It’s true: I said yes to my partner’s, “Will you marry me?” But this blog isn’t about how he popped the question. I’ve been telling that story to anyone who will listen. No, this blog is about the part of the story most people don’t care about: how my engagement ring aligns with my zero waste lifestyle.
That is, after all, why I started this blog in the first place: to spare my friends and family from my obsession with low-impact living unless they actively choose to hear about it.
Newsflash: Weddings are wasteful.
And engagement rings are often no exception.
My ring was intentionally chosen to be low-impact. I was lucky enough to (a.) have some say in what my engagement ring would be like and (b.) have a partner who cares enough about my lifestyle and beliefs to comply with my wishes. If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a hundred times: having support from the people closest to you is endlessly important when aspiring to a low-impact lifestyle. So when I asked for a low-waste ring, he delivered.
I don’t feel qualified to talk about the endless number of atrocities committed by the diamond and gold mining industries, so instead I’ll let the experts speak for themselves:
- What is a “blood diamond” or “conflict diamond”?
- Sustainability in mining
- Efforts to ban conflict diamonds
Because of these issues, I even considered asking for no ring at all.
The first “R” of zero waste is Refuse. While refusing to take part in the ring tradition may have been the most zero waste approach to an engagement, I ultimately decided against it. I am someone who appreciates tradition and ceremony as much as I do living a zero waste lifestyle.
Luckily, there are ways to limit your engagement ring’s carbon footprint.
No Materials Were Mined in the Making of This Ring
All of the materials used to make my ring are “recycled,” meaning they were repurposed from jewelry that already existed. My ring was designed by an amazing company called Catbird and consists of a vintage diamond (recut for a more modern flair) and an intricately hammered, recycled gold band.
If you are planning on asking someone special to spend the rest of their lives with you, there are some other low-impact factors to consider if recycled goods aren’t your thing:
- Buy local: The less distance something has to travel from the store to your pocket, the smaller the carbon footprint.
- Support small businesses: The debate over whether small or big businesses are more sustainable is fraught, but my experience has shown that large corporations are more likely to participate in unsustainable practices and greenwashing.
- Get creative with the materials: Choosing gemstones other than diamonds and bands other than gold creates a more sustainable jewelry industry.
How beautiful!
Some close friends of mine who are also interested in living as low-waste as possible had a beautiful wedding a few years ago in the Twin Cities. Some highlights included:
1. Getting married in the gorgeous old stone church they both belonged to (no decorations in the church at all since it didn’t need them, no programs since the hymn numbers are always posted on the board at the front of the church, and it was biking distance from their reception site)
2. Vegan and vegetarian locally-sourced food for the reception from a caterer who composts all food waste, served on all reusable dining ware (plates, glasses, utensils, tablecloths, etc.). Leftover edible food was donated to a local women’s shelter.
3. She paid a local flower farmer she found at a farmers’ market a set amount of money to provide a set number of boutonnieres, bouquets, and table decorations. She didn’t know what the flowers would be, so she had all her bridesmaids just wear black dresses and ordered black and white tablecloths/napkins. She ended up with boutonnieres of colorful grasses and bouquets of sunflowers for her fall wedding – it was gorgeous! The flowers were donated to a local nursing home.
4. Instead of a limo, she and her husband rented a special bicycle (his idea!) that he pedaled, that had a seat on the back for her to sit upon, with guards to prevent her dress getting caught in the spokes or chain. They also encouraged their guests to bike to the ceremony or bring bikes to ride over to the reception.
Their wedding was awesome, and a great party – the groom is really into jazz and refurbishing old player pianos, so he called in a bunch of favors with musicians and they had a live band.
These are some great ideas! I hope to write a few blogs about my zero waste plan once I’m married.