I’ve decided that trying to run an eco-friendly business is a bit like trying to parent: you start with the highest possible ideals, and within three hours, you’re covered in something sticky and questioning all your life choices.
When I started RainbowRegalia, I had this vision of a pristine, plastic-free sanctuary. The reality is a bit more... "creative."
The Resin Dilemma
Let’s talk about resin. I use plant-based resin for my pieces because, frankly, the petroleum-based stuff smells like a chemical spill and feels a bit "1980s oil crisis." Is plant-based resin perfect? No. It’s still a chemical process, and it still requires a level of patience that I frequently don't possess. But it is better. It’s a step in the right direction that doesn’t involve pumping more ancient dinosaur juice into the atmosphere just so you can have a nice pair of earrings.
The "Anti-Factory" Approach
One thing I’m strictly sticking to is the "Anti-Factory" model. Everything that leaves my workbench in Greystones is either one-of-a-kind, a tiny small-batch run, or made-to-order specifically for you.
There is no warehouse full of thousands of identical plastic hoops waiting to be shipped. It’s just me, a pair of pliers, and a very specific "don't talk to me, I’m curing" face. It means things take a little longer, but it also means we aren't creating literal mountains of "stuff" just for the sake of it.
The Packaging Hunger Games
The real struggle, though? Packaging.
You’d think, in 2026, finding a box that is attractive, actually eco-friendly, and doesn't cost more than the jewellery inside would be a breeze. It isn’t. It’s a specialized form of torture. I spend an embarrassing amount of time researching the "greenness" of containers and fighting with a roll of brown paper tape that has a very clear boundary issue: it refuses to stick to itself. Seriously. It’ll stick to my hair, it’ll stick to the cat, it’ll stick to the mug of cold tea—but try to overlap it on a box? Absolute rebellion.
And don’t even get me started on the "compostable" clear tape. I bought it thinking I was being a legend, but it has a deep, philosophical hatred for the brown paper tape. They won’t touch each other. It’s like trying to mediate a falling out between two toddlers who refuse to sit on the same sofa. If your order arrives looking like I’ve wrestled a bear to get it into the box, just know that the "bear" was actually two different types of eco-tape having a domestic.
Beauty from the Broken
But the best bit—the bit that makes the tape-wrestling worth it—is the "upcycling."
There is something incredibly satisfying about taking a piece of old, broken, or completely neglected jewellery—the stuff that’s been sitting in the back of a drawer since the 90s—and turning it into something new. Giving a 1946 sixpence or a discarded vintage bead a second life isn't just "sustainable"; it’s a bit of magic. It’s taking something that was destined for the bin and making it a showstopper again.
So, if you’re wearing a piece of RainbowRegalia magic today, just know it’s been a journey. A messy, sticky, slightly chaotic, but very green journey.
I’m off to go apologise to a roll of tape.
Sustainable jewellery Ireland, plant-based resin jewellery, eco-friendly small business Greystones, upcycled vintage jewellery, small batch handmade jewellery, RainbowRegalia blog, Pliers & Prosecco, zero waste packaging struggles.
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