OUR APPROACH TO SUSTAINABILITY AND ETHICAL SOURCING
The hair extension industry is largely unregulated, placing the responsibility on individual businesses to uphold ethical practices. At K Couture, we take this responsibility seriously. We invested significant time and effort into sourcing our current trusted suppliers, ensuring they share our commitment to fairness, transparency, and sustainability.
Regardless of the lack of regulation within the industry, in setting up K Couture, we felt it very important to uphold the morale and ethical standards that should be the norm in our industry. From the point of the hair being collected, to traveling to the factory, to the manufacturing of the product, the work environment of the factory workers, the form of transport used to get the items to the country of use, the packaging used for shipping, the inks used on the packaging, we have covered everything we could think of! Having looked into every aspect of the supply chain we are confident that we have developed a system that we can be proud of and that has cost no more to the end customer than it should do.
The truth is, it wasn’t that hard! If there is demand for something, of which we can be sure there certainly is, then you just have to look for it!
WHERE IS THE HAIR SOURCED FROM?
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One of the most common questions we receive is about the origin of our hair and how it is sourced.
All our human hair comes from India. Its is generally seen as a superior quality hair due to its unprocessed life and similarity to Caucasian hair in nature. Many women there donate their hair as part of a religious tradition. In Hindu culture, people offer hair in temples. It is a gesture of gratitude and devotion. It symbolizes the release of ego and material attachments. This centuries-old practice, known as tonsuring, allows devotees to fulfil a vow, seek blessings, or mark a new beginning. Temples then auction the hair. They use the proceeds to support community projects, education, and healthcare.
We make sure that all our hair is ethically sourced in this manner, working only with trusted suppliers. This is by far the most ethical method of sourcing hair, and we are proud to be part of it as a business.
WHAT PACKAGING DO YOU USE?
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We thought packaging would be simple, but it wasn't!
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We looked into many options: biodegradable, recycled, and recyclable materials. Initially, we chose biodegradable packaging. It seemed the most eco-friendly. However, it wasn't necessarily the best solution. Even when disposed of correctly, it needs specific conditions to decompose. Many people lack the space, time, or knowledge to compost it properly. Home composting often feels like a gardening chore. This makes it hard for many to access. Not all biodegradable materials break down into nutrient-rich compost, a crucial element in a truly circular system. Some synthetic varieties, unfortunately, even leave behind harmful residues.
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On the other hand, plastic has a bad reputation. Yet, if we choose the right type, it can be 100% recyclable. The recycling infrastructure for plastic is much more advanced. Systems and processes are well established. People understand the proper methods for its disposal. When managed properly, plastic provides a clearer path to sustainability. There is always going to be a part of the system that fails, but it is our opinion that using 100% recyclable plastic offers the most environmentally friendly option as it stands.
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Thus, we chose 100% recyclable plastic and paper packaging. This minimises waste, and ensures effective processing. We also use as little packaging as possible and soy-based inks when printing is necessary. We inform our customers on the packaging itself that the packaging is recyclable and how to recycle it. This increases the chances of reducing our environmental impact.
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Our choice, we hope, is both practical and sustainable in a genuine way. When new opportunities arrive, we will be the first to jump onboard.
HOW DO YOU GET YOUR PACKAGES INTO THE UK?
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Our international delivery options provided a genuine opportunity to reduce our environmental impact. We had several freight options to choose from: air, sea, and train. Air freight is quick and efficient. But, it was never going to suit our planned business and operation. A massive environmental impact compared to other options.
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In contrast, sea freight is much cheaper, but it's slower than air freight, so it needs careful planning to ensure the impact doesn't affect our business and our customers. All this means is maintaining slightly elevated stock levels. Interestingly, some customers are keen to embrace the same approach as well. Although we keep a proportion of items in stock, a wait of 1 to 2 weeks is not unreasonable for a bespoke, high-quality hair product, specified individually for the client, between assessment and fitting appointments. We are used to instant delivery, no matter the cost. But, it doesn't have to be that way.
Train freight is a growing option, offering a balance between cost and speed. It's not as widely available as sea freight. But, it offers a slightly greener, although fossil-fuel-powered, alternative.
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Going forward, both the train and sea freight networks can adopt solar power. There are many growing options for this. This change could make international shipping greener for generations to come. When those options are available, we will change our business to suit.
WHAT DELIVERY METHODS DO YOU USE IN THE UK?
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For getting our packages out to our customers in the UK, there are multiple options to choose from, but it became very clear early on, that there was really only one choice. For all our packages we use the Royal Mail. Not only are they currently the delivery company with the least impact on the environment in its current state, they also have quite impressive plans to reduce their impact further still.
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Currently they have over half of their delivery routes conducted on foot which is by far the greenest of all methods! They have the largest electric vehicle range out of all delivery companies operating, and all electricity used in their vehicles is sourced from renewable energy. They also currently have the lowest emissions per parcel ratio of any delivery company in the UK at 200gCO2e.
Despite having the badge for the greenest delivery company already, they also intend to get this down to 50gCO2e by 2040. Part of this effort has already been achieved by introducing Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO) as a fuel in a large proportion of its larger heavy goods vehicles. Reliable infrastructure and technology for electrically powered HGV’s isn’t quite there yet, but they seem optimistic that that will be the way to go to further improve their impact and achieve their targets, as and when it becomes viable to do so.
WHAT DO YOU PLAN FOR THE FUTURE?
This is an ever evolving task to make sure our business grows with the opportunities that are available to us. Technology changes as time progresses and it is down to us to constantly evaluate our business and grow to suit. Our world is full of clever, innovative people, so opportunities to improve our business are right there to be taken, we just have to keep an open eye.
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It is our promise to you that we will keep innovating and improving our business to give our customers the best service available that doesn't cost the earth!
