We live in uncertain times, our planet has been pushed to the brink by our wasteful, instant gratification seeking and almost narcissistic ways. We can't seem to see past what we want and need right now to see that all of these choices we make are literally killing us. The oceans are pretty much drowning in microplastics and trash, the reefs are dying, landfills are overfull, and this planet is steadily getting hotter every year
No singel person, no matter how wealthy they may be or how passionate, and no company is going to be able to take care of this on their own. We got to this point together, the only way we even begin to try to fix it is the same way. Together.
We need to each do the norm, like recycle, try to reuse things, take your own cup into the coffee shop instead of taking a paper one. Carrry some travel silverware or a set of chopsticks with you in case you eat at a place that only offers plastic utensils. There is something in your life, a thing you do every day that offers a perfect opportunity to do something wonderful for mother earth,
For me, that thing was packaging. my orders were literally heaps of future garbage that I was putting out into the world. Let's face it, I am excited each time i make a sale, so I was basically celebrating the fact that I was just shoving more trash out the door. There must be something I could do about it. I did some research, The first thing i did was ditch the stickers. I know... they are so cute, and everyone must love them, right? Well, can I tell you the truth? If I wouldn't have been turning right around and putting them in with mine to eventually go out in one of my packages, I probably would have thrown them away, just sayin,It's unnecessary clutter, and let's face it, I stopped putting stickers on everhything... Oh probably... 30 years ago. Put away your calculators. Do it.
After ditching all the little add ons that I deemed frivolous, it was time to do away with the poly mailers. I replaced them with compostable mailers made from corn. YOU BURY THEM IN YOUR GARDEN AND THEY FEED YOUR PLANTS!!! Omg how awesome is that?! And, in the very likely event that someone throws it away? It's just going to decompose anyway, even without a plant to feed. No harm no foul. I pretty much just saved them from doing something bad, and they don't even know it. The kicker is, they are not too much more expensive than the other mailers. So really, what's the excuse? Just do the thing already.
This satisfied me for a bit, but I was on a roll, there had to be other things, right? Then it came to me. I went and dug out some inexpensive cotton totes left over from when I was learning to dye, If i remembered correctly they were like a $1,50 each. Thats not terrible, I bet I was paying about that anyway in ribbon, tissue paper, cellophane bags and... yes... stickers.
Thats when my thing was truly born. Those blank bags take up the extra space in my dye baths, so they get some voodoo rainbow love and i don't spend extra time or money on making them. I wrap each purchase as I would wrap a gift in a dyed, one-of-a-kind cotton tote bag,I tie a jute ribbon around it, I use garden weight twine and enough of it to secure one large plant to a stake. (Just one of the many things you can do with a decent length of heavy twine).
I print packing slips and care information on recycled paper that is minimally processed so that it is easy to recycle again, after you let the kids draw on the backs that is, or maybe you use it for a grocery list. So many things you can do with a blank sheet of paper.
Finally, all the paperwork goes into a business size brown Kraft envelope. I do not mark this envelope at all with the exception of the generic mandala stamp I use to make it look nicer, I use sepia ink, so it's nice and subtle, and I do not spend the seal on the envelope, that way, my customer has a high-quality nice-looking envelope to use next time they need to mail something. Have we wasted anything yet? NOPE!
I bet you are wondering if I had to raise my prices because of this practice. I have to admit, I considered it. Those orders of 100 bags get a bit daunting at times... but in the end, I didn't. I decided that if my awesome customers follow my lead and use my packaging as intended, that would be compensation enough for me.
I have been putting this practice to work for over a year now, and I never doubt that i made the right decision. I know some people are really taking my idea and running with it, using the materials in new ways all the time. I get reports of my bags in grocery stores as trick or treat bags, and as purses. I see them all the time at live events I do around Kansas City, and I know for a fact that at least one purchase was made from my shop mainly because the customer was one bag short of being full tie dye on her weekly grocery trips and that just wouldn't do.
I hope this gave you an idea or two or inspired you to see what fits in with your everyday. If you have any questions for me at all, I'm around!
Thanks for reading!
-Kat (Artist/Owner Voodoo Hippie Girl