Recycled Glass Fused Ceramics Blog by Paloma Pottery

Sustainable Connections is a Northwest Washington membership organization working to transform and model and economy built on sustainable practices. With nearly 700 members, Recycled Glass Fused Paloma Pottery is now a member of this young, yet powerful organization. I am excited to participate in their many programs to help businesses become increasingly sustainable. Working towards ZERO waste is one of their many programs and something that Paloma Pottery is already on the track of attaining. Read more on Paloma Pottery’s sustainable business practices.

Cradle to cradle packaging takes into consideration the source of the materials, the use of the packaging, the reuse of the packaging for other purposes, creating a longer life span to minimize waste.  Distant Village Packaging is a US based company that uses materials that are eco friendly, creates jobs in remote villages, provides fair wages and supports artisan workshops in these villages working towards a fair and conscious global economy.

Paloma Pottery is working directly with Distant Villages to create custom packaging that will add value to each gift purchase and tell a story of sustainability.

Recycling paper and buying recycled is strongly recommended by the EPA and the environmental community at large. Paper packaging alone creates major destruction in the forests, and each year 32% of the US domestic waste stream consists of containers and packaging. The Southern area of the US  produces nearly 25% of the world’s paper, and paper packaging is the number one paper product produced in this region.  All that destruction to produce packaging that often has a short life and limited use.

It seems just as easy to reuse packaging materials as it is to purchase new. Since Jan 2000 when Paloma Pottery was born, over 90% of packaging materials used have been collected from local business and the like.  Using new boxes made from recycled post consumer waste when necessary and all recycled packaging materials wherever possible keeps Paloma Pottery from producing more waste than necessary. Junk mail can be reused with in house printing. Even envelops included in junk mailings can also be reused – using the left over pieces of mailing labels to easily cover and label for new use.

Purchasing recycled products creates markets for the recovered materials used in these products. This action fosters sustainability and conserves natural resources and energy. In addition, purchasing recycled products promotes the continued manufacture of these products, thus completing the recycling loop. In general, recycled content products perform as well as their virgin counterparts. In some instances, they perform better. You do not need to compromise on quality to purchase recycled products.

If reduce, reuse, recycle is part of your philosophy you’ll appreciate the mission of Paloma Pottery and Glass to provide unique recycled products at affordable prices and create a socially responsible and sustainable business.

There are more than 4,500 products available with recycled content. The EPA recently published a report linking materials management, including recycling and waste management to a reduction in the country’s greenhouse gas emissions. As more companies demand these products, availability should increase.

As consumers become more aware of the environmental impacts of their actions and as they do more as individuals to help counteract the current problems, they expect more from businesses and the products they purchase. The environmental movement is powerful and whether you’re on it or not, the time has come for change. Just as there are no products containing CFC’s on the shelves of US stores today, retailers will have to make changes to remain competitive and sustain their business.

The time has come for the environment and conserving natural resources to be factored in to business decisions and is essential for a competitive economy in the 21^st century. There is no stopping an idea whose time has come. For example, when CFC’s were found to create holes in the ozone layer, businesses and consumers alike made changes to accommodate for the problems created. And today no business could thrive using CFC’s in their product. These we the beginnings of sustainable business practice. Environmental concerns must be factored into our business decisions in order to sustain and compete.

Many have realized that environmental conservation is good for the economy—and they’re taking action and seeing results. Today our environmental concerns are much larger than a single product such as CFC. As a result, innovation and technology is exploding with rich ideas and products for our selection. Green America and The National Green Pages™ is a directory listing nearly 3,000 businesses that have made firm commitments to sustainable, socially just principles, including the support of sweatshop-free labor, organic farms, fair trade, and cruelty-free products.

For every category of conventional consumer goods and services, there are green businesses that can meet your needs. With each purchase you make through the National Green Pages™, you know you’re supporting truly green businesses.

Paloma Pottery combines recycled glass and ceramics shown here in this image.

The environment and the economy go hand in hand. Natural resources provide us with water, energy and life giving forces that we are now incorporating into the bottom line equation. The “triple bottom line” takes into account the impact a business has in terms of social and environmental values along with financial returns. 
Whereas traditional models are all about profit; triple bottom line accounting recognizes that without happy, healthy people to staff a business and the natural environment able to sustain those people and supply resources for trade; business is, well, simply unsustainable in the long run. I believe that social responsibility in business is simply good practice and good business. At Paloma Pottery and Glass, we are dedicated to encouraging and following sustainable business models.