This large jute natural table mat features a stylish spiral design on one side which has been woven by hand from braided natural jute and white jute fibers. It is finished with detailed grey stitching and has a little fabric ReSpiin label sewn onto the edge. Handmade responsibly in Bangladesh and coloured with Azo free dye. Jute is a naturally renewable, sustainable and biodegradable material. Wipe clean. Approximately 32cm diameter. Made from both natural jute and coloured jute. The coloured jute is 100% Azo free. All products are tested safe for food contact. About The Jute Plant Jute plants are easy to grow, have a high yield per acre and, unlike cotton, have little need for pesticides and fertilisers. Jute grows during the rainy season in Bangladesh which is from June to October. The plants are ready to harvest in four to six months after the flowers are shed. The fibres lie beneath the bark around the woody core. To extract the fibre, the jute bundles are submerged in water and left for a few days until the fibres come loose and are ready for stripping from the stalk, then washed and dried. This is what the ReSpiin baskets are made from. The remaining jute stalks can be used in a similar way to wood pulp, or work well as a renewable source of cooking fuel. Jute plants help to clean the air. During growth they take in three times more CO2 than the average tree, converting this CO2 into oxygen. Jute plants also enrich the soil. As these plants grow fast, they are often used in crop rotation. The leaves and roots left after harvest enrich the soil with micronutrients, maintaining soil fertility. Jute is 100% biodegradable. . .