More About Us
The Sourcing
Our hemp is planted in rural, isolated areas on barren ground without using pesticides, insecticides, fertilizers, and little water. You may ask why and how is this possible? Hemp is a strong natural fiber that is able to grow in different soils, climates and in small spaces, opening up the potential for farmers all over the world to cultivate hemp. When hemp is cultivated its roots detoxify, enrich and restore the soil through bio-accumulation and phytoremediation. In other words, hemp’s roots draw out heavy metals and toxins, absorb carbon dioxide, and return significant amounts of nutrients. This prevents soil pollution and keeps our land healthier for longer periods of time. In fact, hemp was even planted at Chernobyl with hopes to remedy the polluted soil and water. On the other hand, cotton and many other crops extract water and nutrients without replenishment, which harms, pollutes and deteriorates the soil.
Additionally our production and dyeing factory is ethical and has passed major department store audits and uses environmentally friendly dyestuffs. Our factory insists on using first quality production methods and providing fair wages.
The Sustainability
Sustainability is the core of our brand. Hemp’s nickname is “the wonder crop” - and for good reason. When talking sustainability, hemp is the envy of other crops. Hemp can create thousands of different byproducts - many of which are greener (and technically superior) alternatives to their conventional counterparts. Hemp has the power to help save and nurture our environment and we’re excited to be a part of the movement.
All of our packaging is sustainable as well. Our products come shipped in a hemp tote bag made from the same material as our bedding that makes for the perfect farmer’s market bag, beach bag, weekender bag - you name it! The rest of our shipping materials are made from either recycled, post-consumer or eco-friendly materials, from the shipping label to the tissue paper.
We can no longer ignore the needs of our planet - we have to listen to it. Global warming is real, and if we don’t start making changes now, future generations will face serious repercussions of our actions. There are many ways to incorporate sustainable practices into your everyday life, such as buying organic when possible and limiting the use of plastic in your house. You can never start too small; what’s important is that you start.
The Spark
After graduating college, I spent the first few years of my career working at a startup in Los Angeles. Like many people in my generation, I had no idea what I really wanted to do, but I felt strongly that there had to be more to life than tech software. Tech has a sort of mystique around it, especially in hubs like SF or “Silicon Beach”, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that what I was doing was not fulfilling. Is helping a plastic surgeon with his website really making the world a better place? Maybe a little, but it certainly wasn’t stimulating or challenging. I found myself wanting more.
I ended up quitting my job without a plan of what to do next. That was definitely hard. I spoke a bit before about the mental game with starting a business; in speaking to other founders, I’ve noticed everyone has a period of time where they think, “How do I learn how to do X?” There’s no boss instructing you anymore – you are the boss. There’s no manual telling you what country to look for a manufacturer, or how to get through customs, or how to create an LLC.
I take a lot of pride in how I’ve handled every aspect of my business. It started as an idea in my head, and before I knew it I was getting samples from overseas, I was mocking up prototypes, I was negotiating rates. One day you look up and it’s like – “I’m really doing this!”
The Differentiator
When first introduced to hemp, I was in awe of the versatility of the plant and knew I wanted to create something with it. After learning about hemp fabric properties, bedding was a natural fit. Apart from the sustainability benefits, hemp fabric is antibacterial, antimicrobial, hypoallergenic and thermoregulating - it’s clean, strong, and stays cool in the summer. Over time, repeated washings make it even softer, like your favorite old t-shirt. This fits with a central tenet of sustainability: buy things that last.
What makes our hemp bedding unique is that it’s made from 100% hemp, which not all hemp bedding brands do. Many use a blend of hemp & cotton, but with 100% hemp you get all the amazing benefits of hemp fabric without any sacrifice. Bigger brands recently started coming out with hemp bedding such as West Elm and Crate & Barrel, which we think is great because it allows for more exposure on hemp bedding and its benefits. But running Botana completely on my own and producing small batch, high quality products will always differentiate me from the big fish. I’m so excited to share my brand with the world and I won’t stop at bedding - my end goal is to create a home goods store where everything is made from hemp.
The Favorite
Our most popular seller is definitely our Bundle - it’s a bedding set that includes one fitted sheet, one top sheet, one duvet cover, and two pillowcases. A full bedding set is by far the best way to experience our hemp bedding, although I always recommend trying a set of pillowcases to get a feel for the fabric first if you’re hesitant on splurging. White is our most popular color but Oat Milk is a very close second and my personal favorite! All our colors are neutral and meant to be mixed and matched and complement each other. And we're hoping to launch a few new products soon!
The Motto
Our motto is to “Dream Responsibly,” but it’s not just a clever tagline, it’s a call to action: together, we can build a more sustainable planet. It’s time we make the shift to sustainability in every part of our lives - not just the cars we drive or the clothes we wear, but also the food we eat, and, yes, the bedding we sleep on. We hope that with Botana we’re doing our small part to make the world a better place, and that you’ll join us in Dreaming Responsibly.
Botana Bedding
About the Brand
After being introduced to hemp in early 2019, we quickly learned that its sustainability profile is the envy of all other textiles. While we know hemp has the potential to be a real industry game-changer, we also know that when it comes to bedding, people aren’t going to sacrifice comfort just for sustainability’s sake. So we set out to make the most comfortable bedding our customers have ever owned - it just happens to be made of 100% hemp.
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