Anine Fadye

Packaging

Annine Fadye’s packaging strategy appears to be minimalistic and largely plastic-free, aligning with high sustainability standards. There is no evidence of single-use plastics like bubble wrap in their official communications, suggesting they likely use paper-based or recycled protective materials.

Material Sustainability

Annine Fadye exclusively uses recycled glass as the raw material for its products, which places it in the highest sustainability category for materials. Instead of sourcing new raw ingredients, the brand collects discarded glass bottles and gives them a second life. Recycled glass is an ideal material: it’s endlessly recyclable and avoids the deforestation, habitat loss, or intensive agriculture issues that many natural ingredients or textiles can pose.

Energy and Carbon Footprint

Annine Fadye demonstrates significant efforts to minimize its carbon footprint, especially for a small manufacturing brand. Most notably, its production facility is solar-powered, meaning a portion of the energy required for cutting, melting, or finishing glass is generated from renewable sources on-site.

This directly reduces greenhouse gas emissions compared to a standard grid-powered operation. Additionally, the brand’s business model of local collection and local production shortens the supply chain dramatically.

Waste Mitigation

Waste reduction is at the core of Annine Fadye’s mission – the company exists because of a waste problem and is actively solving it. The brand collects discarded glass bottles (which would otherwise contribute to Lebanon’s solid waste crisis) and transforms them into new products. 

This directly diverts waste from landfills. In the production process, Annine Fadye demonstrates exemplary circular practices: every part of the bottle is repurposed. Usable bottle bodies are cut and finished into cups, vases, and other glassware, while smaller off-cuts or non-utilizable pieces are crushed into aggregate for terrazzo, art, or construction uses. By offering crushed glass for terrazzo and other applications, the brand ensures that even scraps become raw material for new products, effectively achieving a near zero-waste manufacturing process. 

Business Model

Annine Fadye’s business model is the epitome of slow, intentional consumption, which merits the highest rating. Rather than chasing fast-paced trends or encouraging customers to buy more than they need, the brand focuses on timeless, durable goods that serve practical purposes. Its product lineup is evergreen – simple glassware, vases, and home goods that do not go out of style or season. 

Moreover, Annine Fadye’s marketing and services reinforce mindful consumption. The brand emphasizes the story and purpose behind each item – turning “what already exists into something that lasts” – rather than pushing impulse purchases.

Annine Fadye’s products are overwhelmingly simple and inert from a chemical standpoint, resulting in excellent human safety profiles. The sole “ingredient” in its goods is glass (typically soda-lime glass from bottles), which is a non-toxic, stable material for everyday use.

Unlike plastics, upcycled glass does not leach harmful substances, and it’s safe for contact with food and drink (many of the source bottles were originally for beverages). The brand does not use any coatings, dyes, or additives on the glass that would introduce toxicity – each piece is cut and hand-finished rather than painted or chemically treated, according to product descriptions.

Transparency is also a non-issue here: the material is clearly stated as “upcycled glass” for every item, and customers inherently know what they are getting.

Fair Labor

Annine Fadye is a small, founder-driven enterprise operating locally in Lebanon, which inherently allows for greater oversight of labor conditions. The brand’s glass workshop and production are handled by the founders and local artisans/staff, suggesting that workers operate in safe conditions and are treated fairly (as there is a personal, hands-on management of the process).

By repurposing bottles locally, the company also supports jobs in the community – it is “supporting artisans and promoting local business,” as noted in a sustainability community feature.

Animal Welfare

Animal welfare considerations are inherently addressed by Annine Fadye’s choice of materials and markets, and the brand achieves a full score for this category by effectively sidestepping any animal-related issues. The products contain no animal-derived ingredients or materials – they are made of glass and occasionally paired with components like cork stoppers or metal lids in some cases, none of which involve animal exploitation. This means concerns about ethical sourcing of animal materials (leather, wool, etc.) are not applicable. 

Community Engagement

Annine Fadye distinguishes itself with a strong commitment to community and environmental betterment in Lebanon, warranting the highest rating in community engagement. The brand was essentially born out of a desire to solve a local problem – the founders saw the lack of recycling and the glut of glass waste in Beirut and dedicated their business to addressing it. This mission-driven approach means that from day one, the company’s operations have been a form of community service: reducing local waste, beautifying the environment, and offering local businesses affordable, sustainable products.

In practice, Annine Fadye has partnered with NGOs and volunteer groups in community projects. Notably, after the 2020 Beirut port explosion which shattered thousands of windows, co-founder Anthony Abdel Karim coordinated volunteers and organizations to collect and recycle the broken glass, sending it to factories or repurposing it.