The Social Game:
Pass on Goodness
appreci8, the social game, nudges the receiver to pass on the goodness in the form of appreciation of values. Some of our gift bags come with an appreci8 card.
Put your gift item in the jute bag, write an appreciation on the enclosed card, and give it to a friend, colleague, team member, or to that stranger at the bus stop who did you a favor. Each jute bag and the appreciation card can be passed at 4-8 times, keeping the jute packaging bag reusable and spreading the goodness of appreciation in the network.
You can buy our small jute bags at our online SHOP.
Why Jute?:
Ancient Natural Fiber for a Sustainable Future
Jute is one of the oldest natural textile materials since the Indus Valley Civilization (2200 BCE) in the Indian subcontinent. In only the 17th century, Jute made its way to Europe and subsequently to the Americas, with trade booming between the 18th and 19th centuries. However, in the 1970s, with Nylon and Polythene's popularity, its usage in the western world has declined substantially.
We believe in Jute because it is:
a) Natural: Jute is entirely natural, biodegradable, and can even be used as compost for the garden.
b) Organic & Sustainable: Jute can be grown all year round without the need to use pesticide or fertilizer, and it reaches maturity in under just six months, offering a large crop yield for the area of land it's grown upon.
c) Durable & Reusable: Jute fibers are strong and durable, and hence reusable. It has a life span of over 1000 plastic carrier bags.
The Jute industry supports an estimated 5 million people in the world's poorest regions (around 95% of Jute is grown in India and Bangladesh). The United Nations has also named the ancient golden fiber called Jute as one of four future fibers (including sisal, abaca, and coir).
Deustche Welle (DW) story on Jute as a future fiber
Jute Fabric Care Instructions
Our Supply Chain:
From the banks of the Hooghly river in India to your hand
MQ appreci8 Supply Chain Map
Source: Hooghly river is a distributary of the sacred river the Ganges and flows through West Bengal, the central Jute-producing region in India. The abundant water supply, soil fertility, and warm & wet climate provide the right conditions for the Jute crop.
Manufacturing: Jute fiber is manufactured into eco-friendly bags and packaging material in India's capital city, New Delhi. We ensure that the relevant labor laws are implemented and ergonomic working conditions are provided.
Distribution: The products are imported into Europe (Switzerland) for further distribution.
Our Values:
Eco-friendly, Circular, Artistic, & Fair Business
At Meaning Quotient (MQ) - appreci8, we bring back ancient technology for a sustainable future in our quest to revive nature-based initiatives, to appreciate nature and human connection. We envision a world where products used by humans move "from nature to nature," leaving a better trace.
In 2020, the human-made mass has exceeded overall global biomass. Humans are the only species in Nature that produce products that do not go back to Nature. According to the World Economic Forum, plastic packaging waste represents an $80-$120 billion loss to the global economy every year. At least 100,000 sea turtles die every year as they mistake plastic bags for food.
We envision a circular approach to packaging, where we use less packaging and design the packaging which is reusable and 100% low-energy recyclable.
