Sustainability means… interview with Basir Amini
“Our production handcrafted, based on traditional techniques, and all materials we use have natural origins. But our commitment toward sustainability is equal to any company pay attention to quality and to the working conditions of the whole chain: from the cultivation of cotton, jute, and hemp to the farms from which we obtain our wool…”
What does sustainability mean for a carpet company?
Our reality is peculiar: our production handcrafted, based on traditional techniques, and all materials we use have natural origins. But our commitment toward sustainability is equal to any company pay attention to quality and to the working conditions of the whole chain: from the cultivation of cotton, jute, and hemp to the farms from which we obtain our wool, to the production sites, up to the transport and the final stages of product management.
Your production is mainly concentrated in central Asia. What are the reasons for this choice?
The population of central Asia has been weaving rugs for centuries, initially for its own protection and comfort and later for barter and trade, and eventually on commission. It should also be mentioned that for their culture carpet weaving is a form of tribal and artistic expression, a real virtue. In this context the production is already close to what we consider sustainable today: together with the materials also the dyes are natural and artisans keep traditions alive, and support the local economy.
Being yours a handcrafted production, the number of people involved is very high. How do you manage to monitor such a complex reality?
For several decades we guarantee to our production sites a constant flow of commissions. This allows us to set up a structured and reliable system, with safe working conditions and in full compliance with international child labor standards. In 1997, together with the international control bodies SGS and Intertech we have defined an internal Code of conduct. The same institutions periodically check compliance.
Where do your handcrafted production and your technologically advanced reality meet?
Our philosophy is to combine the know-how of traditional craftsmanship with our technologic and productive knowledge related to materials. As for production, the main objective is to avoid any type of pollution and limit CO2 emissions. In the yarn dyeing phase, last generation dyes without AZO are used and as in the final washing of the carpet, the waters are recycled and purified before being released back into the environment.
Transportation is a delicate phase considering the distance between the production sites and your logistics site in Italy.
Thanks to careful planning, 90% of the goods are shipped via sea, the less polluting transportation.
Could we define the Amini carpet as 100% sustainable?
We’re fully committed to environmental sustainability. We certainly have an advantage over other companies from a fundamental fact: the materials we use are 100% natural and this makes our rugs 100% recyclable.