Paper2Pearls has sustainability at heart. Gillian Haqqani, the founder, hand makes jewellery and accessories from book waste and old sheet music. They make the perfect gift for a book reader who loves a particular novel, with classic favourites like Pride & Prejudice, Alice in Wonderland, Tess of the D’Ubervilles, To Kill A Mockingbird, and more.
Book waste issues
Gilli goes to great lengths to ensure that her products are plastic free and eco-friendly. She chose to use old books as these are difficult to recycle successfully. Tatty paperbacks can be taken to a recycling centre as paper waste. Hardcover books often contain coatings and glues, so they cannot be put in a standard recycling bin (Worcestershire Council).
She uses origami techniques to fold the paper into shape for the products and then it is given several coats of varnish to make it stronger and water resistant. The varnish is water-based, not oil based, and more suitable than oil- or water-based polyurethane. It has lower VOC emissions than traditional solvent based finishes.
The jewellery is completed with sterling silver studs, hooks and chains, purchased from a B Corp. The items are packaged in plastic free packaging and delivered by Royal Mail, who have the lowest emissions, and they collect from home so there is no need for car transport. A tree is planted for every order with Ecologi and so far Paper2Pearls has funded 1,375 trees. The workshop is also powered by renewable energy with Octopus. She uses low energy bulbs and has a one-cup water boiler.
Paper2Pearls is verified by Ethy for climate projects, being carbon measured, female led, UK made and with plastic free products. Gilli is also a Plastic Free Champion from Surfers Against Sewage, having completed an audit to show how her business was not using plastics.
She was the finalist in the Blue Patch Sustainability Awards Heritage Award last year for her re-use of waste books that are of cultural significance in an eco-friendly way.
She explains why sustainability is important to her, “15 years ago I became a Granny for the first time. Luke’s birth along with that of my other two grandchildren brought home to me the impact of climate change and the loss of wildlife of all sorts. I grew up in a world where caterpillars and then butterflies were common, even in a small city garden I’d see thrushes as well as other garden birds and I could see and name wildflowers. Now all these things are in decline. I worry about what further loss and change my grandchildren will see and how this will impact their lives. That’s why I’m doing what I can, both by funding climate action with Ecologi, learning about calculating and reducing my carbon footprint with Blue Patch and proving the validity of my claims with Ethy. We can all do something and together we can bring about change.”
Even a very small business like Gilli’s can take steps to reduce its carbon footprint and contribute to the natural environment. If every small business did the same, the impact would add up.
Putting book waste to good use
Gilli uses book waste in an innovative and interesting way. Each piece of jewellery is unique and meaningful. Buyers are able to specify the book they would like, if it has special meaning to them. Paper2Pearls can be purchased online, on Etsy and in person at Unity (in the Queensgate Shopping Mall in Peterborough), a CIC.
