A field of pampas grass swaying gently under a pale sky.

Sustainability

At Simple & Dainty, we put sustainability first because we love our planet! We use recycled gold and silver as well as recyclable packaging. We are also carbon neutral and certified! We offset all of our carbon emissions, and we contribute at least 1% of our annual sales to support approved environmental nonprofits around the globe. We’re always evaluating our processes, materials, and overall effect on the environment.

Woman’s hands crossed together, wearing multiple gold rings and layered bracelets.

Materials

Our jewelry is manufactured using recycled gold and silver. Using recycled materials means we aren't mining for new raw materials - instead, we are using the materials that are already circulating the jewelry industry. This helps create less of a negative impact on our planet.

Our manufacturers follow strict guidelines and regulations to ensure the metals they use are recycled and refined in an ethical and environmentally friendly way. The refiners they work with follow strict standards, which include the following:

1. Refiners must be certified members of the Responsible Jewellery Council.

2. Refiners must be on the EICC/GeSI conflict–free compliant smelter list.

3. Refiners must be on the LBMA good delivery list.

4. Refiners use Green Silver Certified sterling silver that is not mined but recycled.

5. Refiners must go through third party Banks Certification audits. In order for these guidelines to be met, the refining process needs to be as clean and efficient as possible for the planet. We look at each step of the jewelry making process starting with the raw materials to ensure that we are as sustainable and eco friendly as possible.

Vermeil jewelry: Our vermeil pieces have a sterling silver base, which are made with a mix of new and recycled sterling silver. This helps keep the shiny surface of the jewelry, while also helping the environment by using recycled silver. The 2.5 microns of gold plated on top of the sterling silver also uses a mix of new and recycled gold.

We recycle all of our scrap materials through a refinery. This means anything that is defective or that we mess up on - like stamping discs, broken clasps, etc - don’t get thrown away! We recycle it so that it can be made into new jewelry. If you have some broken jewelry from us that we can’t repair, feel free to send it back so we can recycle it.

A big benefit to using high quality materials is that they last. Unlike fast fashion items, our jewelry is meant to be worn daily and for years! The less jewelry you buy throughout your lifetime, the less impact you put on the environment.
Two beige pouches with gold button closures, one open showing gold hoop earrings on a "Simple & Dainty" card.

Packaging

We try to make the most amazing unboxing experience you can have for your new pieces, while making as little environmental impact as possible.

All of our packaging is recyclable - from our paper necklace cards, to our paper boxes, to our compostable mailers. We don’t use any plastic in our packaging, and all of our paper media is made on recycled paper.

We also provide a free and reusable jewelry pouch for you to store your jewelry in when you’re not wearing it. You can also opt out of receiving our free pouch!

Our Climate Commitment

Climate action is an important part of our sustainability efforts. Through our partnership with The Change Climate Project, we measure our carbon emissions, invest in projects that help reduce climate pollution, and continue working to reduce our own emissions over time.

The Change Climate Project is a nonprofit organization that helps brands measure their carbon emissions, fund climate solutions, and reduce their environmental impact. Through its rigorous certification program, brands earn The Climate Label by measuring their emissions, investing in climate projects, and committing to ongoing reductions. We're proud to be certified under The Climate Label.

We measure our carbon emissions by looking at all of the emissions created from the start to finish of making and delivering our jewelry. This factors in every single step - from our supply chain emissions, packaging materials, commuting, utility bills from our studio, and everything in between. Measuring our emissions helps us better understand our impact and identify opportunities to reduce it year after year.

As part of our climate commitment, we invest in environmental projects that help reduce climate pollution and support a healthier planet. Our projects have included restoring forests in Mexico, Colombia, and Papua New Guinea. We also supported clean energy projects, including solar energy fields in China and wind energy in Turkey.

Reducing our environmental impact is an ongoing journey. The Change Climate Project helps us measure our progress each year, identify opportunities to reduce our emissions, and continue building a more sustainable business.

Our climate work is just one of the many ways our brand is implementing better practices for the environment. We believe in The Change Climate Project's mission of accelerating climate action. We're just a small business in the grand scheme of things, but we believe every effort matters, no matter how small.

If you are interested in learning more visit: changeclimate.org

Woman in a red shirt crafting jewelry with pliers at a desk, with a cutting mat, near a window with vases.

Studio

In an effort to be sustainable throughout each step of making your beautiful jewelry, we also keep a close eye on what we do in our studio.

Here are a few things that we do with sustainability in mind:

  • We recycle all of our metal scraps by having them refined and made into new pieces.
  • We are running on 100% renewable energy through Arcadia! Zero solar panels were needed. Arcadia purchases RECs (renewable energy certificates) on our behalf.
  • We ask our suppliers to use paper alternatives instead of plastic bags. If they can’t, we reuse the zip bags that we receive.
  • We separate and recycle all office waste into appropriate bins.
  • We use recycled boxes and mailers for all of our shipments.
Woman wearing multiple pieces of gold jewelry—rings, bracelets, and necklaces—with her left hand on her right shoulder.

Future Sustainability

We are currently working on furthering our sustainability in the future by working on the following:

  • Carbon offset options for our customers at checkout
  • Carbon offset out entire company to become completely carbon neutral
  • Continue to only work with sustainable manufacturers
  • Keep an open dialog with our favorite and most important people (you!) to push ourselves further towards sustainability going forward!


Thanks for following along! As always, we love feedback and suggestions. If you have any ideas for us, please let us know. We love hearing what you have to say :)
A snow-capped mountain range with yellow grass and the text, 1% FOR THE PLANET. All together for the planet.

Giving Back

Simple & Dainty is a proud member of 1% for the Planet!

We pledge to donate at least 1% of our annual sales to support nonprofit organizations focused on the environment that we love and care for so deeply.

By contributing at least 1% of our annual sales along with thousands of 1% for the Planet members, they have raised over $300 million to support approved environmental nonprofits around the globe.

A little about 1% for the Planet and what they do:

1% for the Planet is a global organization that exists to ensure our planet and future generations thrive. They inspire businesses and individuals to support environmental nonprofits through membership and everyday actions. They make environmental giving easy and effective through partnership advising, impact storytelling and third-party certification.

Started in 2002 by Yvon Chouinard, founder of Patagonia, and Craig Mathews, founder of Blue Ribbon Flies, their business members and individual members have given hundreds of millions of dollars to their approved nonprofit partners to date.

Today, 1% for the Planet’s global network consists of thousands of businesses, individuals and environmental nonprofits working toward a better future for all.

You can feel confident knowing that you made a purchase for the planet with us at Simple & Dainty :)

Learn more at onepercentfortheplanet.org