Sustainability.

Mathilde is a small business, still developing and growing. We are dedicated to learning and implementing sustainable business models as much as possible, and we want to share where we are in this journey.  We will share our findings, our business goals, and our progress. By staying interested in Mathilde, you are not only supporting the handmade production our our products, but the growth of a small business dedicated to developing sustainably. 

So, what does it mean to be sustainable? 

According to the European Commission, sustainable development is defined as, “meeting the news of the present whilst ensuring future generations can meet their own needs. It has three pillars; economic, environmental and social. To achieve this development, policies in these three areas have to work together and support each other.” This means any company that claims to be sustainable should be addressing all three poles in their business model, or specify if their strategy is focusing on one aspect of sustainability.

Some obstacles include:

1. Cost

2. Supply chain (current infrastructures, lack of transparency)

3. Lack of education around sustainability in business or entrepreneurship programs.

4. Changing consumer behavior.

5. Today’s Norms versus Steps Towards The Norms of A Sustainable Future.

These are the steps that Mathilde is taking in sustainable development: 

1. We don’t have all the answers, yet we are excited to learn what we can. 

2. We use few and all natural material, yet, we are working toward even better sourcing.

3. We honor a slower pace of production and consumption.

4. We hire women wit exceptional artisanal craft, and compensate the appropriately, fight a long history of wrongful exploitation.

5. We leverage proceeds earned in sales to give back to nonprofit organizations that target social and environmental change

6. We educate our customers about our products so any purchase is not impulsive, but instead informed and deliberate.