Grit & Grace Studio Sustainability Practices
Call us tree huggers, ocean activists, green goddesses, earth mamas, or even a little granola; we’re here for Mother Earth, loud and proud!
Since our creation, Grit & Grace Studio has been rooted in sustainability. Our founder Rachel Gordon hails from a background in slow fashion, and it’s always been Rachel’s priority to grow our design house in a green, sustainable, and conscientious way.
The seed was planted when she learned of the oyster shell recycling crisis, and Grit & Grace Studio was born shortly thereafter.
And while we’re most vocal about our love of oysters, our in-house oyster shell recycling program, and our oyster reef restoration efforts, did you know that’s actually just the tip of the iceberg? As it says in the Grit & Grace Studio Manifesto, we believe that every day is Earth Day!
From our volunteer efforts to our conscientious product development, all the way down to our toilet paper choices (no, we’re not kidding), sustainable business practices and conscious shopping are the heart and soul of our ship.
Green Business Initiatives
Sustainable Packaging Materials
Did you know that the world created more than 14.5 million tons of plastic containers and packaging in the year 2018 alone?
Grit & Grace Studio is proud to use eco-friendly boxes and 100% recycled paper crinkle packaging paper. Additionally, all of our packing peanuts for shipping and wholesale orders are repurposed from post-consumer materials, and our gift tags are secured with repurposed hemp twine from our production process.
Conscientious Product Development
Giorgio Armani once said, “To create something exceptional, your mindset must be relentlessly focused on the smallest detail.”
We believe that every step toward a greener, more sustainable world is significant, and this attention to detail extends throughout our product development.
Our Oyster Shell Blessing Beads, Oyster Shell Ornaments, Oyster Shell Napkin Rings, and Edisto Oyster Necklaces all use recycled glass beads.
Our Coastal Calm Oyster Necklace and Golden Tide Coastal Calm Necklace both feature Imfibinga beads, which are actually natural seeds from Kenya and a renewable resource.
All of our Blessing Beads, Oyster Shell Ornaments, Oyster Garlands, and Oyster Necklaces are strung with twine or hemp, as an alternative to plastic.
The Gilded Oyster Candle utilizes 100% soy wax for a clean burning experience.
Corporate Sustainability Practices
Sustainability and accountability go hand in hand at Grit & Grace Studio. In the office, we strive to reduce our waste by providing employees with reusable cutlery, plates, glasses, and a water cooler. We also exclusively use bathroom and kitchen supplies made from recycled paper.
This approach extends to our community, too, and we’re proud to have donated to Real Champions, Inc, Kickin’ Cancer 4 Kids, the Warrior Surf Foundation, JDRF Hope Gala Auction, Spoleto, and Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s Annual Students of the Year Campaign.
We are also thrilled to announce that as of 2021, we are now Sea Turtle Guardians through the South Carolina Aquarium!
Finally, each week we gather our Grit & Grace family to choose what we are going to experience that week, and choosing to “be the light” for our community is always at the heart of our studio.
Volunteer Activities
While we once picked up litter dressed as sparkly mermaids, it’s easier without the tail. You’ll often find us in overalls, boots, and gloves, cleaning up our marshes with Surfrider and joining SCDNR to sort litter from the oyster shells slated for oyster reef restoration projects. (And on that note, please don’t toss your trash in the shell bin during your next oyster roast!)
This wouldn’t be much of a post on our sustainability practices without shellebrating our greatest pearl, our in-house oyster shell recycling program. We are proud to have collected more than 5,000 gallons of shells from Charleston area restaurants and merged them into SCDNR’s local oyster reef restoration projects. We recycle 10 oyster shells for each shell product purchased; thank you for helping us save our seas!
Supporting Small Business
A rising tide lifts all boats. Shopping small, supporting female entrepreneurs, and promoting fair trade and sustainable products are essential at Grit & Grace Studio. We are so proud of the carefully curated artisan goods in our online storefront and our retail space, and we’d love to tell you about the amazing makers behind these products. Come see us at our King Street store!
Keep up with our strides in sustainability and our volunteer efforts by following us on Instagram or signing up for our monthly newsletter in the form at the bottom of this page! We look forward to continuing to shine a light and spread kindness, and we hope you’ll join us.
Support the Grit & Grace Studio oyster shell recycling program by shopping our Gilded Oyster Ring Dishes, Oyster Necklaces, and Decoupage Oysters today!
One Love & Blessings,