“We don't need a handful of people doing zero waste perfectly. We need millions of people doing it imperfectly.” Anne-Marie Bonneau
I love this quote because it really sums up the way I approach sustainability within my small business and also my personal life. I am by no means perfect but I am doing what I can where I can to be as low impact as possible on the environment. I don’t talk about this enough so I thought I would write a little blog post to explain what I’m currently doing and what I aspire to do within my business.
PAPER
My work is heavily paper and card based and where possible I always use recycled paper, but this isn’t always conducive to watercolour and calligraphy as it’s usually quite fibrous by nature and the paint and inks will run. If I can’t use recycled then I will always ensure that paper and card is FSC certified, meaning it comes from ‘well-managed’ forests, you can find out a bit more about what that means here.
PACKAGING
This is something I’ve been looking into a bit more over the last few months. I always save packaging from parcels we receive and reuse this where possible, but I also wanted to make sure your items feel special when they arrive with you. Prints and illustrations are now sent in compostable clear sleeves made from biodegradable corn / potato starch ,with recycled grey board backing made from 100% post consumer waste.
My thank you notes and business cards that go out with every order are all printed on recycled paper, as are all my printed greetings cards. Prints require a slightly different card stock so it is not always possible to print these on the same recycled content paper, however they will always be FSC certified and can be recycled themselves once finished with (although no one should be getting rid of them!). I am continuing to research paper for printing as I would love to find a recycled paper with a high enough quality finish for illustration prints.
SUPPLIERS
All of my suppliers are UK based and I use local companies where possible. I am in the process of doing an audit of my suppliers, either getting in touch directly or checking their website for sustainability statements to ensure they are actively addressing their environmental impact. Some I haven’t been satisfied with their response and if that’s the case I will search for a better alternative as I feel this is something people should really be addressing and working on at every level. Making a change can sometimes work out as a more costly decision, but as long as it’s not extortionate, I would rather do that and know my or my clients money is being spent responsibly.
PRODCUTS
One of the things I am most pleased with about what I do is that the majority of items I make are designed to be treasured. The ‘throw away’ culture is something I really hate so I am glad not to be actively contributing to this. Where a lot of my work is paper and card based, if for any reason things were disposed of they can be recycled and even if someone doesn’t recycle them, I know they will break down in landfill over time. I do not work with coated paper, waxed or foiled or any paper or cards that cannot be recycled.
Christmas decorations are something I’m thinking about at the moment, the baubles I use are made in China and the supplier also noted that ‘it does take a lot of energy to fire ceramic goods in a kiln and so it is not sustainable in terms of energy either’. The thing is people really love these at Christmas and I do take comfort that they are something to be kept for years to come, but I will be having a look at some alternatives or thinking about other things to offer. If anyone has any ideas get in touch here because I’d love to hear from you.
NEXT STEPS
Sustainability is something I will continue to review within the running of my business. As I take on new suppliers or come to make a purchase, I will always try to check their environmental position and aim to ensure all my suppliers are doing the best they can to actively tackle their impact. Researching the paper and card I use is always ongoing and I hope to one day have all my printed pieces on paper with recycled content. I am hoping to source some more sustainable options for Christmas baubles that still allow me to create something you will all love.
This work will be ongoing and reviewed internally throughout the year, but if anyone has any thoughts or suggestions for me you can get in touch here, I would love to hear from you.
