sustainability by preserving heritage artforms, promoting fair-trade business practices, and providing our customers with heirloom quality, ecologically mindful, and socially conscious designs for decorating their homes. In addition to creating a full-time livelihood for the artisans making the felt, Arcadia Home is also helping to support an all-woman team of seamstresses who applique, embroider, and hand-stitch the beautiful, finished products. The production gives them a dependable income stream that they tend to spend on the health and education of their children. In this way among others, the hand-felted wool operation enriches the entire community.
