We’re constantly on the lookout for easy ways to say no to plastic. A quick trip to the supermarket often means we go home with at least a dozen plastic bags that we can’t recycle and don’t want to have to store so we can reuse them. Fortunately, we can now find many alternatives that are practical, affordable, and stylish. The only trick is to make sure that you always carry one so you can just say no thanks to the person trying to bag your purchases.
My Jute Co. (formerly known as HAARU Products and Packaging HP&P) is registered brand of Kuwait Singapore Technologies For Genereal Trading a Kuwaiti Singaporean joint venture company, set up in part as a one-stop jute product company to offer eco packaging ideas and solutions to corporate businesses.
The company specializes in customizing and developing products made from natural and biodegradable materials only. Their core fiber Jute is a long, soft, shiny natural plant fiber that can be spun into coarse, strong threads and are commonly used for making rope, curtains, and sacking. It is the second most important vegetable fiber after cotton, not only for wide cultivation, but also for its uses.
Jute fiber is 100% biodegradable and recyclable. Additionally, jute is less flammable, produce less smoke, generates fewer toxic gases than synthetic polymers. Because it is very durable it has a long-life expectancy too. But most importantly, it has a high carbon dioxide assimilation rate (about 3 times more than trees). Jute plants clean the air by taking in large quantities of carbon dioxide, which is the main cause of greenhouse effect. Making a Jute tote a much more environmentally friendly option when compared to other reusable alternatives like nylon and cotton.
We spoke to co-founder Stephanie Tan to find out more about the brand.
My Jute Co is a registered brand of a Kuwaiti-Singaporean joint venture company, can you please explain more about this interesting combination? Is there a story behind it?
Yes, it is an interesting joint venture. The whole idea of using jute fabric as a material replacement for products started back in Singapore. Back then our focus was mainly Business to Business dealings and when we moved to Kuwait in 2014 we initially set up a representative office for two years through KDIPA, after which we established a Kuwaiti company which is typically the 51% (Kuwaiti) – 49% (Singaporean) arrangement.
Is your market mainly in Kuwait? What do customers in Kuwait care about the most and want in their products?
Yes, we launched our first retail products in Kuwait and currently it is only in Kuwait. Our customers in Kuwait care about the quality of the products and they love the ideas of personalization on their bags. Having said that we are planning to launch in Doha, Qatar by the end of Jan. 2022.
The shift to green products has been slow, but is gaining momentum, what is your take on this? And what do you predict for the future?
Yes, I agree with your sentiment. Just to share with you, in fact when we initially launched our ideas and products in Kuwait our targeted audience were mainly expatriates living in Kuwait. Presently our clientele are 95% locals and 5% expats. It was interesting to observe this shift which we didn’t expect. And in fact locals in Kuwait do care about the environment and support the green initiatives, it’s just that they have limited choices.
Your production is in India, why did you choose it? How do you ensure that all of your products are ethically made and sourced?
All our products are made of Jute fabric and Jute/cotton mixed fabric. As the Jute plants are native of India hence the reason, we only source our fabric from India. Jute to this day is harvested in a very old and organic method and to date all our products are handprinted. We do not use any machinery for printing our bags.
You have an interesting lineup of products, are they designed in-house? What inspires you to add a new product?
Yes! We are glad you find our product line interesting. The whole concept and idea was to introduce an everyday carry bag to the people.
It came from a personal frustration. When we need to scramble around the house to look for a suitable carry bag for the excess like documents, laptop, lunch box, an extra pair of shoes to work or outings. The agony came when the paper or plastic bags ripped. There are many carry bags options in the market. We have the very pretty expensive branded carry bag which you need to be extra careful when you used it OR the very basic ones which is for casual outings such as the supermarket or to the beach.
We found the gap between the expensive and basic bags. So, we created a carry bag which is nice enough to carry for work, practical and functional. To differentiate ourselves, all our bags are made from mainly biodegradable fabric. You can also put your preferred messages or names on it, basically make it your very own personal bag. Our team will make the design and send you a preview for selection before we set it for print. And our pricing is very reasonable where you can have more than one bag depending on the individual’s style.
We want to create something that is simple, practical, and functional and add value to our customers day to day lives. A bag for everything, everywhere and to hold anything.
Which is your best-selling product?
Our best selling product is the Ecokees “Petite” and “Wide” sizes in natural color.
Which product is your favorite?
This is a difficult one – I like all the bags. But If I have to choose one, I would say the bag most suited to my everyday busy schedule would be the file clutch, easy to handle and has a good amount of space. I used it every day for work, travel and to anywhere. I also uses the Ecokees Petite size everyday for my documents.
Which product are you most proud of as a brand?
The “Petite” size Ecokees bags with personalization on the bag. The Ecokees in the size ‘Petite’, it is light weight and looks good for a brunch date.
You can find My Jute Co products in Debenhams Kuwait or by ordering directly from their Instagram account @myjuteco or via the website: www.ecokees.com.
