What Sustainability Means to Me
6 Sustainability Guidelines I Follow
Ethical Sourcing
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Buy directly from artisans / artisan groups or vetted partners
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Wages set by artisans or vetted partners
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Know who makes my products (in most cases either me or my partners know the artisan name) - simple supply chain
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Handmade, "slow", "small batch" products
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Fewer products made, less over-production
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Less waste (e.g., water, textile) and more control over how waste, if any, is handled
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More energy-efficient
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Reduced negative environmental impact
Comfortable, home-based work
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Work done in the comfort of homes/in-house rather than in factories.
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This allows artisans, especially the women to spend more time with their families and earn a good wage without having to leave their villages.
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Supports the local economy and allows women to work.
Eco-friendly packaging
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Recyled sari pouches and bags for packaging some items, e.g. sari necklaces
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Glassine bags for protection
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Hope to move to completely biodegradable mailers
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Minimal packaging
Use of Recycled Products
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Keep old materials in circulation and for as long as possible and out of landfills
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Create additional sources of income for lower income people (e.g., my silk sari necklaces and scarves pass through many stages of production and reuse, creating opportunity for income generation at every stage)
Natural Fibers
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I use all natural fbers - silk, cotton and wool
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Most of the cotton is handwoven, some is both handspun and handwoven - khadi cotton
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Some of the silk is handwoven
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Some "peace" silk - hope to get more of this
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Organic, pest-resistant, entirely rain-fed kala cotton
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supports farmers, dyers, spinners weavers across the supply chain​
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employs women for hand-spinning
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