Near Necessities
At merben, our passion is the thrill
of discovering and bringing you uniquely crafted,
uniquely designed fun, fabulous & colourful finds
that make you stop and say I gotta have that!
Thats what we said when we found each one. We
buy what we love, what we havent seen elsewhere,
what excites us & makes us feels good.
A core part of merben, who we are and
how we work is that relationships matter to us. We
have longstanding and trusting relationships with
all of our suppliers. We believe & are committed
to finding unique & high quality products that
also help communities and people in need.
Some of our products have really amazing
stories behind them, where they came from, who made
them, that makes having them and sharing them that
much more special. We hope you feel the same.
Learn more about some of our suppliers.
Cotton Throws & Baby Blankets
Our cotton throws & baby blankets come directly
from one of Indias leading suppliers & exporters
of home textile products. They are a 3rd generation
run family business and knitting is their passion,
priding themselves on world-class quality, yarns sourced
from the best mills in India. To ensure they can control,
experiment an the market with unique patterns, structures
& fabrics, they have several in-house design studios,
as well as a highly trained & skilled workforce
capable of producing and delivering intricate designs,
colours and patterns. They follow stringent international
guidelines on processes from manufacturing up to packaging.
To ensure complete check on quality, design, confidentiality
and delivery complete production is in-house.
Crochet & Felt Toys
The heart of Nepal is where we find our beautiful
crochet & felt toys. Our supplier has been recognized
as a top exporter in handicraft goods since 2008,
using 100% natural materials and implementing a fair
trade process. All products are made by local Nepalese
women. Felt is an amazing and simple process, but
requires skill to execute to perfection. Felting,
crochet & knitting are one of the oldest textiles,
a process that came from the mountain side of Nepal
about 6000 years back. Nepal is one of the poorest
countries, with an incredibly high unemployment rate.
We are proud to say that our supplier helps create
employment for 2000 locals, and is committed to helping
create local jobs and grow the local economy so women
can become more independent and help their families.

Body Brushes
Sri Lanka and its main city of Kerawalapitiya is where
we discovered our body brushes. There, only sustainable
biodegradable raw materials are used and all
products are handmade. Timber used for our products
are timber off cuts. Timber is abundantly grown in
Sri Lanka. The sealer we use on our timber is a toy
paint sealer which is non-toxic. About 25 people are
employed from their main factory, and only those 18
or older. There is no discrimination in gender, religion,
language or cast. Most of the women employed are with
children and are allowed flexible working hours. Work
is provided for women around the vicinity who work
from their homes and are unable to come
to the factory (taking care of their sick parents,
babies, etc) as well as several subcontractors in
rural areas (families with children) who are unable
to come to work on the premises.
Jute Fiber
Jute is extracted from the bark of the Jute plant
and is one of natures strongest vegetable
fibers. In India and Bangladesh some 4 million farmers
earn their living and support 20 million dependents
from jute cultivation, while hundreds of thousands
work in the jute manufacturing sector. The jute
for our brushes is imported from Bangladesh.
Sisal Fiber
Sisal is a natural fiber extracted from the Agrave
sisalana plant. It lives for about 7-10 years, growing
between 200 to 250 usable leaves with each leaf
producing around 1000 fibers. It can be grown throughout
the year, even on marginal land and in semi-arid
areas, and does not require fertilizers and pesticides
making it ideal for poorer areas where agriculture
is the mainstay of the economy. The fibers are strong
and durable, do not absorb moisture easily and are
resistant to damage by salt water. Sisal is imported
from Kenya.
Coconut Fiber (Sri Lanka)
Coir or Coco fiber is the fibrous material found
between the hard inner shell and the outer coat
of a coconut, the bit you dont eat. A mature
tree can produce 50 to 100 coconuts per year. The
brown coir fiber is harvested from fully ripened
coconut and is about 10 to 30 cm long and is relatively
water-proof and one of the few natural vegetable
fibers with a natural resistance to fungus and mites
makes it perfect for use as a kitchen or bathroom
brush. The Coconuts are grown by small-scale farmers,
who use local mills for fiber extraction which makes
it an important source of income.
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