Sustainability Goals
I had such high hopes in the materials and processes I could use to make as sustainable products as possible right out the gate. But starting the business was going to fail if I took that route. It’s just too expensive. I hate it, and feel quite bitter at the number of obstacles faced in trying to be careful about how and where things are made.
I can’t change those facts, but I can do what is within my means, where I can. I’ve made the choice to compromise and improve my systems as I scale up and get the resources to do better. I want to be transparent about this process and to share the struggles and successes of reconsidering how to create and consume.
Current challenge
I was very naïve when I first set out to design products. I would ‘just’ use sustainable materials and replace plastics as much as possible, right? What a shock (sarcasm) that it’s more complex than that.
From the synthetics of the dyes used to the challenges of production with natural materials, and difficulty in accessing alternatives, every little part of production of every piece of material carries pros and cons. Not to mention the compromises: what is less resource intensive versus what people want to buy, or the tradeoff between making things in-house that takes up more resources, or having third party make it more sustainably.
How do we decide? I don’t know how others do it, but I’ve decided to start with what I can feasibly make better, and make plans for improving from here.
Current wins
Small gains grow over time! Here’s some first steps I’ve taken.
Cotton & silk stitching where I can (not embroidery, yet)
Natural fiber for patterned fabric
Cotton rag or recycled paper for prints
Transitioning to wood block instead of lino
Eco blocks instead of synthetic rubber for printmaking
Recyclable packaging
Goals for the future
I have big plans (who doesn’t?) but here are a first few replacements I’d like to make:
Re-source synthetic fibers
Is it better to buy dead stock (leftover material from fast fashion that usually ends up in landfills) or use recycled polyester? I’ll find out and change to a better material source.
Design natural fiber products
I want to make an line of 100% natural fiber materials and make it as cool looking as possible.
Find a carbon neutral business space
I’d prefer to operate off renewable energy. I’d like to find (and afford!) a space that allows this.
Fantastic finds
Ready to find some goods?
Check out the creations page for current products and where they’re sold. Please reach out if you have any special requests or questions