Eco-friendly rug designer secures £30,000 loan
Cutting edge rug design rug studio The Knot Collective has secured a £30,000 start-up loan from GC Business Finance.
The firm boasts the only studio in the world which features an exclusively eco-friendly art rug collection. With a strong commitment to environmentalism and sustainability, the firm uses 100% recycled PET, the same material used for plastic bottles. Having collaborated with global artists and designers, The Knot Collective released its ‘Unwasted Collection’, with rugs made from over 3,000 recycled bottles, preventing the plastic entering landfills.
Incorporated last year following five years of research and development, The Knot Collective has had rug collections featured in the Guardian and various prominent design publications. The Manchester-based firm works closely with handpicked mills in Nepal and India committed to eliminating child labour and improving conditions for weavers.
The £30,000 loan from GC Business Finance will allow the firm to expand its commercial contracts. Through marketing, production of samples, and increased offerings, the loan will spur the company into the more lucrative commercial sector. In offering its works to larger developments, not only will The Knot Collective increase revenues, but also further reduce plastic waste.
Sinead Hanlon, director at The Knot Collective, said: “As we become more aware of the environmental crisis that we face together, both individuals and businesses need to do their bit to mitigate the effects. As artists turned rug designers, we wanted to change our focus and direction to creating sustainable, beautiful floor art pieces that sought to limit the damage of plastic waste was the right path to take.
“I’m delighted that GC Business Finance have helped us to further our cause. The loan will allow us to move on to a bigger scale, and combat climate change more effectively in our space.”
Alex Mearns, senior start-up loans manager at GC Business Finance said: “The Knot Collective is not only actively working to fight environmental and labour causes at home and abroad through ethically sourcing materials, it is also employing great, local people. Their ethos is evident in the work they do, which makes the decision to loan to The Knot Collective easy. We look to help this type of business grow in every way that we can, and look forward to working more closely with The Knot Collective.”
