Planet-friendly Products
We often take our planet for granted, and the damage we’re causing to it as a result is difficult to comprehend. I’m hopeful for change, and want my business to be at the forefront of that change.
Below are the steps I’ve taken to ensure my products have a positive environmental impact. I’m always looking to develop my processes, so if you have any suggestions about changes I could make, please don’t hesitate to reach out. I’d love to chat.
Plastic Free
I don’t use plastic in my products or packaging. For example, I use paper shipping tape rather than plastic tape. I use biofilm sleeves for my prints rather than plastic sleeves – these are made of compostable EN13432 film and are fully biodegradable in home and industrial composting, and in landfill. I also seek out suppliers who minimise or avoid the use of plastic when packaging goods they send to me – for example my supplier for postal envelopes uses plastic free packaging, and my the print shop I work with sends me products without using any plastic.
One area where I use a small amount of plastic is the sleeves for my original artwork (such as pet portraits). I’m still investigating the best acid-free alternative. If you have any suggestions, please let me know.
Reduced Packaging
I’ve reduced my use of unnecessary packaging wherever possible. For example, rather than packaging my cards in plastic sleeves, I use small paper stickers that hold the card and envelope together without leaving any marks. When shipping your cards, I protect them from damage using sturdy envelopes made of 100% recycled board, and may also wrap them in a small amount of 100% recycled tissue paper.
I’m also encouraging the shops I work with to opt for card clasp packaging, rather than using compostable sleeves. Reducing waste is a much better option for the environment than recycling it, so I do this wherever possible.
Recycled and Recyclable
I only use paper, board and cardboard that is either FSC-certified, has a high recycled content, or is 100% cotton. For example, I print my greeting cards on a beautiful FSC-certified paper, meaning it’s made using wood from responsibly managed forests. The backing boards that I use to package my prints are made from 100% recycled, high grade paper waste. The gorgeous cream envelopes that accompany my greeting cards are made from fully recycled content. The paper that I use for my prints is made from 100% cotton, which is typically considered the most eco-friendly paper type for fine art prints. The thermal shipping labels I use are phenol free, fully recyclable, and are made with FSC-certified paper pulp.
All of these paper products are also fully recyclable. The only packaging I use which is not recyclable is the biofilm used to package my prints – that should be composted, and will also biodegrade in landfill.
Reused Shipping Materials
When shipping items, I often re-use the boxes and packing materials that were used to ship items to me.
A slightly confusing consequence of this, given that my business is plastic free, is that you may occasionally find bubble wrap or plastic air cushions in your shipping box. Note that I have only used these shipping materials as someone used them to send goods to me, and I wish to maximise their useful lifespan. That is, I have not purchased them, but believe it is best to reuse such materials as many times as possible before they are industrially recycled.
Renewable Energy
I have opted for a green energy supplier for my home studio, meaning it runs on 100% renewable energy. The printer who produces my greeting cards powers its presses with 100% renewable energy, and the suppliers for my greeting card envelopes, and many of my packing and shipping materials, also run on 100% renewable energy.