Sustainability
As a responsible business owner, I am committed to making my business as eco-friendly as possible. One way I am working towards this goal is by transitioning to sustainable packaging. I want to use recyclable, biodegradable, or compostable packaging whenever possible. I am currently using up my current packaging and stationery while I research suppliers and transition to using sustainable materials.
In the future, I plan to use paper and card gift boxes and bags that are labelled FSC®. The FSC mark guarantees that all materials come from an FSC Forest, where no more wood is cut down than the forest can reproduce. This is just one of the ways I am working to make my handcrafted jewellery business more sustainable!
Here is a list of the recyclable, biodegradable, and compostable items in my current packaging:-
Recyclable items
- Business card-sized white earrings cards are made from cotton t-shirts. These can be recycled.
- The white and brown postal box is recyclable, along with the round logo sticker.
- Tissue paper can be recycled in some areas, please check with your local recycling centre.
Biodegradable and compostable items
- Occasionally, my earrings are packed in a clear bag, which is labelled as biodegradable & compostable.
- The small round 38mm diameter Pink Lime Mango stickers, which have a matt finish, are biodegradable and compostable.
- The large round Pink Lime Mango label (which seals the outer postal box) is recyclable, biodegradable and compostable.
Non-recyclable items
- Small square gift box - there are still a few of these remaining while I move to new fully recyclable gift boxes. Please reuse this white box to store your earrings in or reuse it for someone else’s gift. (The old white boxes had a plastic coating and a foam insert which are non-recyclable)
- Postcard size earring backing card is non-recyclable due to the soft touch finish. Please keep them to store earrings on and for referring to care instructions. However, I have made them dual-purpose (storage use and care instructions) and double-sided to save paper.
- Mini rectangular cards with a laminate finish are non-recyclable - keep them to use for storing your stud earrings.
- Small square pink thank you cards are non-recyclable. These are gradually being phased out and replaced with plantable seed cards.
Click the badge below to read about the Sustainable Impact Champion award I won!
As part of my Sustainable Impact Champion accreditation, I was required to produce an impact report. This included:-
- Sustainability Assessments
- Identify areas of improvement
- Research ethical and local suppliers
- Provide a summary of meeting sustainable business owners
- Outline my strategy to reduce waste within my business
- Promote equality and equal opportunities through my growth plans
- Demonstrate my understanding of clean energy
- Say how I will promote ethical values across my website and social media
- Pledge to commit to reviewing my sustainability plan every 12 months
Here are checklists of steps I am working on from 7th Oct 2022 - 7th Oct 2023*
*UPDATE FROM OCT 2023 I’m continuing with this strategy and also working towards only using recycled silver to finish my jewellery.