Being Sustainable and Eco-Friendly in Business
It’s getting easier to be green!
A zero-waste colleague once said that being sustainable, eco-friendly, and zero-waste is a process not an immediate shift. So long as we’re taking steps to get there each day, we shouldn’t feel shame that we’re not spot-on.
For it to truly happen, new habits have to form and options must be available for us to replace products or processes that we’re trying to rid ourselves of.
As we now enter an age of higher environmental consciousness, eco-friendly options and vendors are becoming more available and financially accessible which allow us to re-evaluate our choices and make better ones.
My sustainable and eco-friendly values
While I’m not perfect at it, sustainability and being eco-friendly have always been an important personal value and goal of mine since I was young; Reduce, reuse, recycle, repurpose, and recover.
Now that I’m a business owner, it’s more important I align my business practices with that same moral compass in order to build something that is valuable and sustainable – both literally and figuratively. That’s why I am constantly re-evaluating my options and choices in both product and packaging.
To put it on record for my customers, stockists, and myself, I thought I’d provide a snapshot of eco-friendly steps I’ve taken in my business and outline future steps I will take in order to get a little greener every day.
As of 2019…
Recycled
FSC-certified or recycled paper are used for all of my cards, envelopes, and promo material.
Glassine envelopes are used to package my stickers. They’re not waxed or chemically-finished during manufacturing which means, they’re fully recyclable, compostable and biodegradable.
Eco-friendly mailers and boxes are used if there’s nothing available to reuse.
Reused / Repurposed
75% of packaging material and boxes/envelopes from my manufacturers are saved and reused to ship to my own retailers and customers. The remainder are recycled or repurposed.
Reduced
Backing card on retail packaged stickers were converted to header cards, reducing paper used in printing by approx. 50%. Stickers sold from my online shops aren’t packaged in a hang bag at all.
Natural Kraft stickers are used to seal envelopes and packaging. They’re created without the use of bleach and chemicals.
Recovered
Products with aesthetic flaws are sold at a heavy discount to avoid the recycling bin or landfill.
Collaborations & Partnerships
In 2019, I worked with, or donated funds to, organizations that have a positive impact in our communities. Read more about my partners and collaborators.
Looking ahead…
In addition to my 2019 efforts, I will be implementing the following in 2020:
I will go “naked”
By participating in the Naked Card pledge, my cards will no longer be packaged in a cello sleeve as of the summer 2020 – if not sooner. Instead, those will be replaced with an eco-friendly removable sticker that will keep the card and envelope together without covering the design of the card.
I will resource new eco-friendly products
I will resource and add eco-friendly products to the mix, offering more value, function, and a better end-of-life outcome. If you have any suggestions on what you’d like to see, please share in a comment below.
I will research new eco-friendly manufacturers
I will be researching new manufacturers that might be able to produce products closer to my home (reducing carbon emissions) or offer more eco-friendly options, whether it be packaging or product.
I will continue to refine my packaging to be more eco-friendly
I will be continuing to improve & redesign my packaging to offer the least waste or the most environmentally friendly disposal. For example, return address labels (and all of the wasteful backing paper) will be replaced with an eco-friendly stamp. Or, if hang bags are required for any reason, they will be vegetable-based and certified compostable. This will be stated on the header card.
How are you being more eco-friendly in 2020? Do you have a favourite eco-friendly product? Or a manufacturer you like to purchase from? Please share in a comment below.
