FAQs
Q: What does fair
trade/ fair wage mean?
A:
Fair trade to us means giving value when receiving value, the artists
that we work with put a lot of time and care into the products that they
make and we want to give back to them in a way that they know that their
work is appreciated. Many companies in developing countries do not pay
their employees enough to even live on. Fair wage means that we pay the
artists who work with us a wage that they can easily raise their families
on, and have opportunities to have a better life. The villages set their
own wages that we pay, we do not negotiate on this wage. Additionally we
share 5% of our profits back to them.
Q: Where do you
obtain your recycled hard woods from?
A:
We buy most of our hard wood from furniture factories. There is an
enormous amount of small pieces that can not be used for furniture, but
are valuable and can be handcrafted into useful items like chopsticks and
hair barrettes. In most countries especially America and Europe these
unused pieces are discarded and wasted. The wood came from tree farms,
not forests. In some cases we also dig out wood from the stumps of trees
in areas where they have been cut and from fallen dead trees.
Q: Are the rare
earth chopsticks safe to use?
A:
YES! Absolutely, we use only natural woods which are safe to eat from. We
do not coat our chopsticks with any toxic substances and we do not use
any lacquer which can easily chip off.
Q: What makes rare
earth chopsticks different from others?
A:
Most chopsticks on the market are made from logged trees, are machine
made, and sometimes have unsafe coatings like lacquer or paint on the
surface. Also most chopsticks on the market are made to be thrown away
after only one use. Rare Earth Chopsticks are made from woods that come
from recycled sources (saving our forests) and are handcrafted by artists.
Rare Earth Chopsticks have no toxic coatings applied to the surface and
are made to be used for years.
Q: How do you wash and take care of the rare earth chopsticks?
A:
DO NOT WASH YOUR CHOPSTICKS IN THE DISHWASHER! As
the artists spend time to craft and inlay different woods and horn
together, washing in the dishwasher with high heat and massive amounts of
water and soap will break them down very quickly. We recommend hand
washing only with water and very little soap. Occasionally apply a light
mineral oil (edible) or light vegetable oil to the base of the chopstick,
avoid oil on the inlaid part (where the different woods meet together).
We
are happy to answer any of your questions, please
Click Here to email your questions to Customer Service.
