If we approach our business the same way we make our art, what would it look like? When making an item we apply our learned expertise, inspiration, skill and our love into the creative process: why not implement those practices in designing our own business? As Etsy sellers we create our own business plans based on our personal values, goals, and plans for the future. This idea has lead team members on the Trashion and EcoEtsy Teams to institute green businesses.

[Recycled Circuit Board Clipboard by DebbyAremDesigns]

Creating a green business from the ground up can be an exhilarating and daunting process — especially a wee e-business operated out of your living room. So, what do you need to build a green e-business?  Like the first step in every work of art, you need inspiration plus materials.  Then you need to apply your social and environmental ethics to those materials. Craft using sustainable materials and reuse and upcycle wherever possible. Design for reutilization, such as recycling or composting.  Price your product so that you earn a living wage.

In product presentation and packaging, minimizing excess and reusing is key. A clever way LostandFoundObjects2 approaches this is by using recycled cardboard for her business cards, jewelry holders, and tags. RePlayGround added another upcycling twist by using credit cards as her jewelry holders,  as seen below.

Once you've made a great product in eco-chic packaging, it’s time to get it to the customer. Whenever possible, sell locally and meet your buyer to do your exchange. When shipping, reuse boxes and envelopes. If you can't use your own recycled materials, consider using Cradle to Cradle certified packaging like the USPS priority mail envelopes and shipping boxes. Include directions on how to recycle the packaging you use. 

All you need to ship from home is a scale, a printer and a PayPal account. According to anniessweatshop, "Some bonus features of shipping from home is that it makes the accounting easier since it's all in PayPal.  Plus, it's more efficient since the postal carrier comes to my house everyday anyways."

Design a label or stamp to affix to packages that announces your eco practices. For example, Annie likes to include, "Annie's Sweatshop reuses packaging creatively" on her packages. Remember something as simple as swapping plastic for gummed tape can make a profound difference.

Get noticed! E-marketing is a great way to stay green. Promote on blogs (especially local ones), Facebook, Flickr, Ning social networks, and the Etsy Forums. Encourage communications by email and Etsy convo. Read messages onscreen to determine whether it's necessary to print them. Approach promotional materials with the same creativity and conscience you use for your product!
 
Next step: greenify your workspace by being more energy efficient. Remember, most studio upgrades can be tax deductable! A simple starting place is switching to electricity supplied by renewable energy sources. Also, remember to power down: power strips and smart strips assist in keeping down phantom energy use. Use rechargeable batteries, compact florescent bulbs (CFLs) and LED lighting. Recycle electronics you’re not using. Consider a green computer.

Educate yourself. This article is just a primer to get your toes wet. Wander through the resources listed here, and find your own flow. Share your ideas in the comments below!

Be a resource. Find a way to give back your inspiration, skill, or finacial support. EcoEtsy is a community of Etsy sellers developing sustainable businesses. Trillium Artisans is an incredible resource for crafters in the Portland, Oregon area. "This is a really exciting time" said Trashion and EcoEtsy team members EyePopArt and Amanda. "Our nonprofit has been working since 1999 on helping low-income crafters build green businesses. We're thrilled to see how Etsy can make a dramatic difference in our artisans' lives. Right now our focus is on assisting artisans in developing internet and technical skills so they can make more money selling online — which means we're working on our collective Etsy shop AND working with our members on building their own shops, blogs, and websites."

"I feel very strongly about using 'green' business to give back," said JesseDanger. "The jewelry I sell is made from 100% recycled silver.  Although I'm using recycled material, I am fully aware that precious metals like silver, gold and platinum are finite materials." (See an example of her work at right.)

Jesse donates 5% of her profits to Earthworks, a nonprofit organization that regulates mining worldwide. Jesse acknowledges that the jewelry “industry has a lot of dark and dirty secrets." This is a way that she can “actively do (her) part to move things in a better direction.”

We have the power to change the world though what we make, how we sell it, and how we choose to conduct business. The tides are changing. Let’s make green selling a part of our sustainable life.

Further Resources:
Earth911.org
Treehugger.com
GreenLivingIdeas.com
Greenbiz.com
Cradle to Cradle Community Forum
TrilliumArtisans.org
Find sustainable power for your area
Info on Renewable Devices
Recycle your Electronic Devices
US resources for Recycling EIAE.org
Find out information on the lifecycle of electronics at ECyclingTools.com
Green Computer Resources 
Green Computer

Drew Raine is a maker. She is currently making hoods from upcycled wool which she sells in her Etsy shop fairytalefibers.  Her sense of connectedness, eco ethics, and social responsibility are rooted in her family. Drew is a proud member of the Etsy Trashion Street Team. She contributes to their team blog and co-curates their team shop, etsytrashion. When she is not busy making hats, tending her Etsy shop or talking up the Trashion team, she is playing with her family in Portland, Oregon. She has crocheted for coffee in the past, and will most likely do so again.