Etsy Insights: Small steps towards sustainability | Etsy Success

BelgianPaperworks · 2023-04-17T13:41:23.437000Z

Hi! I’m Anne and my shop is Belgianpaperworks, a shop focused on handmade luminaries for the holidays. Sustainability is a way of life at my home as well as in my business. My art is made from 100% sustainable papers, and my packaging and shipping materials are almost 100% sustainable. In my workshop, which is powered by 100% geothermal energy, nothing goes to waste: I use offcuts from one paper to create the small details I use in my other designs. In celebration of Earth Day, I’m sharing some ways you can incorporate sustainability into your shop. I hope you find them helpful! If an overall change to sustainable packaging materials seems daunting, start small. When made consistently, even incremental changes can add up to a significant impact you can feel proud of. For example, you may wish to switch to a recycled cardboard mailer, a glassine bag instead of clear poly, or even eco-friendly thermal shipping labels. For example, most recently, I wanted to move away from the single-use cellophane bags I had used to package my luminaries. I considered several options, including a compostable clear “plastic,” but in the end, I selected a beautiful glassine bag from EcoEnclose. It is thoughtfully constructed and quite elegant, and both compostable and curbside recyclable — perfect in every way! Not sure which products best suit your needs? Many eco-packaging companies will send you a generous free sample bundle, for which you may only pay a modest shipping fee. When it comes time to get your packages in the mail, consider arranging for your local carrier (I use USPS!) to collect packages at your door when they do your local mail delivery, it could mean one less car on the road, and it lets you concentrate on making the uniquely beautiful things you share with the world via Etsy. Incorporate a reusable item into your packaging. For example, a muslin bag might be used to protect your handmade products in shipping, and it can even be stamped with your logo for an additional branding opportunity! Look for packaging products printed with sustainable inks. Custom tissue and packing tape can be printed with soy inks on recyclable or compostable papers! I am currently designing a custom packaging tape for my shop, which will be compostable, recyclable, and printed with soy ink. Sustainability has also helped me attract new buyers and build brand loyalty with existing buyers. By offering sustainable products and packaging, I can connect with my buyers who are eco-savvy and actively seeking out businesses and products with low environmental impacts. Take advantage of your item descriptions, your shop’s about section, and social media to tell buyers a little about your values, your sustainable practices, and how they can participate, for example, by recycling or composting your packaging materials. What measures do you take to make your Etsy shop eco-friendly? I’d love to hear your ideas!

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