Maker engagement
Our offices are physical manifestations of our marketplace. They are tastefully furnished and decorated with handcrafted items sourced from the sellers and makers in our marketplace. We celebrate occasions to partner with sellers, turning our offices into unique expressions of our company values. These partnerships are rooted in mutual respect and a shared passion for craft, design, and sustainability.
In early 2016 Etsy is moving to a new headquarters (don’t worry, we’ll still be on our home turf in Brooklyn). Our new building will be a part of the fully regenerative ecosystem we are working to create. This means ensuring all of the items we bring into the office are made as holistically and sustainably as possible, from our HVAC system to the glue used in our furniture.
Moving our headquarters is a special opportunity to connect local furniture makers with sustainability organizations like the Forest Stewardship Council and the International Living Future Institute, to create tools that advance the possibilities for handmade, sustainable furniture. This collective is at the beginning of their process, yet are already inspired by the excitement and collaboration coming from the group. By joining together, our furniture makers are able to learn best practices from each other and from sustainability experts, who in turn are gaining insight into working with small businesses.
Multistakeholder partnerships like these allow us to break new ground, find deeper connections, build stronger businesses, and create a better world together.
Using materials mindfully
We strive to understand the impact of all our business decisions, including the everyday materials we use. Our Brand Design team creates Etsy’s functional, promotional, and marketing materials—from tote bags to large trade show displays.
In accordance with our values, the team challenges themselves to approach each project with sustainability in mind. They consider the materials, manufacturing processes, and the life cycles of each item they produce, arriving at an eco-conscious low-impact design that is elegant and beautiful.
They use 100% post-consumer recycled and chlorine-free paper for the majority of printed materials in the U.S., and 100% post-industrial recycled and formaldehyde-free MDF wood for packaging and build-outs. The team also accounts for the environmental impact of shipping. When possible they produce materials locally, minimizing the distance between maker and end user.
They build for the long term by making sure products are durable and can be used for multiple projects (rather than single-use or disposable items). The team also creatively repurpose and reconfigure items whenever possible, to avoid creating materials from scratch.
Closer look: the Sell on Etsy Reader
Over a quarter of Etsy sellers take payments at craft fairs and at other in-person events using credit card readers. To meet this demand, we created a payments product that syncs with the sellers’ Etsy shops, helping them manage inventory and promote their brand. We hoped this product would also encourage sellers who don’t yet sell in-person to take the leap.
Through multiple rounds of prototyping, we created a credit card reader and adjoining packaging that is economical, useful, and thoughtful. The reader sits snugly inside a wooden block that doubles as a table sign base and a carrier for the reader. We intentionally designed the block to be customizable, so the seller could make it their own.
Never missing an opportunity to express our values, the team worked to maximize the sustainability of each element of the packaging. The CNC-milled wooden block is locally produced by Leelabs, just two blocks away from our Brooklyn headquarters. The wood is composed of post-industrial re-consumer waste from lumber yards, and is formaldehyde-free. The instruction cards are printed with soy ink on post-consumer paper by Prestone Printing in Long Island City, New York. The rubber band is produced by Arkansas-based Alliance Rubber, an independent, women-owned small business.
Makers matters
Our impact doesn’t start and stop with the transactions on our marketplace. The materials and processes with which the goods in our marketplace are made are fundamental to the long term sustainability of our community and business.
As part of their work to support connected supply chains, Maker Specialists in the Responsible Seller Growth team produce an internal presentation series called "Makers Matters." These presentations dive deeply into the materials, processes, and social organization behind the goods we love. To date, the team has investigated topics like the origins of textiles, the mining of precious metals, the history of global embroidery techniques, the science of vitrification, and cutting-edge printing technologies.
With each in-depth look into a facet of production, the team highlights the opportunities to better harmonize challenges of production with benefits to people and planet. The presentations enhance employees’ appreciation of the makers, materials, and processes behind the products that fill our lives with so much meaning.