As the most populous continent in the world, home to over 4.7 billion people, as well as some of the fastest growing economies, the environmental impact of Asia is enormous. And while it is commonly believed that the western world is more environmentally-friendly and sustainability-conscious, recent surveys have found that Asia Pacific consumers care equally about the environment and healthy living, if not more. One specific area of concern for customers is in the fashion world: sustainable jewellery.
What is sustainable jewellery and why is it so important in Asia?
Sustainable and ethical jewellery includes all jewellery that is made keeping sustainability and ethics in consideration. In other words, it’s not harming the planet or its inhabitants. This awareness, part of the slow fashion movement, includes evaluating the impact of all the processes involved, such as sourcing or mining materials, as well as designing, producing and delivering the products.
Environmental issues of traditional jewellery
The traditional jewellery industry caused an uproar in recent years due to both its environmental impact on Earth as well as societal and human harm. The reason it can be considered even worse than fast fashion in some ways is because of the mining of gems and metals. Lots has been spoken and written about blood diamonds or conflict diamonds, those that are mined in war zones and used to fund insurgencies and finance illegal activities. It is estimated by Amnesty that 3.7 million people have died in civil war fuelled by these unethically produced diamonds.
Another factor to consider in sustainable purchasing is the environmental concerns related with mining, which accounts for 95% of the jewellery industry’s carbon footprint. Mining a single carat of diamond releases more than 125 pounds of carbon, and gold and silver mining is not far behind in terms of pollution. Mining also uses a lot of water while contaminating water supply and soil with chemical waste such as cyanide, mercury and sulphuric acid.
While sustainable fashion practices such as recycling or refashioning old clothes or passing precious heirloom jewellery down generations have long histories in Asian countries like India and China, the focus on ethically produced, eco-friendly jewellery is more recent. In fact, searches for terms such as ‘sustainable jewellery’ and ‘ethical jewellery’ in countries such as India, Thailand, Vietnam, and Indonesia outperform searches in western countries.
Eco-friendly buying trends amongst Asian consumers
Buying trends are changing across the world, but specifically in Asia, there is a concern towards not just environmental but also health-related, social, and corporate governance issues. Based on recent research, the most important elements to consumers include healthy ingredients, natural, additive/chemical free, organic, sustainable packaging, sustainability symbols and local sourcing. This increased awareness led to all-round eco-friendly purchases, penetrating all aspects of shopping, not just fashion and jewellery.
There is a drive amongst consumers in Asia to shop organic or locally grown products, especially produce, both for their health benefits and also to reduce the impact on the environment that importing exacerbates. With the carbon footprint of meat products being more widely known, more people are becoming vegetarian and vegan, with the plant-based market expected to increase 200% by 2025. In the beauty industry, individuals, especially millennials and Gen Z are opting more and more for products that are vegan or cruelty-free in order to align with their values.
The internet has made gaining access to information a lot easier, and with this transparency and knowledge, people are trying to make informed decisions. However, this is just the beginning and there is a long way to go. Despite wanting to invest in brands that are ‘doing good’, it’s hard for consumers to trust marketing completely as there isn’t always enough information or they don’t believe the company’s sustainability or ethics claims.
When 16,000 consumers in Asia were surveyed on their consumption habits, it was found that they didn’t buy sustainable goods because there was low availability (10% of participants) or it was expensive (16% of participants).
For eco-friendly and ethically sourced jewellery, there are ways to find out if the brand really does practice what they preach. First, look out for certifications such as Fair Trade, The Kimberly Process and Fairmined; these accreditations are usually a good indication of ethical practices. It’s also a good idea to check how the materials are sourced – recycled metals and gems have the lowest environmental impact, whereas mined diamonds in war-torn zones where workers face forced labour have the worst overall effects.
Conclusion
We live in a world where eco-conscious living and a healthy planet is of utmost importance to today’s generation. Consumers everywhere, but particularly Asia, have started to take matters in their own hands and are voting with their dollars. Green purchasing is one way, but an important method, of contributing to creating a better world. Purchasing sustainable jewellery is the perfect avenue to exercise this awareness and care, and we will surely see a dramatic rise in this market in the upcoming years.