Here at Wild Clouds our suppliers are dear to our hearts, every one of them chosen for our shared passion for ethical and sustainable production. That is why we are so excited to share them with you - with suppliers this fantastic it’s hard not to shout about them!
We chose Courtney & Co because they produce Corozo buttons here in the UK. It is from them that we’ve learned a little bit about the fascinating history of button production. Until well into the 20th Century, the UK had a thriving button production business, almost all of which has now sadly been lost. Courtney & Co is reviving button-making in the UK blending traditional techniques with new technology, using natural & environmentally friendly materials and heritage patterns in a way that is ecological, ethical and fully sustainable. We love their passion for classic design and modern sustainability!
In the process of reviving this historical craft, Courtney & Co sourced Corozo as one of their key materials, and Corozo is absolutely amazing. Sometimes know as ‘vegetable ivory’, it is a hard wearing, but ultimately biodegradable material that was a popular choice for button making until petrochemical buttons cornered the market. Corozo is the nut of the Tagua Palm which naturally grows in the Ecuadorian rainforest, it cannot be farmed! The nuts fall to the ground when they are ripe, which means that Corozo can be gathered from the forest floor with no harm to the tree itself or to the delicate rainforest ecosystem. A mature Tagua Palm can produce enough Corozo for thousands of buttons a year and will continue to produce nuts for over a century.
The Matapalo community, who journey into the Ecuadorian rainforest to harvest the Corozo from the forest floor, are able to protect the surrounding area from deforestation whilst still making their livelihood off the bounty of the forest. By buying Corozo products you are helping these communities protect the rainforest from destruction due to deforestation for cattle farming.
As if all this wasn’t enough of an incentive, Courtney & Co also donate trees to community projects in the UK to off-set the carbon footprint of sailing the Corozo to the UK.
We love that we’ve found a supplier that produces beautiful buttons that so reflect the values of Wild Clouds and that is why we are so proud to use sustainable and biodegradble Corozo buttons on all of our clothing. We hope you feel the joy we do when looking at your Corozo Wild Clouds buttons, knowing the care and passion for the Earth that has gone into their production.
