A British independent company's perspective on manufacturing, sustainability and the wider cost of making products.
At APPLE & BEARS, we believe the true cost of making a product is about more than the number on an invoice.
There is the financial cost, of course. But there is also the environmental impact of transporting materials and finished products, the businesses and jobs supported by manufacturing, and the skills and knowledge that can be lost when production moves elsewhere.
These costs are not always visible.
But they matter.
A British Independent Company
As a British independent company, APPLE & BEARS has deliberately chosen to manufacture its products in the UK.
All APPLE & BEARS products are bulk manufactured and filled in the UK.
Our bottles, outer packaging and labels are also produced and printed in the UK, while our reusable eco bags are supplied by a UK business.
Our push pumps are sourced through a UK supplier, although the pumps themselves are manufactured overseas because there is currently no UK manufacturer available for the push pump we require.
For us, this is not about suggesting that every component can or should be manufactured in Britain.
It is about making considered decisions about where products and components can reasonably be made.
Why Manufacturing Matters
Manufacturing is about more than factories, machinery and production lines.
It is about people.
It supports employment, develops skills and maintains knowledge and experience within communities.
When a business places manufacturing with UK companies, it contributes to a wider manufacturing ecosystem.
A manufacturer receives an order.
A packaging company produces a component.
A printer produces labels.
A supplier provides materials.
People are employed across those businesses.
Skills are developed.
Knowledge is retained.
The economic benefit can therefore extend well beyond the company whose name appears on the finished product.
For independent businesses in particular, these relationships can become an important part of building a resilient supply chain.
The Wider Cost of Manufacturing
There is often a strong financial argument for producing goods wherever manufacturing costs are lowest.
Sometimes that makes perfect commercial sense.
But the lowest price does not necessarily represent the lowest overall cost.
Products and materials may have to travel thousands of miles.
Manufacturing capacity can disappear from local economies.
Businesses can lose valuable customers.
Skilled employment can move elsewhere.
Specialist knowledge can become increasingly difficult to replace.
None of these factors necessarily appear on a manufacturing quotation.
That is what we mean by the wider cost.
The price of making something is only one part of the decision.
Businesses can also consider where something is made, how far it travels, what businesses it supports and what capabilities may be lost when manufacturing moves elsewhere.
Sustainability Should Be Practical
We don't believe sustainability should mean pretending that global manufacturing does not exist.
Modern products often depend on specialist components, materials and manufacturing capabilities.
It is simply not realistic for every country to manufacture every component required by its businesses.
Our push pumps are a straightforward example.
We source our push pumps through a UK supplier, but the pumps themselves are manufactured overseas because there is currently no UK manufacturer available for the push pump we require.
If a suitable UK manufacturer existed, sourcing locally would be an option worth considering.
At present, it isn't.
For us, this is an important part of having an honest conversation about sustainability.
Sustainability should be practical rather than ideological.
It should recognise the realities of modern supply chains while still encouraging businesses to consider where local alternatives exist.
Distance Matters
Where something is made also affects how far it has to travel.
Raw materials move to manufacturers.
Components move between suppliers.
Finished products move to warehouses and distributors.
Eventually, they reach customers.
Transportation has an environmental impact, although the precise impact depends on factors such as distance, transport method, shipment size, materials and manufacturing efficiency.
This is why we believe distance should be part of the conversation.
If a suitable manufacturing capability exists closer to where a product is needed, it is reasonable to ask whether that product needs to travel thousands of miles simply because it can be produced more cheaply elsewhere.
There may be perfectly valid reasons for doing so.
But it is still a question worth asking.
Supporting British Manufacturing
For a small independent British company, choosing UK manufacturing is not always the easiest option.
There can be cost differences.
There can be capacity limitations.
There can be fewer available suppliers for specialist components.
But there are also advantages.
Working within a closer manufacturing network can make communication easier.
It can allow businesses to develop relationships with suppliers and manufacturers over time.
It can support British employment and skills.
And it can help maintain manufacturing capability within the UK.
For APPLE & BEARS, these considerations are part of the reason we have chosen to keep significant parts of our production and packaging within the UK.
A Philosophy That Can Apply Anywhere
Our decision to manufacture in the UK reflects where APPLE & BEARS is based and how we have chosen to operate.
But the principle itself is not uniquely British.
A business in England can support English manufacturing.
A business in France can support French manufacturing.
A business in Japan can support Japanese manufacturing.
A business in the United States can support American manufacturing.
The principle is the same:
Local manufacturing can create local opportunity.
It can help sustain employment, skills, suppliers and communities while encouraging businesses to consider unnecessary transportation and resource use.
This does not mean every country should manufacture everything.
It means there is value in asking what can reasonably be made closer to where it is needed.
The answer will be different for every industry, every product and every country.
But the question remains relevant.
Consumers Are Part of the Equation
Consumers also have a role.
Local manufacturing can sometimes cost more than producing the same product elsewhere.
We don't believe consumers should be expected to pay an unlimited premium simply because a product carries a sustainability message.
But we do believe people can be willing to accept a reasonable additional cost when they understand what they are supporting.
That might mean supporting local employment.
Maintaining manufacturing skills.
Supporting independent businesses.
Strengthening communities.
Or making a more considered choice about how far a product and its materials have travelled.
Consumers influence businesses through what they choose to buy.
Businesses respond to those choices.
A Practical Approach
For APPLE & BEARS, the decision to manufacture and fill our products in the UK is about more than where our business happens to be based.
It is about making considered decisions about production, suppliers, transportation and the wider impact of those choices.
We manufacture and fill our products in the UK.
Our bottles, outer packaging and labels are produced and printed in the UK.
Our reusable eco bags are supplied by a UK business.
Our push pumps are sourced through a UK supplier, although the pumps themselves are manufactured overseas because there is currently no UK manufacturer available for the push pump we require.
We are not suggesting that every component can or should be made locally.
We are suggesting that businesses should consider what can be made closer to home, what genuinely needs to be sourced internationally and what the wider consequences of those decisions might be.
For us, practical sustainability is about responsibility, balance and transparency.
It is about making the best decisions available rather than claiming to have achieved perfection.
Make locally where practical. Source globally where necessary. Consider the wider cost.
Dean Butt
Co-Founder, APPLE & BEARS
