5 Ways to be more Sustainable BTS with your Reselling Business

How to be more Sustainable with your Reselling Business

When it comes to reselling and sustainability we often think first about how we source and how we package. For more on sourcing sustainably and being more sustainable with your packaging, check out my previous posts!

But today I’m focusing on a part of running a sustainable business that often gets overlooked--and that is the behind the scenes and the personal supplies you use to run your shop. Running any kind of business can create waste, but with a little bit of mindfulness your business can avoid the trap of wasteful daily operations.

It can be easier than you think. Here are some things to consider:

Bring reusable bags when sourcing! This seems obvious, but it often gets overlooked. How many times have you seen a thrift haul on social media and it starts out with the thrifter holding up a plastic bag full of clothing. I used to absentmindedly forget my reusable bags, but I fixed that by keeping a stash of them in my car, and a reusable bag that folds down small in each of my purses/bags. If I head into the store without the bags, the first thing I tell the clerk at check out is that I don’t need the plastic bag. If it’s a small haul, I hand carry everything out to the car. If it’s a large haul and use the cart to take everything to the car and then return the cart to the store after I’ve transferred everything into the reusable bags in the car.

Use Earth Friendly Products to Clean Your inventory. I mainly sell clothing, I am removing stains and laundering clothing almost daily. Due to my skin frequently coming in contact with cleaning solutions, I made the switch to all non-toxic products. This also has huge benefits for the earth! These solutions are bio-degradable and will not be harmful to our waterways and eco-systems when they go down the drain. You can even take it a step further by hang-drying your items or using wool dryer balls instead of dryer sheets. By making your own products you will also reduce your build up of single use plastic and other container waste.

Eliminate the excess plastic when it comes to prepping your items for shipping. Before I wrap my sold articles, I make sure there is no lint on them. I made the switch to an eco-friendly paper free lint brush and I am very happy with the results. This is a small device that never needs to be refilled or replaced like traditional sticky lint rollers. Small switches like this can keep your trash bin a little less full.

Think sustainable with your inserts and “freebies.” We want our customers to have a pleasant unboxing experience and have all the information about our shops. But this can just result in more trash on the customer’s end. Make sure your thank yous/coupons/business info is printed on recyclable material--and let the customer know to throw it in the recycle bin if they don’t want to keep it. If you include a gift or freebie in your package, consider sourcing secondhand for your giveaways, or giving an item that can be recycled/composted. I choose to go with a positive message sticker that is compostable!

Step up your sustainability game with your printing and labels. Making the switch to a thermal printer means no more ink cartridges for printing labels You can purchase compostable or recyclable labels to go with these! If you are not able to invest in a thermal printer yet, try repurposing paper to print your labels. I save junk mail and loose pages that are blank on one side! Save your trimmings as padding for your boxed items.

Running a business doesn’t have to be a trash creator. Overall the goal is to have less in YOUR waste bin, and less in your CUSTOMERS waste bin. With a reduce, reuse, recycle mindset you can take your reselling business to the next level when it comes to sustainability.