Side Effects of Working in a Sustainable Company

Sustainability has been a core pillar of PUPUPULA since our founding. But practising sustainability in product design, factory partnerships, and office maintenance requires more than just a mission statement, it requires people.

When you spend your days designing for longevity and questioning the necessity of every material, it begins to change how you live. Here is how the PUPUPULA team practices intentional living, both at their desks and in their homes.

Reducing Waste

We design products to last from age three to adulthood. This perspective naturally leads to a form of personal discernment. Many on our team have found themselves becoming lost users on delivery apps, preferring to cook at home to avoid the waste of single-use packaging.

This habit extends to how we shop, we find ourselves buying less. We look for items that serve multiple purposes and refuse to buy a second version of something we already own. This even informed our approach to workspace design. We prioritise utility over decoration, choosing honest materials and exposed structures that are built to be used for a very long time.

Switching to Reusables

Small rules in the office often lead to significant shifts in perspective. Some of our lifestyle preferences shifted from single-use PET water bottles and shopping bags to reusable bottles and bags. It is a small but confident stand against plastic waste.

In our office kitchen, disposable cutlery is non-existent. We use ceramic and glass that have been with the company for years. It is a simple habit. When the environment around you values the permanent over the temporary, the choice to be sustainable becomes worthwhile.

Material Stewardship

We also look for ways to turn waste back into value. Our design process involves finding ways to utilise wood offcuts from our main production lines, ensuring that high-quality wood is not discarded simply because they are small. They are often repurposed into our product tags and seasonal gifts for decoration or display.

Beyond the materials, we practice strict waste sorting as a team. This habit has followed many of us home, where composting and recycling have become second nature. While the power of one person might feel small, a company can act as an amplifier for these behaviours.

Habits Worth Keeping

Sustainability is not a chore or a restriction. It is a long-term relationship with the objects and environments we inhabit. Whether it is carrying a reusable water bottle or choosing one high-quality item over three cheap ones, these small practices add up.

When we discuss these habits and create a supportive environment, sustainability stops being a policy and starts being a way of life. We invite you to join us. Choose one intentional habit and start your own journey toward a sustainable home.