 A large part of many weddings are the wedding bands. However, there are much more eco-friendly wedding ring options than the traditional wedding band. To manufacture an average-sized gold wedding band, 20 tons of mine waste is produced. Also, many diamonds are harvested in African mines, create a great deal of waste and social controversy.
When considering how green you want your wedding to be, determine how much of an impact you want to have on the environment. There are two popular options when it comes to wedding rings. The first is to use a hand-me-down ring. These rings are equally beautiful and even come with some family history. Reusing the ring significantly detracts from the environmental impact of that of a new ring. Of course there are also many places that you can buy used rings if an heirloom ring is not available. There are also many jewelers that only deal in reused jewelry. These rings are much less expensive, come in a large variety of shapes, colors and sizes and are incredibly eco-friendly. The other option is to do some research and then find an eco-friendly jewelry from which to purchase a new ring.
EnviroCitizen.org suggests considering the following tips when shopping for a green wedding ring :
- Find a jeweler who reduces their chemical use. This includes things such as properly disposing of hazardous chemicals, using more efficient tools and using processing which runs on pure ethanol instead of petroleum-based fuel. This change lowers chemical usage by about 80%. All of these things lower the amount of chemicals emitted as well as allow for a higher rate of reclaimed material.
- Find a jeweler that has increased their energy efficiency. Energy efficient jewelers create their own energy to use for producing their jewelry. This can be done in a variety of ways—solar power, thermal energy or wind power.
- Find a jeweler that reduces packaging. Make sure they don’t overuse packaging—avoid Styrofoam peanuts, non-biodegradable products and non-recycled papers.
- If you choose to purchase a diamond, search for a mine that is environmentally efficient and takes waste into consideration. Diamonds are a valuable commodity, but if they significantly damage the environment, they are not worth the sparkle.
- Always buy conflict-free! Especially when it comes to precious stones and metals, always make sure that the jewelry you are purchasing is conflict-free and does not support the brutalizing of different groups.
- Consider silver instead of gold! Many individuals have switched to purchasing silver bands as they severely cut down on waste produced.
Eco-friendly, conflict-free jewelry is becoming more and more in demand as awareness regarding these issues is being brought to the forefront. EnviroCitizen.org has some wonderful, environmentally friendly jewelry to offer. Check out our green wedding rings if you’re looking for the perfect, eco-friendly choice!
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