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Saa paper flowers, once considered a wilting business, turn environment-friendly to win overseas markets
Walailak Keeratipipatpong in Chiang Mai
Mrs Natha shows off bonsai trees made of saa paper, a unique offering from By Hands. |
After seeing their market decline for several years due to an influx of cheaper Chinese cloth flowers, a group of saa paper flower producers is now optimistic that an environment-friendly approach will enable them to carve out a niche market.
Natha Ojarasporn, general manager and designer of By Hands International Co, said her company's saa paper flowers got a good response at the Paper World exhibition in Frankfurt last year, receiving orders from Italian buyers during the fair and from a major buyer in Mumbai through follow-up orders early this year.
Using natural dyes that prevent chemical waste is one element that increasingly appeals to buyers in markets such as Japan and Europe, she said.
By Hands is a leading company among 30 small handcraft producers based in Tonpao, a municipality in Chiang Mai's San Kamphaeng district. Since 2005 they have joined an environment-friendly saa paper programme designed by the Environmental Quality Promotion Department and a non-profit organisation, German Technical Co-operation (GTZ).
Saa paper is a principal craft product of Tonpao, regarded as the centre of Thai handicrafts in the northern region and well-known as a source for traditional woven fabrics, silverware and carving.
Villagers from Tonpao subdistrict craft the flowers that are now finding a market overseas. |
However, the paper's production has had a severe impact on makers and the environment as it involves boiling, bleaching and dyeing pulp, leaving hazardous waste. Many operators were accused of environmental destruction and some were forced to shut down factories after failing to manage waste properly.
Wilasinee Poonuchaphai, project manager of GTZ's Eco-Efficiency component, said the environment-friendly saa paper programme has been introduced to help operators reduce the use of chemicals and access new market.
For example, sappan wood can be used for pink dye, turmeric root for yellow, pandanus leaves for green, and lac for red or pink dye. Saa paper is produced from the bark of the mulberry tree.
To expand the market, the agency has taken companies to international events. Mrs Natha said the market for environment-friendly saa paper flowers remains limited and most buyers are designers, gift shops and high-end department stores - particularly in Japan, where saa paper flowers are used to decorate gift packages for customers.
Saa paper products in New Zealand, the United Kingdom, France and India are also put in the specialty section.
Environment-friendly saa paper flowers from Thailand also compete abroad with products from Nepal, India and Japan. However, she said competition was not as fierce as for mass-market flowers made from cloth, largely produced in China.
Mrs Natha added that cloth flowers offered the advantage that they could be washed to maintain their colours, but By Hands was competing by adding scent to saa paper and offering a wider variety, including Japanese bonsai trees.
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