It’s wrong to say sustainability is a popular trend at the moment, but it certainly is a hot topic. More and more people are trying to adopt more eco-friendly habits, not just because it’s a ‘cool’ thing to do but for the sake of the environment. 

Sustainability is about society reconsidering the ways we live and changing our lifestyles to benefit the planet in a positive manner to reduce the damaging impact we are causing the world. From ditching single-use plastic and carrying a reusable water bottle in your bag, to limiting the number of flights a year and walking to work, these are all encouraging steps towards a greener future.

As awareness for how to be more sustainable increases, more businesses are taking action to support and advocate for the environment in some way or another. Every industry, unfortunately, contributes to growing emissions and excessive waste, including the jewellery sector. Here at VK Jewellery, our sustainability initiatives are just getting started — we’d like to bring you along for the journey and help you learn more about being eco-friendly.

The importance of sustainability

As a human race, we can’t continue to thrive unless we take action as a society. From the non-renewable sources used for energy, such as gas, oil and coal, and air pollution created by vehicles, to the products we buy, it seems almost everything has a somewhat negative impact on the environment.

It’s not just another buzzword — climate change and environmental problems are a serious issue. If we don’t change how we live now, the consequences are life-threatening to us and the millions of species existing on the planet. While this may seem like an all or nothing viewpoint, there’s no use sugarcoating the problem. The world we wake up to every day may soon experience animal extinction, a lack of essential resources and dangerous pollution.

Going forward, it’s important for everyone to do their bit. Whether that’s big or small, we can improve the health of the planet by making better decisions.  When it comes to shopping for a new piece of jewellery for an event, or a treat-yourself-moment, it’s always worthwhile checking the company’s stance on sustainability. Being authentic and transparent is key!

Why all businesses should embrace sustainability?

Individual action isn’t sustainable on its own, businesses have a responsibility to help reduce long-lasting environmental damage by reviewing its processes and adopting ethical practices. There are multiple ways that jewellery brands can contribute to eco-damage; making impactful changes may reduce carbon imprint and have a positive impact on business operations.

The oh-so-trendy younger generations — that’s Millennials and Gen Z — are more conscious than ever about the way they live and the products they purchase, meaning if you’re not speaking about important environmental issues, you’re missing a trick. Being active in the world of sustainability will set you apart from your competitors and help you attract more young talent. Lots of consumers are keen to shop from and work with brands that care about social issues!

Our sustainability mission

At VK Jewellery, we have recently partnered with JUST ONE Tree, a non-profit initiative aiming to help eliminate CO2 from the atmosphere and reverse biodiversity loss. Through our work with them we’ve planted 25 trees so far, removing approximately 308kgs of CO2 from the air. This is an exciting time for us as a brand, providing the opportunity to make positive change while simultaneously continuing what we do best: jewellery.

Our products are being stocked at Wolf & Badger; a multi-channel retailer known for its community of ethical and conscious companies — you can browse some of our vibrant pieces on their website. Where possible, Wolf & Badger stock sustainable jewellery brands that are locally produced in small production runs, by artisans or the designers themselves. The best part of this collaboration is seeing our handcrafted jewellery shared with like-minded individuals who also care about the future of the planet as much as we do at VK Jewellery. Our current endeavours are exciting and definitely a step forward in raising awareness around sustainability.