Sustainable shopping: The Ashmolean Museum’s retail team discuss being green

The retail team at the Ashmolean Museum are always looking for ways to improve our sustainability efforts and have recently made some exciting progress.

We care deeply about the environment and want to highlight the steps we’ve been taking to review how our retail operations align with our shared values. We work hard to ensure we stock products that help support the Museum’s mission, whilst also minimising our impact on the planet.

Our retail business plays a vital role in supporting the Museum’s free admission and ongoing programming, and we are committed to making sure the funds we raise come from responsible, sustainable sources.

Our first step was to improve the way we collaborate with our suppliers – making it a priority to source products from suppliers who have sustainability at the heart of their operations. This involved working closely with existing partners to improve their practises, while also seeking new suppliers and UK makers who are just as committed to reducing their environmental footprint as we are.

The next step was to create a bespoke benchmarking system to help us evaluate the environmental impact of each product. The intention is to focus our attention on the areas where we can make the most meaningful changes by introducing a system which categorises products based on a few key factors:

• Country of Origin: How far has the product travelled to our door?

• Material: Does the product use natural, recycled or synthetic materials?

• Lifespan: How long is the product likely to last before it needs to be replaced?

• End of Life: Can the product be easily recycled or is it biodegradable?

We aim to identify and prioritise products with the highest environmental impact for review, as well as highlight those we can improve or replace with more sustainable alternatives. Each product is then assigned a score, guiding us in making more informed decisions when sourcing new items – and ensuring that we reduce the carbon footprint of our retail offerings.

Why This Matters
We know that our members care about both the cultural enrichment the Ashmolean offers and the well-being of our planet. The revenue generated from retail sales helps fund the Museum’s ongoing work and contributes to ensuring that our doors stay open for all to enjoy, without charging an entrance fee.

By improving the sustainability of our retail products, we are making sure that we’re contributing to a future where the Museum, and the planet, can thrive.

Our journey is just beginning and there will be challenges along the way, but we continue to ask ourselves how we can take further steps of improvement – while still meeting visitor expectations for new and exciting ranges. With every step, we’re getting closer to offering a truly sustainable retail experience, and we’re excited about the future.