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contact us
Jennifer Morellato (sales/press/PR/boutique)
jennifer@smateria.com
MP: (+855) 12647061
Elisa Lion (designer R/D)
elisa@smateria.com
MP: (+855) 12 869762
SHOP IN PHNOM PENH:
(+855) 023 211701
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staff
Our recipe for Smateria is: Song Ou, Eng Songlyna, Kimty, Peouv Sophana, Yeung Vannah, Prum Ray, Srei Touch, Mann Saophiea, Somhat, Liep, Hieng, Dy, Saruh, Seung Thea, Darah, Nun Keov, To Makara, Kunty, Ken Houm, Srey Oun, Thon Polly, Sonnet, Phanna Touch, Chim Ty, MuiKy, Jennifer and Elisa. These ingredients will soon be seasoned with Phanna's husband, Sophier's husband, Song Ou's sister and cousin, the son of Songlyna and Phanna junior, Vannah's wife… it is a daily challenge and, like any challenge, it is extremely fulfilling… although sometimes a little troublesome. But that is the way we like it. |
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plastic bags
The plastic bags we use are collected mainly by mothers in difficult circumstances who work as house-to-house refuse collectors. Both local and international organisations have been working with these women to teach them how to recycle and resell some of the items they collect. Thanks to these programmes, the women are now able to crochet and use a small hand-loom. Once the bags have been collected and washed thoroughly, Smateria supports the women by purchasing the bags at a the market price and contracting them to crochet and weave them into designs for our products. The crocheted plastic bag design is Smateria's creation and the work is exclusively done in our workshop. |
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plastic mosquito net
The plastic mosquito net's original use was in the countryside to protect livestock at night but it is known to have many different functions including: a sand sieve used by bricklayers, a safety net to stop rubble falling off scaffolding, covers or sides of handcarts to avoid objects being displaced, etc. This multi-talented net is now the basis for many of Smateria's creations including handbags, wallets, beauty cases and lamps… tomorrow, who knows what else. |
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tetrapak - 17,268 collected 8000 used
The 'discovery' that tetrapak can be weaved into products was made by chance in a kitchen: thanks to the Cambodian peoples' natural creativity and innate ability for weaving. Smateria has now created its own supply network for used tetrapak items which includes eight bars and restaurants and two schools in the capital. Milk and fruit juices packs are collected, thoroughly washed and sun-dried inside out. They are then sorted according to their condition and catalogued. In the first year of Smateria's existence, 18,000 cartons were collected and over 8,000 were put into production. |
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about us
Opened in 2006 in Phnom Penh Cambodia, Smateria is a small handicraft workshop and shop which designs and sells costume jewellery, fashion accessories and home decorations. All of our products are made from basic materials, some of which are recycled and all of which are sourced locally. It is a workshop where everyday local people shape various materials into new forms and ideas.
Smateria is all about transformation and diversity. Although our twentyfour craftsmen and women have diverse backgrounds, their hands and minds work together with a common purpose: to create and improve, to learn and teach, day after day after day.
Smateria’s dream is to prove that is possible to create high-standard products respecting fair trade principles.
Smateria is not an NGO. It is a commercial enterprise set up by two partners who are trying to make a sustainable living from selling products. A business determined to respect international rules of labour and safety and to train and develop its employees in a non-exploitative manner.
In Cambodia, businesses are generally a family-based affaire. This means that labour and wages are divided amongst the various family members. Smateria supports this approach by, when possible, employing other members of the same family. Knowledge of the workplace is therefore passed on from family member to family member. Smateria purchases the necessary equipment (mostly sewing machines and their spare parts, but also power looms to weave plastic or small electric welding machines) and this is repaid by employees wanting to take ownership via an interest-free micro-credit scheme.
Smateria also has partnerships with several local associations (both private and NGO) in order to recover and recycle used materials.
Smateria actively promotes recycling awareness amongst school children: it has created an educational booklet which has been distributed to schools, Ministries and other such bodies. The information provided within this booklet has already been taken up by two institutes in the capital and one in the province. |
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welcome
Smateria's product creation is not only about recycling: it is also about creating useful, attractive and innovative items from the most mundane materials. By using materials that already exist, or have already been used, we draw our customers into a world of new perceptions and imagination.
Smateria is all about transformation. A used milk carton becomes a diary or maybe a handbag. Creative thinking adds value to an object, regardless of its original worth.
Smateria aims at a continuous process of transformation, beginning with discarded objects. Obviously this implies a strong eco-friendly message: let’s not be wasteful; we can look beautiful even while wearing recycled material. Whether it be a handbag, a lamp or a fairytale hat. We know that fairytales always come true... |
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