A partnership between social enterprise Rag2Rug and Clarion Collection Hotel Victoria has been awarded the annual prize Nyttigaste Affären celebrating partnerships and business that do social and environmental good. 

We’ve previously mentioned the national prize Nyttigaste Affären that’s awarded each year by Coompanion, HSB and the Swedish Agency for Economic and Regional Growth to a partnership between at least two parties where at least one is a social enterprise. Our Executive Director Tove Nordström joined the jury this year alongside representatives from Coompanion, HSB, Business Region Göteborg and IKEA and the jury decided to award the 2020 prize to the partnership between Rag2Rug from Vetlanda and Clarion Collection Hotel Victoria in Jönköping.

Rag2Rug is a social enterprise with a focus on sustainability and craftsmanship as they collect waste textiles from second hand shops and businesses and use the scraps to create new products through traditional weaving techniques. They also train and employ foreign-born women who struggle to enter the Swedish job market, adding a layer of social sustainability to the business.

A partnership for social and environmental good

The partnership with Clarion Collection Hotel Victoria started this year as Rag2Rug creates new products such as rugs from discarded textiles from the hotel. The hotel then uses and sells the products in their hotel.

It’s a partnership with a focus on a circular model where waste becomes a resource, and the jury also highlighted the strong focus on craftsmanship and creating products the customer is willing to pay for. The fact that the partnership also creates work opportunities for local women who normally have difficulties integrating into Swedish society was also appreciated by the jury. Our Executive Director Tove Nordström says:

Collaborations that do social and environmental as well as financial good are most definitely what to strive for in the future. The partnership between Rag2Rug and Clarion Collection Hotel Victoria is a great example and we hope it sends a message to more hotels and similar businesses about the opportunities they have to provide good value for their customers whilst also doing good for our society.

You can find out more about Rag2Rug, the partnership and the prize in this video (in Swedish).