“If everyone does something small, then the world can be a different place.
Big changes can come in small steps.”
- Jianhui Yan
From plastic bottle to wearable jewellery
Plastic bottles originated as a means of convenience, but now they have become an environmental curse. An estimated eight million tons of plastic are dumped in our oceans every year, yet only about nine percent of the plastic we have ever produced has actually been recycled.
A few years ago I saw images on the internet of rivers and rivers of plastic polluting parts of Indonesia. The destruction they could wreak on the environment shocked me. And ever since I had been thinking about working with plastic bottles. This is how the Aqua Collection came along. Our eco-conscious Aqua Collection elevates the plastic bottles to wearable art. It demonstrates that recycling and reusing plastic can be fashionable as well as kind to the planet.
From pollution to purpose
The collection is personal to me. For over 15 years, I’ve been committed to making sustainable, ethical and environmentally friendly accessories. Like many other small businesses, however, I’ve been impacted by Covid-19. It hit the artisans I work with hardest. These are highly skilled women who have been making some of my jewellery for many years, using the money they earn to support their families. They are loyal and committed and have skills that have been developed over many years. When the demand for my jewellery slowed, they lost some of their income.
Using some personal savings, I commissioned the collection of discarded plastic bottles from my home town in China. Thousands of bottles were eventually collected and cleaned before the process of turning them into the ultimate eco-conscious accessories.
Sustainable and ethical
In designing the Aqua Collection, I have been inspired by nature. I often visit some water lily ponds close to the artisans I work with. These peaceful waters are surrounded by willow trees, and stretching far into the distance, the large cluster of green lily pads and the quiet beauty of the willow trees have provided the creative spark for these designs.
Every piece has been carefully hand cut and made entirely from the reused plastic, finished with leatherette or recycled textile cord. The edges of the plastic were gently treated with candle heat to make for a smoother finish and finally hand painted or hand gilded. Each item is unique and its look will depend on the type of bottle that was used to make it.
In line with our principles of working sustainably, no extra energy was consumed to make the jewellery, ensuring the smallest carbon footprint possible. As an ethical jewellery company, it’s important that we always strive to minimise the impact on the planet, working to the highest standards all the way down the supply chain.
Beauty in the unexpected
The Aqua Collection for Jianhui London shows that even the humble plastic bottle can be turned into something beautiful. Our range is intended to shock or surprise those who see it, because the result is so unexpected and one-of-a-kind.
I hope you enjoy the beauty to be found in reusing plastic. This collection is driven by my belief that we all have the power to do something small to help save the planet. Buying one of these unique pieces will also help support my artisans at a time that has been extremely challenging for everyone. They also make for a great conversation starter.
I wish you a happier, healthier and less wasteful 2021.
- Jianhui