As we progress into a society that is more conscious of the impact of our everyday purchases, companies like Made Trade make it easier for us to shop.
Weddings and a new home are two big life events that involve lots of new purchases. This is why Made Trade created a registry option for those looking for long-lasting and high-quality products. Working with brands around the world who focuses on one or more of Made Trade’s core values, they are able to offer a wide range of products from men and women’s clothing to kitchen goods, lighting, and furniture.
We interviewed the Cayley Pater and the Made Trade team about their wedding registry, their “Why?” and living a sustainable lifestyle.
Made Trade’s seven core values:
- Fairtrade
- Heritage
- Made in the USA
- People of color owned
- Sustainable
- Vegan
- Women Owned
Although the number one step towards sustainability is to reduce buying, when we do feel the need to buy something new, we can choose to support companies like Made Trade that are not only selling sustainable products but also contributing to sustainability programs like 1% for the Planet. As a member of the program, 1% of revenue is donated to the non-profit organization which then ensures your contribution is distributed to environmental nonprofits around the world.
How do you discover ethical brands?
All kinds of ways! We started Made Trade in 2018 with many ethical brands we already knew from the many years we spent working in the conscious consumerism and ethical fashion space. With so many amazing ethical and sustainable products popping up all the time, we make it a priority to visit trade shows in various parts of the U.S. and this is often where we discover emerging brands and independent designers. And then, of course, we discover new brands organically either online, by brands reaching out directly to us and often through customer recommendations!
What does transparency mean to you?
Each brand we carry goes through an application process so that we can fully understand their values, labor practices, and responsible sourcing methods. What makes a brand ethical and/or sustainable really depends on a lot of factors, such as the raw materials available in the region where they operate, or the traditional techniques they may be working to preserve in a particular part of the world. Our goal is to vet each product we carry to make sure the makers and artisans are paid fairly for their work, and the materials used are as earth-friendly as possible — and to make that information readily available to our customers so they can shop with full transparency.
What do you think the biggest sustainability issue is when it comes to large events?
There are a lot of sustainability factors to consider when hosting a large event from travel there and back to the trash that is created. As air travel is one of the single largest contributors to carbon emissions, this would be the biggest factor to consider when planning to host or attend a large event.
How can someone planning a wedding reduce their carbon footprint?
If someone is looking to minimize the carbon footprint of their wedding, we’d suggest choosing used, rented, and earth-friendly items as much as possible, and think ahead of time about how you can repurpose the products after the event. For example, think about renting a wedding dress instead of buying one, or not serving meat and opting for vegetarian or vegan options instead, as the meat industry is one of the biggest carbon-emitting industries. We’d also recommend thinking about ways to minimize air travel by possibly having a wedding close to where the majority of family and friends are living, rather than a destination wedding.
How did you come up with the idea of a sustainable registry?
Oftentimes when people are getting married, they want to invest in really special products for their home to start their new life together, and finding beautiful, high-quality goods that are made responsibly can be really hard to find, which is why we created Made Trade in the first place! Over the past year, we had more and more customers asking us for a Registry, and we knew that there haven’t been many great resources online, at least in the U.S., so we set out to create a Registry that could meet both the values and taste of conscious consumers who love design.
Why is it important to you that there is an ethical and sustainable registry?
An occasion like a wedding is an incredibly special opportunity for couples to carefully select items to start building their life and home together. And for couples who want to fill their home with goods that match their values, using an ethical and sustainable registry can be a wonderful way to do so!
What are the top items added into Made Trade registries?
What are 3 easy tips for someone to be sustainable?
1. First, pick an area of your life to focus on when you’re just starting out. Maybe it’s your home energy use — as bulbs burn out switch to LEDs or contribute to renewable energy offset programs offered by your utility company. Or if you have to commute for work consider using public transit, biking, or if you can work from home one day a week.
And when it’s time to replace something that breaks, or when you need to add a new item to your life, think long and hard about if you really need it or not. If you do need to purchase it, consider choosing an item that was not mass-produced, that was made with sustainable materials, and positively impacts the lives of the maker. And then just go from there!
Sustainable living encompasses every aspect of our lives, so take it slow and ask questions like:
How was this made?
Was the maker paid a living wage?
Are the materials used sustainable and have a minimal impact on the planet?
Soon you’ll be a thoughtful consumer making choices that put people and the planet first!
2. Choose fewer, better things to bring into your home and wardrobe. Think about quality over quantity, because products that last longer require fewer resources and will result in less waste.
3. Think multi-use before single-use. Small choices, like choosing reusable rags over paper towels at home or bringing reusable water bottles, bags, and coffee cups with you when you’re away from home, can be positive impact choices that add up over time.
Remember, sustainable living is not all or nothing — we need everyone to do as much as they can, rather than a small number of people doing it “perfectly.”