All over town, we are hearing more and more about one thing: sustainability. Businesses, nonprofits, and restaurants are upping their operational guidelines to include this practice - but how, exactly, and what does it mean to us all?  

Best defined, sustainability is making intentional decisions that simultaneously benefit our environment, neighbors, and communities for long term prosperity. Thanks to our friends at Sustainable Pittsburgh, it’s easier than ever for like-minded organizations to demonstrate these values. We sat down with Make + Matter & Cinderlands Foederhouse, two Lawrenceville favorites that earned designation through the Sustainable Shops and Sustainable Pittsburgh Restaurants programs, to learn more about their commitment. 

Make + Matter is a collaborative studio and storefront by three Pittsburgh designers: Flux Bene, Kelly Lane, and OTTO FINN LLC. They feature textile-based designers specializing in ethically-made clothing, accessories and objects for your home.

Cinderlands Foederhouse is a craft brewery and scratch kitchen, focusing on food, drink, and the vibrant diversity of our community. 

Why is sustainability important to your store? 

Make + Matter: All three of our Make + Matter's founding designers (Otto Finn, Kelly Lane, and Flux Bene) have made sustainability a keystone of our own businesses since inception. When we joined forces to open Make + Matter, that ethos naturally carried over. Being aware of the extraordinary amount of waste and pollution created by the global fashion industry, it is very important to us to offer an alternative. All of the materials in our clothing lines are organic and/or upcycled. When we choose other designers for the shop, we focus on those who source their materials sustainably, whether it is cloth, wood or metal.

Cinderlands: It maximizes our opportunities and minimizes the negative impact our core operations have on the environment, and the communities and economies in Lawrenceville. 

How have you seen Lawrenceville grow and learn about sustainability through your shop & mission? 

Cinderlands: This past year, our executive Chef Joe Kiefer ventured to the Farmers Market up the street from our Butler Street location and once a week, made a dish that was inspired by what he found at the market. It was a great way for us to learn about the local farmers and create relationships with the community and introduce them to our customers through the food.

Make + Matter: Lawrenceville has shown a lot of enthusiasm for supporting local artists. Additionally, the community has supported Old Flame Mending, the clothing mending business that pops up at Make + Matter twice/month. We are experiencing the community at large showing increased interest in thoughtfully purchasing quality clothing and in making their clothing last.  

Finish this thought: People should shop locally and sustainably because: 

Cinderlands: It's good for the environment and it benefits the local economy, including supporting local farmers and other producers.

Make + Matter: When you shop locally, you are supporting your community. You are using your money to add vibrancy, jobs and tax dollars to your neighborhood or city. At Make + Matter, this effect is exponential, because when our customers support the shop, they are also directly supporting local artists. Those local artists then spend that money to pay their rent or their mortgage, work with local printers, photographers and web developers, and supporting local restaurants and other small businesses. Buying items that were produced in Pittsburgh is automatically more sustainable because those items did not have to travel around the world before getting to you.  

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There are over 150 Sustainable Pittsburgh Restaurants and 90 Sustainable Shops in the Southwestern PA region! Find one near you at ShopSustainably.org or EatSustainably.org & follow Sustainable Pittsburgh on Facebook for updates on our city’s sustainability progress. 

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