Hello my friends and happy Monday. In today’s blog I wanted to talk about something that is very important to me and my business…….
Recycled silver and why it is important that as a society we recycle our precious metals as much as possible. I also want to talk about why using recycled silver is not compromising when it comes to the quality of your jewellery!
With the planet under major stress (it's not just humans that get stressed out) we need to be looking at ways in which we all live and try to make more sustainable choices, we need to try and relieve this stress (I have a separate blog on living sustainably, if you would like to read it click here). For me this also involves my business and one of the obvious areas to try and make better choices, is in my silver. I currently use a lot of recycled silver, however I’m not at 100% yet, but here are the reasons why I’m aiming for exactly that, hopefully by the end of this year!
1) Mining silver and other minerals leads to deforestation which in turn causes erosion of the area being mined and can ultimately end up as sink holes. The loss of vegetation results in a reduction of biodiversity in the area.
2) Underground mining can cause health issues in those that work there and if conditions are unsafe it can lead to serious injuries as well.
3) Lots of chemicals such as cyanide and mercury can get into the surrounding atmosphere and water system causing pollution. This in turn makes it’s way into the food system and becomes harmful to all those that live in the area including wildlife.
4) Silver does not lose any of it's physical or chemical properties in the recycling process.
5) Silver can be recycled over and over again which means we can reduce the need for new silver. It also means that your silver jewellery can be handed down from generation to generation. If the design isn’t to your liking it can be melted down and reshaped (you still keep the sentimental value of the silver) . Gives a new meaning to the phrase ‘The family silver’.
By buying recycled silver we cut out the whole mining process, therefore all the devastating affects that comes with it. Currently the price of silver is increasing, one reason for this may be due to the need for silver in electronic devises and new electric cars. I suspect this increase will increase further yet. But did you know it is currently more expensive to buy recycled silver? It is also hard to find chain that is made from recycled silver. I hope that with time this changes.
I am extremely proud to be taking this step with my business. I want you to know that I am doing my best to try and make my business as sustainable as possible so you can have peace of mind that you are buying jewellery that is environmentally friendly.
Well, that is all for this week. I hope you enjoyed today’s blog and that it has helped you understand why buying recycled silver is better for the environment. If you did like it, please share on your social media or pinterest account so we can all spread the word how recycled silver is the way forward.
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Until next week, stay safe, keep communicating and always sparkle.
Katrina xx