Christina Nicholson on Sustainable Development

Today is Earth Day, and we thought it was the perfect time to check in with Christina Nicholson, the Director of Sustainable Development here at Williams-Sonoma. Her work spans every Williams-Sonoma, Inc. brand – and the initiatives she takes on make a real difference on a global scale. Christina truly thinks globally and acts globally – to great end for lots of locals the world over.

What do you think interests interior designers most in terms of eco products and sustainability in general?

Designers are always looking for quality, value and style – and it’s key to their business that their perspective is current. All these attributes – quality, value, style, and being on-trend – organize themselves beautifully around green products.

“Quality” and “style” because you need both those qualities if something’s going to last. “Value” because everyone’s on some kind of budget. And both designers and clients are aware of the environmental challenges we’re facing in the 21st century. There’s this incredible transparency about where things are made and where they come from that’s really reached an unprecedented importance because of the Internet and social media. Designers want to make sure the products they put in clients’ homes come from responsibly managed forests, and that the sheets they put on their clients’ beds come from organic cotton.

Here at Williams-Sonoma, we see this as an incredible opportunity to leverage our company’s size to do some real good in the larger marketplace by increasing the demand for responsibly grown and harvested raw materials like wood and cotton. Not only are we able to offer core basics that designers can go to like organic bedding, but each season, we’ll translate current trends to organic so there’s also a great fashion offering. By choosing eco furnishings, designers are doing real good for the environment, but it’s a win-win because clients really respond to it – and the quality, value and style are as strong or stronger than ever.  

Can you tell us a little more about what you do for WSI?

It’s my responsibility to look across the organization – all the Pottery Barn brands, Williams-Sonoma Home and west elm – and across our vendor base to identify opportunities to enhance efficiency. I ask the big questions like: how do we reduce energy use? How do we get product to clients in the most efficient ways? I scrutinize fuel usage, packaging, etc. – the things that can ultimately reduce our carbon footprint – and also the things that can have an enormous impact on cost.

We’re really on a journey to evolve the organization – to continue to challenge ourselves to find the very best practices for the Earth and the people who live here. It’s all about people, planet and profit – cultivating economic prosperity for communities where our artisanal products are crafted. Our collaborations with Hand/Eye and Aid to Artisans through west elm are great examples of how to get a lot done with a little creativity. The products are beautiful. They carry with them this meaning that goes way deeper than just a great pillow you find in some sterile shopping environment. And the partnerships do real good for the artisans’ communities. Clients love it. Designers love it. What’s not to love!?

What initiatives at WSI are you most excited about?

The commitment that Laura Alber, our CEO, and the executive team have to grow, embed and evolve social and environmental sustainability into the major tenets of our brand, which are great product and great service. I find it heartening that here we are eleven years in to the 21st century and we’re on the cusp of really looking at some big changes as they relate to social and environmental sustainability. And the challenges we face keep us innovative.

Eleven years in and there’s still this incredible urgency I – we – feel to get up every day and make a difference. The confluence of environmental issues, the Internet putting all that info out there for everyone to see, the different way people interact and shop and interact as brands – it’s all adding up to customers asking – do I really need this? They’re being a little bit more conscious about what they choose to bring into their homes, and designers really have the opportunity to cultivate those greener options, which is a very pivotal role to play in the big picture.