FAQ

What can I use my bag for?

The bags are a beautiful, long lasting item - incredibly strong and practical, making them a sustainable choice for shopping, the markets, or as the perfect beach bag.

What are your bags made out of?

Made from pallet tape, the goal of ZAY is to use only upcycled tape and rattan in the future. Currently this is used wherever possible, and the bags can be sent to ZAY for recycling if ever needed.

Zay bags are made from three options:

1 Rattan

Our founder, Nicola, has seen the process of harvesting raw rattan herself and appreciates the aesthetic and sustainability of the material. 

Rattan is a climbing plant that grows in many places around Myanmar. Naturally renewable, it grows very quickly and can be harvested without damaging the plant. 

2 Upcycled pallet tape

When we are able to source this and determine its authenticity, we use upcycled tape. This includes our Willow range, and components of other ranges. Occasionally we are unable to source this for Willow, and the bag may contain components of the regular, high-quality pallet tape.

3 Pallet tape

Our weavers use shipping tape – the material they are most familiar with. It's incredibly strong enabling your Zay bag to carry a very heavy load without even buckling.

We can always be working towards doing things better - better for the earth, Myanmar families and our customers. Our goal is to use only upcycled tape and rattan in the future.

How do we recycle the bags?

If you ever need to recycle your Zay bag, simply get in contact with us here. We will pay for and organise shipping of any used goods that need to be returned, to ensure they are recycled correctly.

What does a “social enterprise” mean?

Social enterprises are purpose-driven businesses, that trade with the goal of a positive social, cultural or environmental impact. Often profit-making businesses, social enterprises reinvest profit into their purpose. ‘The mind of a business and the heart of a charity’. 

Zay's Mission Statement

Zay's mission statement is to provide practical, durable and beautiful bags that support our customers to be kinder to our planet by reducing single use plastic bags, while improving livelihoods for the weavers that create them by hand in Myanmar.

Zay is a brand centered around kindness. From weaver to customer, our bags travel a journey of honesty and integrity.  

Zay bags support sustainable livelihoods for the Myanmar family weavers, and this relationship is integral to the production of Zay bags - this heart of kindness lies at the very core of our ethical business model.

We provide real, tangible support for families in Myanmar through sustainable income, and hold the belief that we can always be working towards doing things better - better for the earth, Myanmar families and our customers.

How are your bags made?

Our weavers create our bags from their homes, using either tape they have sourced locally or tape provided directly by Zay (depending on bag style).  We provide extensive support to help our weavers meet our high quality standards. 

For example, we provide wooden weaving frames to our weaving families to ensure bags are created in consistent sizes & styles.   Weavers create our bags on special weaving mats to ensure bags are kept clean (this is important as our bags are not mass-produced in factories). We work with them to test tape strength and integrity to ensure only quality tape is used in our bags. 

If you would like to know more about how Zay bags are made, please email us at nicola@zay.nz and we can send you our Weaver Code of Conduct.  

What work does Zay do in Myanmar?

We support all of our weavers (mostly women) to be able to work from their homes with sustainable incomes. On top of wages, 5% of all profits are given directly to them. Every bag you buy will take us one step closer to being able to increase this amount to 10%.

Ma Thida is one of the first female rickshaw owners on the streets of Mandalay. Zay provided her the funding to do this, including the driving and map reading training she needed.

We also work with a Mandalay Buddhist monastery to provide financial support to a group of over 50 vulnerable girls, mostly from Northern Shan. Their circumstances have arisen from poverty, or seeking safety from living near civil war boarders. Zay pays for weekly doctor's visits, and any medicines required. We have a committed and long-term relationship with these girls and their caregivers.

Our weavers receive between 20-50% more working with Zay, than if they sold on the streets directly or to local wholesalers.

How do I become a wholesale stockist?

Get in touch by filling in our contact form. All the information you need is on our Wholesale page. 

Check out our current stockists here.

How do I make an order?

Click on the bag of your choice and add it to your cart. Head to your shopping cart to change quantities and checkout.

What are your payment options?

When you checkout you are directed to our Shopify secure payment gateway where you can enter your details safely.

Payment Options

Pay by Credit Card, Paypal, or Afterpay. Credit Card and Afterpay transactions are processed immediately and in most cases your order will be shipped on the same or next working day. Paypal may take an extra day for the payment to clear.

 

How much is shipping?

Delivery & Tracking (all shipping quoted in NZ$)

FREE shipping to New Zealand for purchases over $89. New Zealand-wide delivery $7.99.

FREE shipping to Australia for purchases over $180. Australia-wide delivery $30 (untracked), or $40 (tracked).

What if my order is wrong, lost or damaged?

We’ll always do our best to make sure our customers are happy, and will rectify any errors to ensure you get the correct order. Please check out our Returns Policy.

You can contact us to discuss any problems directly - email nicola@zay.nz  

How long will my order take to arrive?

Orders will arrive between 1- 7 days depending on the delivery option you choose and the day you ordered. Currently there are no weekend courier runs, so if you order Thursday night or Friday, your order will arrive Monday.

Please check your track and trace first, and give your parcel 5 days before contacting us about your order. Rural packages usually take 1 extra day.

A product is 'Currently Out of Stock' or has disappeared from the site. How long until it's available again? 

We are constantly changing our colour combinations so often once something is sold out there are no more in that range! However, if you are after something in particular, please contact us.

My question isn't answered here, what should I do now?

Contact us, we'd love to help you out.