OCHRE designs are inspired by the innate beauty of natural materials and a respect for traditional hand-forming techniques.The quintessence of the collection is striking yet timeless elegance. Each design, through its story, making and material, is intimately and ultimately connected to our shared earth and meant to last a lifetime. Our commitment to sustainability starts at the drawing board, expands out to long standing partnerships with like-minded artisans, and aims to encompass all touch points of distribution.

Benchmade:

We work on a made-to-order basis with a series of specialist workshops in the UK and US. Our partners are chosen for exceptional craftsmanship as well as for their dedication to preserving skills and training a new generation of apprentices.We blend centuries old, time-honoured traditional techniques with the advancements of modern technology, utilizing the best each have to offer with regards to energy efficiencies and detritus reduction. The made-to-order model, in select finishes, negates over production and minimises the carbon footprint that arises from warehousing.

Resources:

Our pieces are crafted in FSC approved woods, by-product leathers and horn, bronze, glass, porcelain, and natural fibres. The sourcing process is rigorous, and provenance is tracked throughout the supply chain: from the 100% natural Ochre Wild rug collection to our unique glass chandelier components that are powered by long lasting LEDs. Eco- friendly upholstery filings are an option and, as an alternative to petroleum-based foam padding, we are making use of a high performance, natural algae-based technology.

Workspace:

We run environmentally friendly offices and showrooms using green energy sources monitored by smart meters and recyclable paper for brochures and essential communications. Our primary lighting workshop is fully solar powered. Our products are packaged in recyclable FSC wood crates and cardboard.We are committed to improving our carbon footprint and using bio-based alternatives to plastic where possible, and to work with waste management partners to eliminate materials in the most responsible way.

Team:

Ochre operates an ethical and inclusive employment policy. Many members of the core team have worked for the company since its launch.The wellbeing of our employees, contractors and craftspeople is part and parcel of creating a beautiful and desirable product and we endeavour to take very best care of our immediate eco-system.

As a team, we recognise that sustainability is not a badge to ‘earn’ but a dynamic science that requires study and tailormade implementation. Just as the environment is ever evolving, so is Ochre and we pledge to update, adapt and innovate throughout our journey.

To demonstrate our commitment and support to the environment we felt we wanted to give something back.We were attracted by a relatively new organisation that was established with a clear vision to help restore the damage humans are doing to our planet, and bring back nature into our lives for good.They are called Eden Greenspace.

Eden Greenspace is the first environmental organisation to bring together a range of world-leading green projects with the specific aim of addressing the triple planetary crisis, as set out by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP): the climate crisis, the nature crisis and the pollution crisis.

With projects including tree-planting, wildflower rewilding, ocean plastic removal and solar lighting, their platform provides businesses with simple, highly effective and always quantified ways to restore our planet. Whether by contributing a percentage of revenue, or supporting each project per product sold, their personalised online system provides many ways to help incorporate sustainability into our business model.

They operate with complete transparency, with all evidence of impact displayed in a public registry, and a commitment to 80% of all funds going directly to action on the ground. Additionally, they pledge to never trade in carbon credits, believing that this distracts from real climate action.

For Ochre this is just the beginning, as we establish ourselves as a business that thinks ethically about ESG+ in everything we design, make and sell throughout the world.

We’re proud to announce that we are in the process of becoming Butterfly Mark Certified. We’re on the journey to becoming one of the Real Changemakers in luxury because we believe that the world’s challenges require leaps in transformation.The Butterfly Mark is only ever awarded to the luxury brands meeting higher and higher standards for people and nature.

To earn it, we undergoing a comprehensive assessment built on the foundation of international agreements, global frameworks and standards, and even potential upcoming legislation.We’ll be assessed and scored by Positive Luxury on all areas of sustainability. That includes our impact on things like climate, nature and water (Environment), how we treat our workers and communities (Social), as well as how responsibly and ethically we manage our businesses (Governance).

Because no detail is left out, the assessment can take up to a year to complete and we’ll be working closely with Positive Luxury throughout that time to identify the areas where we need to improve the most.

This is the just start of our journey. But it’s a symbol that we stand for progress, difficult work over easy wins, and that we will never stop trying to improve.