Environmental & Ethical Policy

'Good Beads, Doing Good!'

Enviroment & Eco-Friendliness

Here at Spoilt Rotten Beads, we take our Environmental impact and Ethical values very seriously.

We are constantly striving to be the best in the market for our charitable and eco-concious work.

Check out some of our policies below!

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Packaging

We are constantly looking for greener ways to package our beads. When you shop online you can opt to have any loose items packed together in fully biodegradable and compostable bags made from 100% recycled material. We also re-use the cardboard and bubble wrap from our deliveries and send out all orders in padded envelopes that are designed to be recycled.

Since 2018 we have run a scheme called ‘Beads For Bees‘, where we will give out free packets of bee-friendly wildflower seeds to all customers who return 10 seed bead tubes to us to be reused or recycled – no matter where they’ve been purchased! Just send us 10 tubes in the post and we’ll exchange them for a lovely pack of bee-friendly wildflower seeds!

When you purchase online, you will find an option at the checkout to have your items packed using as little plastic as possible – if you pick this option we’ll combine all your purchases into one single biodegradable plastic bag (not for pre-packaged items). This may seem a little more crudely packed than our separate ziplock bags (which are also recyclable), but you will be helping us save the environment with this small change!

Online orders are also packaged in Jiffy Bubble Mailers made from paper sourced from sustainable forests and which are specially manufactured to make them easier to recycle.

We have a large recycling bin outside our shop into which we put all our paper and cardboard. If you order from our website you’ll also see that we often send out your internet orders in reused cardboard boxes.

Ethical Product Sourcing

Our products are sourced from all over the world and involve many different materials. Wherever possible we always buy ethically produced products.

Our metal findings, semi-precious stones and leather cords are produced in Israel, China and India. It is currently impossible to trace the raw materials used in these products all the way through the supply chain – these include mining, transportation, design, manufacture and wholesale processes. The environmental and employment protections in these countries are variable and often involve many small producers.

Our glass seed and pressed beads are produced in Japan and the Czech Republic where both environmental and employment protections are of a very high standard.

Our waxed cotton cords, microfiber suede and Brazilian cord are all produced in the USA where both environmental and employment protections are of a very high standard. Our craft wires are manufactured in the UK where the standards of environmental and employment protections are high – however they do use base metals that are mined in many countries across the world and imported into the UK – it is not currently possible to trace all of these metals through the supply chain.

Our beading needles are produced in the UK and Japan where standards of employment and environmental protection are high. Many of our hand tools are manufactured in Sialkot in Pakistan where they are often finished by small producers – the employment and environmental protections in Pakistan are not the same as western standards. Please be aware that German and US branded hand tools are most often produced in Sialkot in Pakistan and then shipped to the USA or Germany for “finishing”

We do not sell any natural coral beads as this contributes to the destruction of the worlds beautiful coral reefs.

Additionally we no longer sell Lapis Lazuli as this is now classified as a conflict stone – it is predominantly mined in Taliban controlled areas of Afghanistan, so the proceeds from the sale of Lapis Lazuli may be used to fund terrorism.

As of Autumn 2022, we’re thrilled to be the official UK Authorized Distributor for Jablonex Recycled Beads. A Czech based company creating beautiful beads from glass that would otherwise be headed for landfill. Find out more and shop the range right here.

Ethical Values & Social Impact

Running our business in an ethical and fair way is fundamentally core to our beliefs, our motto is “Good Beads, Doing Good”. To support this aim we donate a percentage of our profits every year to charity and have so far donated in excess of £8000 to local and international charities.


Back in 2005 Spoilt Rotten Beads was started with a small amount of savings and a “micro loan”. Today we employ 8 people and have customers all over the world. In 2021 and 2022 we are “Paying it Forward” by supporting as many other female owned small businesses as we can by providing “micro” loans to entrepreneurs via Lend With Care. You can view our micro loans here www.lendwithcare.org

Here are a few more of the charitable donations we have made;

In 2020 we raised over £700 form the NHS Charities Covid19 Appeal. In 2019 we raised £250 for Jimmy’s Cambridge – Jimmy’s support the homeless community with meals, rough sleepers packs and a safe place to stay. We also raised £200 for Nakuru Children’s Project in Kenya which was used to purchase school uniforms for children who would otherwise be unable to attend school. We donated £100 to a local village group in order that a new play group could be established and raised money for the British Legion Poppy Appeal through the sale of our kits and patterns.

In 2018 we raised £250 for Women’s Aid who help women and children affected by domestic violence as well as raising £50 for East Anglia Children’s Hospice.

In 2017 we raised over £1000 collectively for Haddenham First Responders, Mind and The Pink Ribbon Foundation through various events including our annual BeadFest festival.

In 2015 we donated £600 to Mission Direct who build schools and homes in developing countries & in 2014 we donated £500 to the Potters Village child crisis center in Uganda and £600 to Mission Direct which builds schools and homes in developing countries.

In 2013 we donated £1000 to Oxfam’s campaign to help all girls in Pakistan attend school, in 2011 we donated £1500 to War on Want who fight for the rights of workers in developing countries, in 2010 we donated £1000 to UNICEF’s Child Protection fund and in 2009 we donated over £700 to charity, including £500 to War on Want and various other small amounts to local charities including local Pre-Schools and Cancer Charity Fund Raisers.

We love that by shopping with us you can not only enjoy your creative hobby – but you can also be confident that we are doing what we can to source the products you’re using as ethically as we can. If you sell your jewellery makes, this is another benefit you can pass on to your own customers, too!

If you have any questions or queries about any of our products, please feel free to get in touch with us and we will always be happy to help!

Happy Beading!