Sustainability
Corozo Buttons
Corozo buttons from Courtney & Co.
Courtney & Co is a british button-making comapny using traditional techniques & new technology, natural & environmentally-friendly materials and heritage patterns in a way that is ecological, ethical and fully sustainable.
Corozo is derived from the nut of the Tagua Palm which grows in the equatorial rainforests of central America. There is no human harvesting or cutting of the tree as the nut falls naturally to the ground when it is ripe. Because of how valuable Corozo is, these rainforests are being maintained which means we are indirectly helping to save the rainforests by buying Corozo Buttons.
Deadstock Fabric
This business was started with fabrics that were donated from friends, family and a company that was shutting down. Our main objective moving foreward is to continue purchasing deadstock materials locally. Thus means less waste and less fabric reproduction.
Locally Sourced
Our aim is to source materials and hardware as locally as possible. Buying from businesses within Yorkshire is our priority first and foremost but making sure each company we use is UK based. Therefore paying back into the British industry and hopefully creating an ethical cycle for our United Kingdom. This is important to us as we are based in an area that has such incredible heritage and history within the textile industry during the industrial revolution.
Our jewellery supplier is based just down the road from our studio. Our deadstock leather supplier is based in the next suburb to our studio. Our other family owned leather supplier is based in Yorkshire. We shop for our deadstock fabrics at local Yorkshire mills. And our button makers are based in Gloucestershire.
Ethical Material
Whilst we do our best to shop deadstock fabrics, this may not always be viable in the long run as the brand theme is biker culture. We will at some point be designing our own fabrics for print, but we will make the promise to print as sutainably as possible using organic natural fibres.
Our main ethos is to use as little plastic as possible. We recognise using PVC would create a perfect and cheap biker look but it comes as such a cost to the environment and would never last as a garment to wear time and time again. Which is why we only use genuine leather, a natural material that is a byproduct of the meat industry and if not used for leather, the hides would end up in landfill.