About SANDE

Coming from the sandy shores of the Arabian Gulf, sand serves as the source of our inspiration. Our landscape inspires us, and places nature at the very heart of what we do and who we are. Sand signifies a return to nature, to basics, to simplicity; a return back to the earth. Sand flows; it is a shapeshifter. Surrounded by a sea of sand from the desert and the sea, we are reminded daily of the vast and infinite nature of life, and that everything comes from nothing and eventually returns to nothing. Thus, we encourage our customers to live more consciously and to be aware of the impact we have in the short time we are on earth. With that knowledge in mind, we have created SANDE, a name which serves as an acronym for the values we hold dear to our mission.

OUR S.A.N.D.E. VALUES

SUSTAINABLE

Sustainability stands at the very heart of our mission. We believe in endorsing and selling products that are ethically sourced and made to last. Educating consumers on the importance of sustainability is crucial. We aim to be a zero-waste company and we do not use plastics, harmful nor toxic substances in our packaging. Our packaging is compostable and the ink we use is vegetable-based and is entirely eco-friendly. We recycle everything we can and we kindly ask our partners to keep their packaging at utmost minimum (without compromising on product integrity) to ensure packaging waste is kept at bay. We are also in the process of developing a carbon offset program to combat the negative impacts on the environment of our logistics. Many of the items you can expect to find in our shop are recycled, upcycled, sustainable, made to order, and circular. Everything from our environmental policy to our advocacy takes into account our mission of sustainability.

ARTISANAL

We pay very close attention and place a high emphasis on quality. That is why we choose to support the work of artisanal designers and brands. With emphasis on traditional techniques and handmade craftsmanship, we want to ensure we list products that are made to last. Slow fashion is the antithesis of fast fashion, and at SANDE, we specifically support ethical and cruelty-free artisanship. We care deeply about cultivating in our consumers an appreciation for labour and respect for the history and community of the craft. This recognition of the artisan allows us to communicate to the consumer that every item has roots; cultivated with another human being’s time, energy, and passion and is to be treated with that knowledge in mind throughout its entire lifecycle - from sale, consumption, to responsible disposal at the end of its life cycle.

NATURAL

At SANDE, we make sure that the items we list are crafted using the most environmentally-friendly materials and practices available on the market. We believe that retail purchases never have to be harmful to the environment nor to the consumer. We are always on the lookout for brands that are pushing boundaries and using new methods and more eco-friendly technologies in their production. We want to eliminate as much micro and macro pollution from the environment and that begins first and foremost in ensuring that what is being produced is safe to go back into our ecosystem.

DECENT

Decent work involves opportunities for work that are productive, safe and secure, offering a fair income, social protection for families, better prospects for personal development and social integration, freedom of expression and organisation, and equal and inclusive opportunities for workers. Decent work is a vital element to achieving poverty reduction and creating a globalised world that is fair and eliminates labour abuse. We strive to meet the standards and policies set by the International Labour Organisation’s Decent Work Agenda. That is why we take very seriously our promise to ensure that the brands we partner with take similar policies and stances in their own supply chain and work to provide decent working conditions and pay for their workers. We are not supportive in any way of brands that take advantage of or abuse labourers, we believe in equal opportunities for all, and we ensure that working standards and conditions are always reimbursed, safe, inclusive, and fair.

ETHICAL

We work tirelessly to ensure that every aspect of our supply chain meets strict ethical standards. We do not list from brands that sell any products that are deemed unethical in any way - directly or indirectly - that translates to cruelty of any kind; be it in their production line, or through a parent company, or through suppliers or otherwise. We adhere to a strict rule of standards and we take our promise of providing only ethical products and brands to our customers very seriously. We place a high emphasis on transparency and traceability and whenever we can, we give back and empower the communities and people we work with. We believe that by operating in this way we are setting the standard for other companies to do so as well. Thus, by being true to our values and establishing a system where everyone wins, we believe we are paving the way for others to see that operating a purpose-driven business is not only possible but the better alternative.