Pretty Packaging Vs. The Earth

When I buy something from someone on etsy or hyena cart or handmade from a shop or boutique--online or in town--, I really enjoy all the little details. Pretty hang tags, attractive packaging, little extras, etc. All that stuff is fun and really makes you feel special.

I would love to wrap my bags in fancy tissue and tie them with expensive ribbons and have a tag or four on the product, but I keep bumping up against an issue that is important to me: saving the environment by reducing waste and my carbon footprint. I'd also feel like I'd need to charge a bit more, since I've priced my bags at the absolute cheapest I could. Being both a frugal person and a person desiring to save the environment by reducing waste, that doesn't seem appealing either. I mean, I know that my work is worth more than I am charging--a lot more. The care and quality of my products are definitely worth more, my time is worth more. But, being both a frugal person and a person desiring to save the environment by reducing waste (hee), I felt that charging more would inordinately elevate my bags beyond their very humble use. The frugal side of me gasps at market tote prices...I wouldn't personally pay $30 for a grocery bag, so I don't feel like I can expect my customers to. The tree-hugger side of me wants to make attractive and affordable grocery bags so that the average consumer will be inspired to try bringing their own bag rather than perpetuating the waste issue with plastic bags. In other words, I felt that if I charged $25 for my market totes, or $30, or $50, I'd be taking advantage of the green-committed people and snubbing people of more humble means or at least condemning them to the ugly plastic reusable store bags. ;)

But I digress.

The point is, I'm trying to come up with a solution. I would like to find some sort of sustainable/recycled/recyclable way to make my customers feel special, and to give my products a bit of their boutique dignity. I feel like I'd be selling out to print out tags on the ol' printer and wrap the bags in tissue paper. Certainly, it can all be recycled. But I'd like to come up with a better way to do it.

One thing I keep coming back to (for tags at least) is using a stamp. I already make my bag labels by hand with scrap fabric and a stamp. So if I could find a recycled/recyclable solution for the actual tag part, that would be easy, frugal, and environmentally friendly. Frugal eventually, that is, as the upfront cost of a custom rubber stamp is somewhat expensive. I've been pondering using a stamp for care/website address on the inner bottom of the bag. I've also been looking for a way to recycle my thread snips and fabric bits, and have thought of making my own paper, but that's definitely a future project, not a now one.

And then there is the "free sample" or little extra gift. I know that I super duper love those, personally. Even if it's just a magnet advertising the shop. Again, the question for me is...how do I find an easy, inexpensive, environmentally-friendly solution? Hrm.

I've also run across sellers who state upfront that in their effort to reduce waste or be environmentally friendly, they don't print receipts or use excessive packaging, and that is very attractive to me as well. I like people who like what I like and care what I care about, so it makes me inclined to give them my business as well. Perhaps at least for now, *I* should just mention that, myself.

Just ramblings, really...but if you have any suggestions, I'm certainly open!