10 minute read

4 Tips for Sourcing Materials Responsibly

Do you know where the materials that you use to make your items come from? If you want materials that reflect your values, here's how to get started.

Avatar image for Will Pace by Will Pace
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When you are the creator behind an independent business, every decision you make helps strengthen your brand identity. From the packaging customers see when they open the box to the colors, textures and materials that make your items stand out, every element of the items you sell is unique because they’re chosen by you. Each of those decisions is also an opportunity to make environmentally- and socially-minded choice and create a business that reflects your personal values.

Finding and using responsibly-sourced materials might mean more work and expense for you, but it can also be an exciting opportunity to take more control of your process, to tell your unique story and run the kind of business you've always wanted. Buyers on Etsy want to know where and how their products are being made, and they appreciate when sellers provide that kind of information in the shopping experience. Also, many supplies sellers, on Etsy and elsewhere, are offering more information about where their materials come from and how they’re made. With the right planning, you can take greater control of your materials sourcing.

1. Decide What’s Important to You

Before you think about your supplies, reflect on the qualities that matter to you, your brand and your buyers. For example, have you considered the impact of your supplies on the environment? What about the working conditions under which they are being produced? How much information do your buyers expect you to know about each of the materials that make up your final product? Reflecting on these types of questions will help you prioritize the factors that are important to you as you make sourcing decisions.

A good starting point is to define what responsibility means to you and your business. If you're stuck, take a look at Etsy’s Ethical Expectations. While these guidelines were created for Etsy designers who work with outside manufacturers (at Etsy, we trust that sellers are making informed decisions about their manufacturing partnerships, including being knowledgeable about the production of their items and invested in the process), they can also be a resource when working with suppliers. Remember that this is a time for you to think not just about what your business currently is, but what you want it to be. Don't be afraid to be ambitious and bold when you’re asking yourself these questions.

Katey Rissi of Society of National Industry, a creative paper goods business from Seattle, Washington, takes social responsibility very seriously. When Katey and her business partner Chris Campbell started selling on Etsy in 2012, they decided that sustainable materials and socially-responsible processes would be at the core of their business. “There are a lot of reasons for someone to purchase a handmade product, and these reasons go hand in hand with why we strive to only use responsible materials in our work,” Katey says. “You can make ethical choices as a purchaser, but when you are actually making the products those choices are significantly magnified. For example, when we make the choice to use sustainable packaging for everything, that choice has larger impact than an individual wrapping a gift in the same sort of packaging. The scale is greater, so the impact is greater.”

2. Do Some Research

SewFineFabric thread on Etsy
Jodi Walter Jones sells more than 70 types of certified organic thread and yarn in her shop, SewFineFabric. Photo by SewFineFabric.

Now that you’ve identified your priorities, it’s time to dig in and do some research. Many people think this research is difficult and intimidating, but it doesn’t have to be. The creativity that you channel through your business can be easily applied here. Start by taking a holistic look at the lifecycle of your product and imagining each step of the process. Be honest with yourself about what you do and don’t know — this will help you identify areas of focus and opportunity. For example, do you know how the materials used to create the supplies you use are grown, processed and assembled? These processes often take place separately and in vastly different geographical locations. A simple cotton T-shirt, for example, can be broken down into the following processes: farming, ginning, spinning, knitting, finishing, cutting and sewing. Do you know where your cotton is grown and by whom? What types of processes do they use? Now that you’ve identified each steps of the process, you can begin to ask and research these questions.

For example, maybe one of your priorities is to transition from traditionally-grown cotton to organic cotton. Before making the change, make sure you have thoroughly researched the pros and cons of using organic cotton. Did you know that organic cotton greatly reduces the use of pesticides and fertilizer, while helping maintain soil fertility? These benefits come at a cost, though — organic materials are sometimes more expensive. All of the choices you make will have advantages and disadvantages like these. Thorough research can help identify these differences and guide you to the right decision for your business.

Jodi Walter Jones of Sew Fine Fabric, carries a wide variety of organic cotton in her supply shop. Sew Fine Fabric began when Jodi was having trouble sourcing sustainable textiles for her creative products in her rural community of Seville, Ohio. Wanting to be able to help others, she began focusing on offering supplies. She now provides textile supplies to makers around the world. “When you’re trying to be responsible with your material sourcing you need to get out there and take the time to research, research, research,” Jodi says. “My go-to for researching new products for my shop is, of course, the Internet. I seek out small companies and designers to work with that have a strong commitment to organic, earth-friendly inventory. Oftentimes, having a conversation with the designer or owner of the company helps me understand their passion and know if we would make a good fit. It’s important to make sure you are using the materials you would want to have in a product you would purchase.”

Understanding how your materials go from conception to completion is essential to making educated decisions. Sometimes your research may even change your opinion on a specific material and take your process in a new and exciting direction.

3. Create a Plan

SewFineFabric Feather Fabric on Etsy
On her listings and About page, Jodi emphasizes that all the fabric she sells is made of organic cotton. Photo by SewFineFabric.

Now that you’ve taken the time to think about what’s important to your brand and researched the materials and processes you identified, it’s time to make a plan and set both immediate and long-term goals. Be ambitious when you’re thinking about these goals, but be realistic when thinking about how long it will take you to achieve them. Always make sure that they align with what you identified as important to your business. It can seem challenging to achieve long-term goals, so set intermediate milestones so that you can reach the ambitious goal in achievable increments.

For example, what would your plan look like if you were going to transition from traditionally-grown cotton to organic? Where would you set each milestone? How long will it take to source new suppliers, learn to work with a new medium, produce products with this new supply and mitigate the extra cost organic cotton sometimes incurs? Setting a long-term timeline with incremental milestones will give you the flexibility to research production methods, find the right suppliers and grow your customer base.

“My first year was very difficult,” says Jodi. “I had to find my trusted sources, but over the years I’ve found who I can trust and who is consistent. It’s important to ask the hard questions before you make any decisions. The great part about some supplies, like organic fibers, is they are certified. Now you can get the paperwork saying how something was made.”

While you’re creating a plan with milestones and goals for your business over the long term, build in time for reflection and reassessment. Re-evaluate your plan at set increments and take into account your business's evolving priorities and products.

4. Implement Your Plan — and Tell Your Story

SocietyNatlIndustry Red Lamp on Etsy
Seen here: one of Society of National Industry's table lamps. "We try to maintain processes that are socially responsible and sustainable," writes Katey on her shop's About page, "which means buying environmentally friendly, sweatshop free supplies whenever possible, reusing materials, and using sustainable packaging." Photo by Society of National Industry.

Once you’ve made a plan, now it’s time to put it in motion. If you, say, set a milestone of understanding how an organic material will change the production methods for your products, now is the time to order samples, experiment, try new equipment and talk to other makers in the community. Starting this part of the process is exciting and rewarding, so take the time to enjoy it — this is what running a creative business is all about! Remember that making changes to your supplies can change your day-to-day routine in both small and far-ranging ways. Perhaps the new production method you are experimenting with will influence production costs. Be sure to factor these changes into your plan.

Along with implementing your new goals, don’t forget to update your About page and listings to include these changes. What you’re doing is challenging and complicated — shine a light on the thoughtfulness you’ve brought to these decisions. Many buyers appreciate the openness that you can bring to the supply chain. It’s a great way to engage with your buyers and social media followers.

“We try to explain our materials every opportunity we get,” says Katey. “Even if it’s a material that is familiar to people, it’s still great to remind them. It’s obvious for some things, but sometimes you can highlight the less obvious aspects. Like our use of high-pigmented paint so that we can use less paint. Cool process stories are really interesting to folks and help tell the story of responsible-supply sourcing.”

Integrating more of your brand values into the sourcing decisions you make is an exciting opportunity, but it's not without challenges. Being realistic about where you can start and celebrating your accomplishments as you go can make these challenges easier to overcome. With enough planning and patience, you can source supplies in a way that aligns with your values — and make running your creative business even more rewarding.

Avatar image for Will Pace Words by Will Pace

Will Pace is the manager of the Maker Specialist team at Etsy. The Maker Specialist team, made up of talented makers and industry leaders, strives to support responsible supply chains and values-aligned growth of Etsy's community of small businesses.

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