At MiaDonna, every day is Earth Day! As a mission-driven B Corp, it’s very important to us to be an earth-friendly, sustainable business on a daily basis. As like-minded individuals, we know being a good steward to the planet is important to you as well! By choosing to purchase our ethical fine jewelry made with Lab Grown Diamonds, Gemstones and 100% recycled metals, instead of earth mined jewelry, you are doing the environment a massive favor.
Lab Grown Diamonds have 7 times less the environmental impact than earth-mined diamonds. In Frost & Sullivan’s most recent report, the carbon emissions from earth mined diamonds was 57,ooo grams in contrast to 0.028 grams from lab grown diamonds when comparing equal carats produced. Water usage is another environmental factor we cannot ignore. A mined diamond guzzles more than 126 gallons of water per carat, whereas Lab Grown Diamonds use just 18. Mined diamonds also result in “constant discharge of wastewater and pollutants in surface water bodies,” according to Frost & Sullivan. And let’s not leave gold out of the loop! Gold mining is the largest source of mercury pollution, accounting for 38% of total emissions, which surpases coal-fired power plants. Yuck! To put a stop to this destructive industry we handcraft our jewelry with 100% recycled metals. Recycled gold keeps arsenic and cyanide out of the water supply and soil, and prevents the land from being disturbed.
In addition to providing an identical alternative to mined jewelry and choosing a sustainable lifestyle, we donate at least 10% of our net profits to our foundation, The Greener Diamond, that repairs the lives and land damaged by the mining industries. It’s our priority to save the earth from the toxic, damaging effects of mining! You now know what our business goals are as a B corp, but you may not know there are several things we do behind the scenes that further illustrate our commitment to the Earth. We like to think every day is Earth Day at MiaDonna! We hope some of the following ideas serve as an inspiration to you!
1. Plant a tree with each order - For each MiaDonna order we plant a tree with One Tree Planted to offset the emissions associated with shipping.
2. Reusable cloth towels and sponges- Instead of using paper towels in our store and office, we have reusable cloth towels and sponges. Made of flannel cotton, the cloths are extremely durable and absorbent and can be washed and reused. Visit Marley’s Monsters for more information.
3. Recycling of K Cups - Without a doubt express coffee makers, like the Keurig, make life easier but the waste caused by the K cups has become a major concern. Terra Cycle can recycle these and other hard to recycle items like snack pouches, razors and make-up containers. While some items have a fee associated with recycling, they’ve partnered with some popular brands to also offer free recycling programs.
4. Eco-Friendly Jewelry Cleaner - The jewelry cleaner we use in the store, and that is sent with every MiaDonna purchase, is certified non-toxic and eco-friendly. This not only protects your jewelry, it protects your home and family. Don’t worry if you run out, you can order more here.
5. Eco-Friendly Cleaning Products in Refillable Containers - All of the soaps and cleaning products we use are natural and eco-friendly, and are made without synthetic fragrances. Not only does this keep our employees safe, you can be assured that when shopping in our store, you’re in a safe, toxic-free environment.
6. Plant-Based Dishwasher Detergent Packs - Our dishwasher detergent packets are made from plants instead of traditional petroleum-based products. If all households used just one of these plant-based packs in place of a petroleum-based pack, we could save 9,700 barrels of oil. That’s enough to heat and cool 560 U.S. homes for a year.
7. Recyclable Packaging - The mailers used for our Home Try-On program and to ship products are recyclable. Our Gift bags, plastic inserts, and shipping boxes are all made from recycled materials with sustainable inks for printing. We also work specifically with packing material suppliers who can provide us with energy usage numbers for their recycling process to be sure it meets our standards, beginning to end.
As well as the the above mentioned practices, we also recycle batteries, utilize web-based document sharing programs to reduce the use of paper, recycle ink cartridges, have energy star certified appliances in our store and office, use real dishes and glasses instead of plastic, use LED lights in our photo studio, and have a living wall in our store.
We hope you found inspiration from our practices and discovered ways you can make your business or household even more sustainable and eco-friendly. Becoming a conscious consumer is one of the most important ways to make a positive impact on the planet. It’s because of you we can empower diamond mining communities and continue to do the sustainable work we are passionate about. Let’s work together to create a more sustainable future!
