Our pledge to you

It's Earth Day, the weather is finally feeling a bit spring like here in The Gorge, so we're in a mood to celebrate. Saturday we'll be taking some of our favorite eco-friendly items down the block to the Hood River Earth Day festival.

But for me, as I know it is for most of you, Earth Day is just one more day in the year to consider my impact on the Earth and my relationship to it. So I thought I'd share Small Planet Trading's updated Sustainability Pledge. We made the pledge in 2006 on our first Earth Day celebration as a shop and each year we review, revise and renew our commitment to our vision of a sustainable business and community. We welcome your input, ideas and suggestions for how we can continue to deepen our plege.

Small Planet Trading

Sustainability Pledge

April 22, 2006 Updated April 2009

Sustainable Practices

We reuse and recycle paper products and packing materials, compost food scraps, and purchase office supplies that contain recycled and recyclable content. We use washable mugs and utensils on our sample table and provide compostable cups and napkins for take aways sampling.

Local Economy

We support local currency by accepting and spending RiverHours. We support local artists and producers by providing shelf space for locally crafted items.

Healthy Planet

We support international and local artists who implement eco-friendly practices. We stock inventory that helps us live lighter on the Earth and provide customer education to that end.

We participate in the Green Merchant Alliance and support sustainable energy choices through our merchant processing services.

We will work towards off-setting carbon emissions on our imported inventory by donating to tree planting and reforestation projects.

Stronger Community Ties

We connect with, refer to and collaborate with other local businesses and projects. Through our Common Good Thursday program, we raise awareness and funds for local non-profits and groups. We support youth work experience and mentor young social entrepreneurs.

We will work towards offering Fair Trade education and curriculum ideas to local schools.

Meaningful Employment

We have a lot of fun in our business. We will continue to run our business cooperatively. We will continue to provide a child-friendly work environment.

We will work towards compensating all staff with a living wage.

Fair Trade Big Bang!

We've always wanted to attend the Fair Trade Federation's annual conference. What's not to like about a weekend full of inspiration and fun? So far it had been a dream for a day when our budget more closely matched our wish list. Then this year the conference came to us! Well, not literally, but it came to Portland. Obviously a sign that we were meant to be there.

It was everything we had hoped: inspiring speakers, useful workshops, meeting new friends and connecting with old. We took away so much to ponder and process that we haven't taken the time to really share with you yet. We did take photos, hoping to post them and let them speak for us, but somehow they all came out just a bit off-- usually my eyes were closed. So I'll have to give you a few highlights.

• Being surrounded by other business people who love what they do, are committed to changing the world through their enterprises, and willingly share their experience and expertise.
• Finally putting faces to the names of the wonderful people who run the Fair Trade Federation and Fair Trade Resource Network.
• Hearing the stories of artisan groups from around the world and how Fair Trade really does improve their lives.
• Gathering ideas for everything from marketing to accounting, from communicating with customers to planning unique events.
• Expanding our already large wish list of products to bring to you.
• Buying and ordering wonderful new goods that we know you'll enjoy.
  

New in the shop because of the conference:
Shona Sculpture from Zimbabwe
Heirloom Rice from the Philippines
Recycled paper beaded jewelry from Uganda
Tagua Nut, Coconut, and Seed Jewelry from South America
Dolls and toys from around the world

Coming soon-- Silver jewelry from Mexico and musical instruments from JamTown.

Next year the Fair Trade conference is in Boston. It seems a long way off and a long way away, but we're already working on how to get there. We'll have to work a bit harder next time, but now we know just how worth it it will be.
DeLona