Our product development team is based on our premises in Aix-en-Provence (France), where each one of our products is conceived and designed.
We work closely with our production partners, developing innovations and establishing a comprehensive specification for each product. For certain special projects, we are assisted by product design studios.
Once the product is designed, we turn to its visual appearance and this is where our graphic designers and collection managers take over. For some projects, we work in partnership with talented artists (Lou Ripoll, Soledad Bravi, JC Pieri, etc.) who transform our containers in the most beautiful ways.
The key is to work hand in hand with our partner factories to select the printing or coating technologies that will give the best graphic rendering while ensuring maximum durability.
Every engraving on our products is made on-demand in our French engraving workshop. Companies and individuals can have their names, first names or logos engraved on our products with the benefit of expertise from our support service.
We favour glass and stainless steel, materials that can safely come into contact with food and drinks, hot or cold, unlike plastic or aluminium.
Furthermore, our products are tested to comply with both European and French standards and the European REACH regulation (Registration, Evaluation and Authorisation of Chemicals) which aims to protect consumers from harmful chemical substances in consumer goods.
We also use other materials such as PP5 (polypropylene) or Tritan™ for caps or accessories; and silicon, which is needed to guarantee a perfect seal. However, we ensure that these substances never come into direct contact with the food or liquid content for a long period of time. The inner part of our caps – and even those mostly made from polypropylene – is covered with a stainless steel plate.
There are many benefits to stainless steel. First and foremost, it does not alter food’s organoleptic properties (colour, smell, flavour) and is resistant to impact and corrosion. In addition, it is completely hygienic and can be cleaned very easily. It is an extremely durable and 100% recyclable material (when the waste goes through the recycling channel).
We use 18/8 SUS 304 stainless steel to manufacture our products. This is stainless steel with 18% chromium and 8% nickel content, which guarantees a very high food-grade quality and a great resistance.
For more than 10 years, we have worked closely with Chinese production factories specialising in manufacturing insulated, stainless steel containers, an age-old expertise related to the culture of tea and hot water consumption. Our partners are now among the world leaders in this industry.
Our partner factories are part of the Amfori BSCI Programme (Business Social Compliance Initiative). This programme, of which Qwetch is a member, has been initiated by Amfori 40 years ago to ensure that relations between manufacturers and sponsors are transparent and beneficial for all.
The BSCI programme allows for audits of production sites at least every two years in order to establish social, economic, and environmental improvement programmes. Each audit checks working conditions, worker safety, legal minimum wage, etc.
Our partner factories agree to comply with a strict code of conduct that satisfies International Labour Organisation conventions and our requirements in terms of transparency.
A bottle travels an average of 22,000 km before reaching the hands of consumers. Of the total journey, 19,500 km are made by container ship, which equals only 2% of our CO2 emissions in 2020. The remaining 2,500 km are travelled by truck and represent nearly 12% of our carbon footprint.
Maritime transport is therefore much less carbon-intensive per tonne transported and per kilometre than road transport. We limit air freight as much as possible because of its high carbon impact. Our policy is to use air freight only for sample shipments, needed for product development.
Our unit packaging has just one purpose: to protect our products. In order to lessen our environmental impact, we have pared back our packaging as far as possible by reducing printing and stopping colour printing. We have switched from multi-layer materials that cannot be recycled to boxes and labels made of kraft paper, an environmentally neutral raw material from sustainably managed forests (FSC-certified).
This is the first step in our packaging optimisation strategy. The main goal of this strategy is clear: to use as little material as possible – or even to eliminate packaging when logistics permit it. In addition, we promote the reuse of cardboard boxes in the supply chain by working with partners who shred and reuse cardboard boxes for parcel cushioning.
Our products are available for sale on this website and in all our partner stores, i.e. organic and bulk buy food stores, department stores, tableware stores, tea shops/coffee roasters and a selection of sports & outdoor stores.
The network of our distribution points is designed with proximity in mind. Our objective is to be present as close as possible to our customers, in order to reduce the carbon impact linked to their travel.
We choose our merchandising materials to be eco-designed, minimalist, simple but ingenious at the same time, in order to beautifully enhance our products. We favour raw and environmentally friendly materials such as wood, kraft or recycled paper, FSC-certified when possible. Each support is designed in Europe in the most refined way possible with the less printed surface. Some of our pediments are even 2 in 1: they carry two interchangeable messages depending on the displayed bottle. An economy of materials for a more conscious merchandising.
Good maintenance of our products guarantees a very high durability. An insulated bottle which has not been damaged and is carefully looked after will retain its properties indefinitely. Both stainless steel and glass are easy to clean materials using just a touch of elbow grease and baking soda. We also supply some spare parts (lids, seals, etc.) for repairs, thereby making our products more sustainable.
Stainless steel can be recycled ad infinitum and is popular with many industries for its sustainability and strength. In France, stainless steel can be recycled at all public waste recycling centres.
Our unit boxes have been made entirely of kraft since 2021. Kraft is one of the most environmentally-friendly materials available since it is made of wood fibres and does not require any additional chemical processing (e.g. bleaching). It should be thrown away with dry, clean paper and card in order to be fully recycled.
