Save the planet while you shop, and plant one tree with every FreshTrends purchase! Learn more below.
We all have a responsibility to the planet. She delivers us precious resources, and we have a responsibility to her and future generations to ensure that we can continue to enjoy her offerings. However, we are currently going through resources faster than they can be produced.
Sustainability is defined as “meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs,” according to the United Nations Brundtland Commission. Briefly, this means that we must find a way to preserve and protect the planet without foregoing economic and social needs. We must put into the planet what we take out of it.
Sustainability experts agree that all stakeholders—governments, businesses, and individuals—must take responsibility for their roles in climate change. We all have an impact on the environment, and in order to mitigate our negative impact, we must do what we can to offset our environmental footprint. At FreshTrends, we’re taking responsibility for our carbon footprint and helping our customers to take responsibility for theirs by partnering with Ecologi.
We are very excited about this partnership for a number of reasons, but the highest-ranking among them is that it allows us to take a meaningful step toward more sustainable business practices. Here’s why it’s important for companies and individuals to take responsibility for their environmental footprint, steps that you can take to be more sustainable in your daily life, and how you can help us by simply buying body jewelry.
Our Forest Now Has:
1000 Trees Planted
…and counting.
Thanks to the FreshTrends Community
Sustainability isn’t just an environmental cause. While preservation of resources is a huge goal of sustainability, the human factor is also a massive consideration.
Middle- and low-income communities across the world are the ones that are the biggest victims of climate change. Vulnerable communities are nearer to factories and waste treatment centers that emit toxic chemicals; low education rates lead to poor waste management practices that result in waste leaking into households and waterways; and many low- and middle-income countries leave their waste management to the private sector, causing dangerous working conditions for those who collect mismanaged waste. These are just a few of the massive hazards vulnerable communities face on a daily basis due to poor sustainability practices worldwide.
Furthermore, these problems only continue to escalate. While many western countries—namely EU member states—are currently implementing strategies for more stringent environmental regulation, other countries are more focused on their economic growth rather than their sustainability. This is leading to issues like exorbitant marine plastic waste, smog pollution rising to unsafe levels, and deforestation, among others.
While the situation may seem dire, many sustainability experts agree that we have time to reverse it. However, this will require companies, individuals, and governments to make an immediate and lasting commitment to the environment by taking responsibility for their impact.
Being truly sustainable, both as an individual and as a business, is not an easy task. Due to greenwashing—when a company or entity claims sustainable practices that aren’t actually beneficial—and the fact that there is no international sustainability regulation that consolidates best sustainability practices, confusion surrounding sustainability abounds. It can feel as though it’s the blind leading the blind as we all try to figure out what exactly sustainability means.
The good news is that there are plenty of science-backed sustainability entities out there, and while there is no set regulation surrounding sustainability, there are a few things that you can do that are proven to make a difference.
Reduce your plastic waste by bringing a reusable bag, supporting companies that limit their plastic packaging, and staying away from single-use items when you can.
Shop for gently used clothing rather than new clothing. The fashion industry is one of the top polluters, and that is largely due to fast fashion: the seasonal cycle of clothing that leads to new clothes being produced constantly. Rather than buying the hottest new clothing item, save some money and the environment by heading to the nearest consignment shop.
Use as little energy as you can. Turn off the AC and turn down your heat when you leave the house. Invest in energy-efficient light bulbs and appliances. Unplug your appliances when they aren’t being used. The energy industry is another top polluter, and reducing the energy that you use will help reduce your footprint and your energy bill.
Reduce the meat in your diet. You don’t have to become a vegetarian to save the planet, but reducing your meat intake can help. Big agriculture has a massive impact on climate change, and the meat industry is a big part of that. When you can, you should also support local farms and smaller suppliers that have less of an environmental impact.
Support businesses that keep sustainability in mind. Although individuals do have the power to make a difference when it comes to the environment, sustainability experts agree that it’s the producers that bear the brunt of the responsibility. In fact, legislative ideas like Extended Producer Responsibility—in which companies are held financially responsible for their environmental footprint—support this. As a consumer, you can encourage companies to make better environmental choices by supporting those who illustrate sustainable business models.
Here at FreshTrends, we understand our responsibility to the planet and the people who inhabit it. From the very beginning, we’ve ensured that our products are ethically sourced, that we use responsible packaging, and that we operate in a way that’s great for business and for our planet. Now, we’re excited to announce that we’re taking it another step further.
We’ve partnered with Ecologi, an environmental service that allows companies and individuals to take responsibility for their carbon footprints. Those who partner with Ecologi can purchase carbon reductions to help offset the amount of carbon that they produce. The funding from these carbon reductions supports a large number of projects designed to reduce carbon output worldwide. Projects include reforestation and providing more clean energy opportunities, especially in countries with few environmental regulations.
Additionally, Ecologi keeps another important resource in mind: humans. In every project, social responsibility is considered, and their projects employ locals and support the communities in which they take place.
Through our partnership with Ecologi, FreshTrends is able to plant one tree for every online purchase. This means that, when you get your brand new body jewelry piece, you’re also helping to restore forests in areas that are suffering from deforestation. Reforestation not only preserves the environment and helps with carbon reduction efforts, but it also resupplies much-needed resources for local communities, provides work to low-skilled workers, and encourages a return of local flora and fauna.
Shopping doesn’t have to be such a guilty pleasure. Do some good by shopping with FreshTrends.
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