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The Local Spirit

Local Is More Than Where You Make It

GreensShare encourages producers to embrace the true spirit of local goods, which includes:

  • Using ingredients, raw materials, and inputs that are regionally sourced whenever possible.
  • Reducing unnecessary packaging, plastics, or long-distance supply chains.
  • Choosing ingredients that support local ecosystems, local farms, and local economies.
  • Prioritizing materials that are seasonal, reclaimed, regenerative, or low-impact.

Advantages of locally sourced goods:

  • Using byproducts that would otherwise be discarded
  • Drastically reduces transportation footprint
  • Reduces packaging waste
  • Reduces usage of preservatives
  • Keeps more economic value inside your community

GreensShare doesn’t forbid non-local ingredients—but we encourage you to think about the impact and choose local when it meaningfully reduces waste and distance. If a majority of the value you create is not locally sourced, Etsy is probably better for you – if you

Examples of “Local Spirit” vs. “Not Really Local”

Example 1: Soapmaking

Common non-local inputs:

  • Shea butter (often imported from West Africa)
  • Coconut oil (typically from the tropics)
  • Palm oil (often associated with deforestation)

For a small maker in the midwest, these ingredients must travel thousands of miles and come with:

  • Higher transportation emissions
  • Larger packaging waste (plastic tubs, drums)
  • Global supply-chain environmental impacts
  • Often unclear labor and environmental practices upstream

Local alternative:

  • Tallow from a local butcher or farm
  • Local beeswax from nearby beekeepers

Using a miniscule amount of essential oils and lye to create more value with mostly local raw products is totally acceptable.

Example 2: Candles

Not ideal:

  • 100% soy wax sourced from thousands of miles away
  • Fragrance oils packaged in small plastic or glass bottles, often imported

Aligns with the Local Spirit:

  • Beeswax from a beekeeper two miles away
  • Reclaimed jars or low-waste packaging
  • Natural colorants grown locally (herbs, flowers)

Example 3: Food Products

Not ideal:

  • Jams made with berries bought wholesale from two states away
  • Herb mixes made with bulk spices imported from overseas

Aligns with the Local Spirit

  • Jam made from berries grown in your garden or a neighboring farm
  • Herb mixes using herbs you grew yourself
  • Minimal packaging or compostable options

Example 4: Home Goods

Not ideal:

  • Cutting boards made from tropical hardwoods
  • Acrylic decor

Aligns with the Local Spirit

  • Cutting boards made from local maple, cherry, walnut, or reclaimed lumber
  • Finishes made from local beeswax or locally rendered tallow

Why This Matters to GreensShare

These values reinforce GreensShare’s differentiators:

  • Hyper-local identity
  • Authenticity
  • Environmental responsibility
  • Support for small-scale, real producers—not resellers

And they align directly with the strategic promise to producers and buyers: a marketplace built on trust, clarity, and authentic local participation—not a corporatized reseller environment