A RESPONSIBLE BRAND
THE PILLARS OF ARA
Ara the altar is founded on four core pillars —
I) RESPECT FOR THE EARTH & those who inhabit it
II) SLOW AND CIRCULAR approach to design, production & consumption
III) DESIGN FOR LONGEVITY not trend
IV) GENUINE ASSURANCES about where & how Ara products are made
A STATEMENT FROM LAUREN —
Living my personal life in a way that is mindful of my own impact on the environment, this awareness and approach are also intrinsic to Ara the altar as a responsible brand. My values concerning ethics and the environment inform every business decision. My aim is to provide assurance for like-minded individuals who are looking to make long lasting, purposeful purchases that strive for minimal impact on our only planet.
A key environmental issue that fuels me is the need to minimise waste and excess, and to promote a circular economy. Ara’s commitment to ethics and sustainability does not stop at the use of recycled precious metal or recycled packaging materials. Careful considerations are made at every step of the production process, and thereafter, to manage the entire journey of an Ara the altar piece.
Whilst I remain small in operational size I strive to make the most impactful decisions within my power. Here, I recognise that there will always be potential for improvement and, as I grow, I look forward to continuing to learn and to invest in greater improvements throughout my business.
When it comes to managing and reducing our environmental impact, we as humans are all in this together; the more we can do to share knowledge and support one another, the better. I am keen to provide a transparent operation; if you have any questions about my practices, or suggestions for considerations to further support my ethical and sustainable commitment, please do not hesitate to contact me - I would love to hear from you.
RECYCLED PRECIOUS METAL ONLY
I commit to using only 100% recycled precious metal to reduce waste, environmental impact and repurpose existing material into something beautiful, with a conscience. For longevity, all of my pieces are made from solid recycled silver or gold, never plated or gold filled. Upon reaching the end of its life, a piece of Ara adornment can be passed onto another or melted down to be repurposed again.
Ara does not support environmentally damaging practices that pull precious metal out of the earth. With plenty of material already in circulation, for me, there is no justification for contributing to the level of harm caused by the precious metal and mineral mining industry.
From an ethical standpoint I recognise the importance of Fairtrade and Fairmined certification mining to enable improved social conditions for workers. Yet, whilst contribution to the mining industry does not support my own values concerning waste reduction and the environment, I choose to commit to working with recycled precious metal only.
In addition to using only recycled precious metal in my own production practices, I also commit to using only recycled precious metal chains and findings (earring scrolls, earring posts and jump rings) to accompany my pieces. I personally do not feel comfortable with contradicting my fundamental values by supplying non-recycled chains or findings with my work. For this reason, finding the right suppliers and making many of my own findings increases both the time and monetary investments required when creating my collections; these choices make Ara the altar the responsible brand that I am proud to be developing.
ARA DOES NOT WORK WITH GEMSTONES
Similarly, when considering the clouded standards associated with the hugely destructive mineral mining industry, and the limited assurances offered by many suppliers, Ara the altar does not work with gemstones at present.
PURPOSEFUL PACKAGING
All elements of Ara packaging have a purpose and can be recycled or composted, including recycled tissue paper and hemp fibre grown in Yorkshire.
Accompanying cards are printed locally with vegetable ink on recycled card stock.
Every order is complemented with a dried flower, grown seasonally here in the UK.
I hand write a little note to accompany every order, using my fountain pen and natural, vegan ink.
ACCOMPANYING HEMP KEEPSAKE
For me, it feels counter intuitive to waste energy and resources creating packaging that would provide little value, use or longevity. Instead, I wanted to create a product that would be long-lasting and functional, in which to keep Ara pieces safe.
Every piece of Ara adornment is accompanied by a European hemp pocket, thoughtfully designed in house, with minimal waste & longevity in mind.
The purpose for this unique design was twofold; to produce minimal waste, and work effectively. The result was a little pocket that would not rely on a drawstring closure (which can add to material waste and often are not functional) with a design based on a simple, repeatable rectangle to ensure minimal fabric waste.
It was important that the production of the bags reflected the production of the pieces: slow. Every pocket is ethically made here in the UK, sewn with GOTS certified organic cotton thread, and powered by 100% renewable energy.
WHY HEMP?
Hemp is a regenerative, fast growing crop which does an incredible job of converting CO2 into oxygen, actually improving the soil in which it grows.
Hemp produces a strong fibre that can be grown without reliance on herbicides & pesticides, whilst using only 20% of the water required to produce cotton, making it kinder to both people and our planet.
Most hemp is grown in China but I choose to work with hemp fabric grown and woven in Europe, minimising carbon footprint. The fabric I use for Ara’s accompanying pockets and drawstring bags is an untreated cloth with a soft, linen feel.
WHY ORGANIC COTTON?
I chose to work organic cotton for its associated reduced environmental and social impacts including: avoiding the use of toxic pesticides responsible for poisoning wildlife, rivers, and killing an estimated 16,000 people every year; to meet biodegradability standards; to support the working condition requirements associated with GOTS certified organic textiles; and helping to lock CO2 into the soil (in turn, helping to mitigate climate change). For more information about the benefits of organic cotton you may wish to visit https://www.soilassociation.org/organic-living/fashion-textiles/organic-cotton/
SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTION
Considered Design | Adopting a slow approach, I design for longevity not trend. With minimal waste and a circular economy in mind.
Slow & Small | In hand with the slow fashion movement, for longevity and to minimise waste I make every piece to order, slowly by hand, in my workshop in North West England. Every product listing provides a guide of the timescale for production.
Recycling | Whilst I strive to produce minimal waste, to help me manage and monitor any waste as a result of my production, I operate a recycling system which I separate into three categories: paper and card waste for recycling; organic cotton or biodegradable waste for composting; and non-recyclable waste. The latter category might, for example, generate items such as plastic packaging from a tool purchase. Monitoring my waste in this way enables me to identify areas for improvement and to make more informed purchasing decisions in the future. Of course, I also recycle any precious metal scrap. This is particularly useful for my Molten collection which repurposes silver scrap from my workbench.
Vegan | I ensure that my own production process is vegan; I do not use industry standard polishing compounds that contain animal derivatives and I refrain from any items that contain beeswax, leather or rawhide throughout my production process. These non animal-friendly practices adopted by the industry are rarely exposed; there is seemingly little awareness of the use of animal products and skins in the jewellery industry. Whilst these items can be challenging to avoid, it was important for me to address this within my own production and I look forward to seeing improvements made within the industry to tackle this in the future as awareness grows.
Tools | I choose manufacturing tools that are primarily made from metal and wood, rather than plastic. Where some of my tools do have plastic elements, these purchasing decisions are not made lightly. For example, to offer a vegan production process, I choose to use a UK made wooden and metal mallet that has nylon faces, rather than a wooden mallet with a rawhide head, from an unknown origin. Whilst I do have some tools that have plastic components (e.g. pliers etc.) I use them where alternatives are not available to me and such pieces have a long-life expectancy.
CONSIDERATE SUPPLIERS
Whilst I aim to undertake as much as possible in house, where I do need to work with suppliers, I choose those who demonstrate a commitment to sustainability, ethical working practices and those who predominantly use recycled and recyclable packaging materials. For example, my casting supplier also works with only recycled precious metal and, aware of the natural environment in which it operates, works to minimise its carbon dioxide production.
My recycled precious metal supplier uses carbon neutral shipping and recycled and biodegradable postal packaging. After repeatedly asking for a move away from their products to be supplied in plastic bags, this supplier have now moved to biodegradable packaging.
Generally, I purchase materials in bulk to minimise excess packaging, which I repurpose for storage purposes wherever I can, to help minimise waste.
My accompanying cards are printed locally by Marc the printer, who print my cards using RISOGRAPH printing, using recycled card stock and vegetable ink.
Should you have any questions concerning my ethical & sustainable commitment, any considerations to share, or if you’re seeking advice, please do not hesitate to contact me
Thank you so much for supporting the approach I am choosing to take with Ara.