Sustainablity
I am incredibly passionate about the environment and the affect we all have on it.
This is why I have made a pledge to use recycled, sustainable, and eco-friendly products throughout the store in order to reduce my environmental impact. I believe that every little bit helps and even as a small business, I can make steps in the right direction to make a difference in the world. I also work hard to ensure that the companies I source my products and packaging through are sustainable themselves.
For more information on being eco-friendly as a small business, check out my Eco-Friendly Resources for Your Small Art Businesses! blog post!
Every Order plants a Tree!
As of April 2021, I have partnered with an organization that helps businesses big and small reduce their carbon footprint and combat the effects of climate change.
TreeEra, is a membership based tree planting company and with every order placed in my shop, they will plant one tree.
There's no extra step for you and no extra cost - just the good feeling that knowing your purchase supports the planet we call home.
How my products are shipped:
Almost every bit of my packaging material is eco-friendly - and is biodegradable, compostable, recycled and/or recyclable with very few exceptions. Read on for more information on how your orders are packaged in a sustainable way.
Stickers & Sticker Sheets
Stickers & sticker sheets are packaged in eco-friendly glassine bags (a 100% recyclable and biodegradable material). Sticker sheets may also be pre-bagged in biodegradable or compostable cello bags.
For shipping, sticker orders have chipboard or recycled cardboard to protect stickers from damage during shipping.
Enamel Pins & Acrylic Pins
I now ship all orders with enamel pins in cardboard boxes to offer more rigid protection during transit.
Small Items
Items such as keychains and lanyards are wrapped in paper bags and placed inside either a cardboard mailer or kraft mailer - both of which can be recycled.
Keychains may arrive little cellophane bags. These bags are from my manufacturer and to avoid excess waste, I keep keychains in them for shipping. (These cello bags are recyclable at grocery stores that accept plastic bags).
Apparel / Print-On-Demand Items
Some items in my shop are made by a third-party fulfillment center.
I have no control over the shipping materials they use for these packages - but they have been improving their implementation of more eco-friendly packaging.
These items are marked in the shop and may arrive in cello bags and/or soft mailers that can be recycled at your local grocery store.
Why do I chose to print via third-party?
A lot of waste in landfills is from the textile industry.
By using a third-party, my apparel items are made to order - reducing waste and energy consumption by only production what's needed (instead of producing a bulk amount that may sit around and collect dust in my house that is too small).
The apparel brand I've chosen for my t-shrits is Bella+Canvas.
They are a t-shirt supplier known for their commitment to sustainable & renewable practices.
Packaging Materials:
All of the packaging and shipping materials I purchase are recyclable, biodegradable, or home compostable. I also reuse/upcycle all packaging materials from items shipped to my home (boxes, bubble wrap, air bags, wrapping paper, etc) - please pay it forward and recycle your packaging materials!
All orders now come with a Sustainability Info Card that explains how to properly dispose of the packing materials in your order!
Sustainable Mailers & Boxes
I primarily purchase and use the following types of mailers:
✦ Recycled Kraft Mailers from EcoEnclose
Made from 100% recycled content (90% post-consumer waste)
Curbside recyclable & naturally biodegradable
✦ Compostable Envelopes from The Better Packaging Co
Made with corn materials from corn not fit for consumption
Biodegradable & Certified Home Compostable
✦ Recycled Corrugated Boxes from EcoEnclose
100% recycled - they are made from 95% post-consumer content
Fully recyclable and biodegradable
✦ Cardboard Mailers from PaperMart
Fully recyclable and biodegradable
✦ Envelopes from LuxPaper
100% recyclable
Other Packaging Materials
- Glassine Bags - Fully recyclable, compostable and biodegradable.
- Kraft Pillow Boxes - Unbleached, Recyclable, Compostable, and made of Renewable resources
- Eco Compostable Cello Bags - made from 100% compostable materials
- Printed Packing Tape - 100% Recycled FSC, Water-Activated, and printed with soy-based inks.
- Zero Waste Shipping Labels - 100% recycled AND curbside recyclable labels and release paper.
- Plain Tissue Paper - acid-free and biodegradable
- Rigid Mailers - 100% recycled - they are made from 35%+ post-consumer content. 100% curbside recyclable
- Stamps - A reusable and more eco-friendlier option than stickers for customizing my mailers. Stamp ink pad is made with soy inks (from NoIssue).
- Cardboard Pads - I cut down and reuse cardboard I receive to help keep flat items from being damaged in transit.
- Shredded Cardboard Fill - Any cardboard I receive that is bent or damaged (and unsuitable to use as pads for flat items) is shredded into a cushioned fill to be used for larger packages.