Etsy furthers focus on sustainability with new HQ

By

Kate Dingwall

Published
Apr 19, 2017

Etsy is searching to raise the sustainability bar, launching several new initiatives to help the brand decrease its carbon footprint and help other companies watch their waste production.

Etsy’s newly opened global headquarters in Dumbo, New York was built around the idea of creating the most sustainable building possible, and was designed to reflect that conceit. Etsy acknowledged this in several ways – firstly by sourcing from local businesses, be it food sourcing or sourcing the decorations of the building, to create a positive impact in the local community.

Furthering this sentiment, Etsy has created a reprogrammable work platform to further help artists and craftsman further their business. In addition, all the materials and systems used in the headquarter were chosen with the long-term and short-term effects of all material selection carefully considered. 

This environmental consciousness didn’t stop with Etsy’s own business. Etsy has created an open-source software called DIVERTsy, that will help businesses measure all forms of waste that it produces, from electronics to food to textiles. This software will help Etsy, as well as many other business, with the goal of diverting 90% of waste created by a company from landfills.

While this is a new venture for the brand, it isn’t far from Etsy’s ethos. Etsy has always been dedicated to supporting the community by creating a platform for small artists and creators to share their wares. 

The new software could address a huge issue that the fashion industry faces: waste. The prevalence of fast-fashion brands has found global clothing production double in the last 15 years. But millennials are proving to be more receptive to brands who have a focus on sustainability: a Nielsen survey conducted in 2015 found that 66% of the 30,000 surveyed millennials are willing to pay a higher price tag for a sustainable or locally-sourced product.