Value Chain

Sometimes, in order to achieve sustainable transformation, it is necessary to challenge a company’s natural structure.


Companies such as nanimarquina, whose origin is based on the design, development and sale of products, usually have a vertical structure that stems from the industrial revolution. The moment we decided to build sustainability into the core of our business, we started to enforce a more horizontal approach, which led to significant gains, as described in the following sections. Rug-making has evolved significantly as a result of all the innovations applied by nanimarquina.

  1. 01

    Design

    Each rug requires a careful selection of fibers that suit its design and functionality. Explore here its distinct properties.

  2. 02

    Production

    The use of Eco-sheen & Jutex concentrates helps to reduce water consumption by up to 70% during the washing process. 60% post-dyeing filtered water is reused in agriculture, primarily for irrigation in rural areas (20% evaporates and 20% becomes sludge).

    Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs)

    In 2022, we carried out several Life Cycle Assessments (LCA) and presented the results in three self-declared Environmental Product Declarations (EPD). The results obtained are being used to implement eco-design strategies with the aim of reducing the environmental impact of our rugs:

  3. 03

    Quality control

    Delegating responsibilities

    The quality control of our rugs is being done at our supplier’s facilities, instead of at the warehouse in Spain. People from local communities in India have been trained and are working closely with the nanimarquina team to ensure that all rugs have undergone strict quality controls before they are shipped. This improvement has directly reduced the number of rejected rugs reaching our warehouse, and therefore the number of unnecessary shipments.

    By restructuring part of our value chain, we have been able to reduce the environmental impact of our packaging. Our suppliers now prepare the packaging that will be sent to the final customer, which means we have been able to eliminate primary packaging for good. Resulting from these improvements, we've been able to reduce 0.2 kg of plastic and 0.1 kg of cardboard per square meter of rug.

  4. 04

    Logistics

    Packaging and labeling

    Functionality affects not only how we design our packaging but how we select the materials for its production. The organic cotton bag protects the rug during shipping and also allows the consumer to store it at home. The waterproof sleeve is made from 40% recycled LDPE and keeps the product dry during transport.

    The labels on all of our products are also designed to respect the environment. The paper used is usually recycled, or displays an FSC certificate.

  5. 05

    Communication

    Transparent communication

    Our promotion methods are not only analyzed from a material point of view, we also pay great attention to how we communicate. It is crucial to communicate honest messages across all physical and digital media. We have always been transparent with our customers, sharing real images and detailed information about our manufacturing processes. Now, we also want to share the raw data with our community and explain the details of the analyses we conduct.

  6. 06

    Sales

    Formula Contract

    Since of 2021, we have offered the Formula Contract collection, a line focused on offering highly functional products for large-scale projects. This collection was developed taking into account sustainability criteria, especially as regards the sourcing of wool from nearby the manufacturing location. We have also introduced improvements to the packaging of samples, which no longer includes adhesives, making it easier to disassemble at the end of its lifecycle.

    We are pursuing several circular economy strategies across the entire value chain to generate systems that help reduce the amount of waste produced. Read more about our R-strategies.

  7. 07

    Use

    Another characteristic that makes nanimarquina rugs very sustainable is their longevity. The average lifespan may vary depending on the materials and manufacturing techniques. However, scientific evidence and consumer testimonials prove that with proper care, our rugs can be used for several decades.