The Wisdom of Proximity: Why I source Regionally

Lynn W.
Jul 25, 2025
3 min read

Updated: Sep 6, 2025

When I first began designing Loop and Love, I assumed I’d be sourcing materials from all over the world. Europe seemed like the gold standard, polished certifications, long-established mills, and beautiful documentation. But the more I worked in sustainability, the more I questioned that assumption.

The farther I reached, the more I began to lose touch with something simpler: what’s right in front of me.The most sustainable solution isn’t always the farthest. Sometimes, it’s the closest.

In my corporate work, I’ve helped build responsible supply chains across continents. But over time, I realised that global systems, while powerful, can be fragile. Long shipping routes, geopolitical shocks, and delays add not only carbon, but uncertainty.

That’s when I began shifting my lens toward something simpler: sourcing closer to home.

🌏 Rewriting the Map in My Mind

We’re taught to think of Asia as the factory of the world.

But to me, it’s more than that, it’s the heartbeat of everything I’m trying to build.

In Asia, we’re often seen as the endpoint of supply chains, places where things are made cheaply and quickly. But there’s so much more beneath the surface: deep textile expertise, growing circular innovation, and a genuine spirit of cooperation.

I find makers who listen before quoting.

I find materials that are not perfect, but purposeful.

I find a rhythm that respects time, not just deadlines.

I visited a small supplier making recycled polyester yarns from post-consumer bottles. No fancy showroom. Just honest work. Their yarns weren’t flawless, but they were full of intention. And that, to me, felt more luxurious than any label.

I met a packaging partner who didn’t hesitate when I asked for recycled kraft and biodegradable adhesives. They adjusted. We co-created.

这是一种更慢、更真实的方式 — 不仅对地球好，也对人好。

From a carbon perspective, shorter routes mean less fuel. From a human perspective, it means more visibility, faster feedback, and less waste.

C’est une chaîne logistique qui respire — vivante, adaptable, locale.

🧵 What Loop and Love Is Teaching Me

Loop and Love’s sourcing is intentional, not just because of carbon, but because of care. We choose partners who understand our rhythm and values. Who speak not just our language, but our urgency.

And it’s not just environmental. It’s economic too.

By sourcing regionally, we support neighbouring communities, pay fairly, and create faster feedback loops, from prototype to production.

Because real sustainability doesn’t only happen in what we make. It happens in how we build the system around it.

Every time I pick up the yarn, I remind myself:

I’m not just making a scrunchie. I’m making a decision.

A decision to reduce shipping miles.

A decision to know my supply chain personally.

A decision to stay local in spirit, even if global in ambition.

Parce que la proximité, ce n’est pas une contrainte. C’est un choix.

Une manière de créer en connaissance de cause. Une manière de rester ancrée.

By sourcing regionally, I’m not only lowering carbon, I’m raising intimacy.

By staying close, I’m building trust.