Sustainability at Timelapse Co.
You probably know this already, but mining of any sort is hazardous for the environment. Large areas of land are displaced to uncover the metals underneath the soil, such as silver. Precious metals aren't only mined for the jewelry industry, but are also extremely important for your everyday life - with incredible applications in science and medicine. But when it comes to mining for raw materials in the jewelry industry, the environmental impacts are unfortunately not much different than in other industries.
What does this mean for us? One important word: sustainability. And what is sustainability? Here at Timelapse Co., we believe sustainability means taking into consideration future generations of humans and all living things on Earth. It means not compromising the needs of those future generations to fulfill our present desires, but doing our best to maintain a balance. Because with jewelry we don't have the same requirements as other high tech industries, there are things we can do to reduce our ecological footprint - namely, recycling.
Sustainability at Timelapse Co.
So how do we accomplish this? For one, since mining is inherently unsustainable (all mines run out of ore, eventually) we avoid sourcing our raw materials from suppliers where metals come directly from mines, otherwise known as "first generation metals." Instead, we try to use raw materials recycled from industrial scraps. We collect, remelt, and recycle our own scraps as well. More than 85% of our raw metals come from recycled and refined scraps, and the majority of the balance comes from American mines with tight regulations. We try to use as much recycled materials as possible, whenever possible.
For more information about sustainability and environmental responsibility in the jewelry industry, check out these sources:
- Manufacturing Jewelers & Suppliers of America (http://www.mjsa.org/)
- Jewelers of America (http://www.jewelers.org/)
- The Responsible Jewellery Council (http://www.responsiblejewellery.com/)
Concern for the environment and for others is at the core of not only our product, but also our culture.
-MW
