Sustainability

At Merrythought we are proud that we continue to hand-make our luxury teddy bears within the UK, with sustainability, quality and good ethics at the core of our business.

We undertake a ‘continuous improvement’ culture in every aspect of our business activities. This means reviewing what we do now, and identifying opportunities for doing it even better, whilst maintaining the exceptional standards of quality expected in a Merrythought product.

Our Materials

We choose natural fibres for the majority of our teddy bear fabrics, working with a variety of goat, sheep and alpaca fleeces/wools, as well as cotton. These fabrics are high quality and durable, with sustainability and biodegradability benefits that are superior to most synthetic fibres.

The fabrics and components used in the manufacture of our soft toys comply with EU REACH standards for chemicals, so you can be sure they are safe for both customers and the environment.

Our Production

The handmade, small-batch nature of our business means we naturally generate little waste and minimise energy consumption. Despite this, we have invested significantly in our production facility to improve our efficiency even further, from installing LED lighting and a new heating system, to streamlining production. We also re-use or recycle wherever possible, and do not use any chemicals during our production process.

Our Products

The Merrythought teddy bear is built to last, and for many of our loyal customers this provides an antidote to the modern ‘throw away’ culture of the Western world. Some cherished bears have been known to pass down several generations of the same family.

We use natural, biodegradable fibres as much as possible in our soft toys and their packaging, reusing or recycling wherever possible, and operating an effective cardboard recycling system.

What’s more, a finished Merrythought bear is presented in either a paper gift box or pure cotton bag, both of which are normally retained by a customer for the lifetime of the product, can be reused, and are made of natural and recycled materials.