Handcrafted Felt Alpaca Ornament

Ganesh Himal Trading is committed to designing new products that are made with recycled and sustainable materials. We are invested in exploring creative ways we can uphold the Fair Trade Principle “Cultivate Environmental Stewardship”, which states:

“Fair Trade seeks to offer current generations the ability to meet their needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. Members actively consider the implications of their decisions on the environment and promote the responsible stewardship of resources. Members reduce, reuse, reclaim, and recycle materials wherever possible. They encourage environmentally sustainable practices throughout the entire trading chain.”

• Recycled Tire Products


• Hemp


• Recycled Silk


• Lokta Paper


• Recycled Scraps


• Recycled Saris

Recycled Tire:

The common disposal method of tires in Nepal is burning.  If response to black billowing clouds of smoke, one of Ganesh Himal’s producer groups offered to purchase numerous tires in hopes of improving air quality.   From these tires came the first of Ganesh Himal Trading’s tire bags which today has developed into over 30 products! The bags have become SO popular that the gentleman responsible for burning the tires now has a full-time job searching the Kathmandu valley for MORE tires.  Unlike scrap rubber from factories, our rubber has seen many miles of Nepali road making each one entirely unique!

Hemp:

Our hemp bags and hats are made from wild hemp that is sustainably harvested in western Nepal. Hemp production is a valuable economic asset for these villages. The tailors who make our hemp goods receive fair wages as well as benefits such as bonuses, paid leave and medical expenses.  Ganesh Himal also offers several hemp blend items including knit items and clothing in attempt to utilize this sustainable, locally harvested fiber.

Recycled Silk:

Ganesh Himal loves to use repurposed and recycled materials whenever possible which is why we offer numerous items made from repurposed silk saris.  Several of our items use large, in-tact pieces of gently used saris providing a great diversity in color and patterns.  The largest pieces of sari are used in clothing and scarves while the scraps from these items are used for coin purses and headbands.  Our recycled silk sari bags and kitchen goods are made from recycled scraps of silk saris that have been spun into a soft and colorful yarn. These accessories are some of Ganesh Himal’s most popular products. The women who knit or weave these silk items are working toward creating financial stability for themselves and their children by being fair trade partners with Ganesh Himal Trading.

Paper:

Nepali’s have been producing handmade paper in their villages for over a thousand years and still use it in their daily lives. The paper, made from the bark of the Daphne or “lokta” is renowned for its exceptional durability and wonderful texture. Daphne grows in the Himalayan forests of north central Nepal between 4,000-8,000 ft.  Lokta cutters sustainably collect the bark of the daphne according to the “Lokta Management Plan” that implements a 6 to 8 year rotation cycle to preserve the fragile forest ecology. Harvesters sell the bark to families to use for making paper.  Since 1984 Ganesh Himal Trading has been involved with a handmade paper project initiated by UNICEF. The project contracts with villages in the Baglung area to purchase all of their marketable paper, they use this traditional Nepali paper to create products for western markets. We work directly with these artisans to design a variety of attractive and useful journals, card sets, stationary, wrapping paper, gift bags and more!

Recycled Scraps:

We have created many unique small bags using the colorful scraps of hand woven and block printed fabric left over from making our clothing or larger bags. These bits and pieces would otherwise be wasted and thrown away. We pride ourselves in adding value to what would be waste. For example, the production of some of our bags and jackets leave leftover scraps of material that would normally be thrown away. Instead of throwing these away, we recycle them and use them to make other products, like wallets, coin purses, and rag rugs. Scraps from sari scarves are used for headbands, leather scraps add detail to rubber bags. Not only is this environmentally smart, but it also creates more work, and more potential economic growth for our producers.