sustainable choices
At Ann Cope Interior Design, our aim is always to create beautiful designs that benefit our clients’ happiness and wellness. But what about the wellness of our planet?
In the UK alone, we send over 200 million tonnes of products to landfill every single year. The construction industry is thought to be responsible for over half of this figure – and interior fixtures and furnishings are contributing to this colossal amount of waste on an alarming scale.
This means that, as interior designers, we have a vital role to play in reducing waste and finding more responsible and environmentally friendly ways of doing business.
We’re making more sustainable choices
We always try to steer our clients towards sustainable options.
- Many suppliers do offer sustainable ranges that contain ethically sourced goods. We work with them where it is viable to do so, and take every company’s eco credentials into consideration whenever we’re sourcing products. We also look at items in the home that can be repurposed or upcycled.
- Carbon offsetting methods are ingrained into our business and our clients’ projects, and we seek to reduce our energy usage at every level. We have also signed up to a tree planting initiative.
- We only ever buy FSC and/or PEFC certified paper products.
- We regularly purchase goods and services locally from small businesses in order to support our community.
- We do everything we can to reduce our digital footprint, which involves reducing our online storage; archiving old emails; clearing out duplicated documents; and unsubscribing from junk emails.
- We’ve used ethical banks since day one.
- All our electrical waste is donated to TechTakeback, a ‘pay what you can’ service that gives technology a second life
- We suggest donating items to local initiatives instead of sending them to landfill. This useful resource from Love Essex offers all kinds of sustainability ideas in one link, including information on good causes and projects that will accept second hand furniture and appliances.
- As a company, we now only use Ecosia – the green search engine that donates 80% of its profits to non-profits that focus on reforestation.
- We walk, cycle, and use public transport as often as we can.
We’re raising awareness
Operating responsibly involves looking at all aspects of our supply chain and making business choices that support better living standards for all.
- We ensure all designers, makers and suppliers are treated well and paid fairly for their time and expertise.
- We work to eradicate slave labour from our business processes.
- We are involved in several local sustainability groups and Circular Economy groups that promote reusing, recycling and upcycling otherwise wasted products.
- We are open to mentoring students and designers who are new to their craft and have a distinct interest in sustainability in our field.
Joining B1G1
In order to join forces with the thousands of members who have already created giving impacts – and become a true Business for Good – we have also joined the B1G1 initiative. This allows us to deliver resources to the high impact projects of our choosing with ease, and in turn, integrate giving into the very fabric of our business. The widgets from B1G1 on our website enable our clients to see exactly where the charitable donation from their purchase will be sent.
Moving forward
We’ve got so many ideas in the pipeline, and there are so many other fantastic causes we want to support. This page will be updated every time we introduce a new sustainable system, process, or initiative to our business, so keep checking back to see what’s next for Ann Cope Interior Design!