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SUSTAINABILITY STATEMENT

At MUKAKASA, sustainability is not a policy applied after the fact; it is the foundation of every decision we make. From the earth we shape, to the hands that shape it, to the table it arrives on, each object carries a clear conscience and a traceable story.

This statement outlines our commitments across raw materials, people, and process. We make it available to press, hospitality partners, stockists, and investors upon request.

01  FOR HOSPITALITY PARTNERS

We understand that sustainability credentials are increasingly central to procurement decisions, and to the story your property tells its guests.

MUKAKASA is able to provide the following upon request:

 

  • EU food safety certification (2005/31/EC) documentation

  • Material and sourcing information for sustainability reporting

  • Supply chain transparency briefing for procurement teams

  • Named artisan profiles for storytelling and guest communication

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Serving clients across Africa allows us to reduce long-distance transport and limit reliance on air freight wherever possible. We seek to partner with hospitality businesses that prioritise local sourcing and sustainable regional networks, while helping support their wider sustainability goals and responsible procurement targets.

We work directly with sustainability leads, procurement managers, and communications teams to ensure MUKAKASA integrates cleanly into your reporting frameworks.

02 RAW MATERIALS

Our objects begin with Ugandan clay | sourced locally, with no imported or synthetic substitutes. We work with the land we are rooted in.

 

Surface finish & food safety:

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MUKAKASA pieces are finished exclusively by hand burnishing, a traditional technique that requires no chemical glazes, industrial coatings, or synthetic compounds. The artisan's hand and the clay's natural properties are the only tools involved in the final surface.

 

All MUKAKASA pieces are certified food-safe in compliance with EU regulation 2005/31/EC, which governs ceramic articles intended to come into contact with foodstuffs. This certification is available for review by hospitality partners and stockists upon request.

 

  • Clay: locally sourced in Uganda

  • Finish: hand burnishing — no chemicals

  • Certification: EU Food Safety 2005/31/EC

03 PEOPLE

MUKAKASA is made by 35 skilled artisans, 25 women and 10 men, based in Mukono, Uganda. These are not casual workers. They are craftspeople with deep knowledge of traditional techniques, working within a structure designed to respect and reward their skill.

 

How our makers are paid:

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Every artisan is compensated on a percentage basis tied directly to each piece they produce. 40% of every item's value is allocated to the makers: 30% to the lead producer and 10% to their assistant. Earnings are calculated daily and paid at the end of each month - transparent, traceable, and fair.

 

Daily welfare:

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Every working day, our production partner in Mukono provides all artisans with a hot meal and tea, a baseline standard of care embedded into how our supply chain operates.

 

  • 35 artisans: 25 women, 10 men | Mukono, Uganda

  • 40% of every item value paid to makers

  • 30% lead producer / 10% assistant - calculated daily

  • Hot lunch and tea provided daily - by our production partner in Mukono

04 PROCESS & PRODUCTION

MUKAKASA objects are hand-thrown or hand-built, never cast in volume, never replicated by machine. Each piece carries the natural variation of its maker's hand, which is not an imperfection but the proof of its origin.

 

Firing:

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All pieces are fired in traditional kilns using firewood and sawdust — supplied by local timber companies in Uganda. This is a low-infrastructure, community-integrated process that avoids the carbon footprint of industrial electric or gas firing, while keeping economic benefit local.

 

Packaging:

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We do not use plastic. Pieces for shipping are wrapped in upcycled paper. Retail pieces are packaged in cotton bags. Both choices are deliberate and permanent — not transitional commitments.

 

Supply model:

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Our hospitality collection is made to order. We hold only a very limited stock for direct-to-consumer. This model eliminates overproduction, reduces waste, and ensures every piece made has a purpose before it is fired.

 

  • Hand-thrown and hand-built - no mould casting

  • Traditional kiln firing: firewood and sawdust

  • Fuel sourced from local Ugandan timber companies

  • Shipping: upcycled paper wrapping

  • Retail: cotton bag packaging

  • Zero plastic across all packaging

  • Hospitality collection: made to order

  • DTC: limited stock only - no overproduction

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