Each Spice Box Tells a Story...
Each box is made by hand and no two boxes are exactly alike. The paper used for each box is meticulously custom made by hand in small batches by master paper artisans in the Philippines using a generations old technique. Sustainable, tree-free, natural wildgrass fibers are chopped into small pieces and boiled for 4-5 hours until a tender wet pulp mixture is rendered. The pulp is beaten and mixed until it reaches the proper consistency and balance and then poured evenly into a custom-sized mold and deckle in the desired dimensions and shape and then sun-dried. Each sheet for each box is individually prepared and cut and each box is constructed by hand over the course of multiple days.
The artisan paper and packaging operations are the most significant economic contributor to the local economy of this small village. As the opportunities for the artisans grow, more fair trade jobs are developed, which provides stable and reliable income in comparison to farming or fishing, which is how many others in the village survive. Origin Spices also contributes towards an educational scholarship fund each semester to fund education and school supplies for children of the artisan community from grade school age to university. The artisans are particularly talented in using abundant and renewable natural materials including wild grass, banana fiber, coconut shell, rice husk, and convert them into exclusive sustainable packaging by using time-honored artisan skills passed down from previous generations.