Environmental Policy | JPArtwork

Our natural World is important to me and i'm trying my best to make sure I create work that - to the best of my knowledge - doesn't have a negative impact on Planet Earth; it's a ongoing process and i'm learning as I go, but I will continue to strive for improvement - read below to find out what I've managed so far!

PRINTS & PAINTINGS:

Paper

  • Art Prints are printed on Hahnemühle's 290gsm Bamboo paper which is one of the finest environmentally focused art papers and the first to be made from Bamboo fibre.

Unlike trees (which need replanting once harvested), Bamboo doesn't need to be resewn; it regrows after every harvest every single year for the rest of its life; taking about 3-4 months. It roots quick, and grows rapidly (up to 24 inches a day) - even in nutrient scarce soil. Bamboo is sustainable, reduces deforestation, does't require heavy bleaching/ink/dyes, saves trees, reduces soil erosion, and biodegrades efficiently!

  • With the exception of: the Sanctuary January Project - all prints for this project are on Hahnemühle's 290gsm HEMP Paper!

Benefits of Hemp include: takes 20 weeks to reach harvest, yield 10 tonnes per acre, can be recylced 10x, it has a lower lignin content, and a higher cellulose concentration (85% compared to 30% in wood - cellulose is the main ingredient in paper.) It's natural brightness means no need for bleaching, and can be made with soy-based binders instead of toxic ones. It's a higher quality paper and one acre of hemp can produce the same amount of paper as up to 20 acres of trees in a twenty year period.

Materials

  • I paint originals using acrylics, all of which are confirmed to contain no animal derived products - I love Daler Rowney's System 3 Collection which are all Vegan apart from Raw Sienna (which I don't use)
  • All my paint brushes have artificial hairs
  • Canvas used for original paintings are primed with a white gesso that is free from animal products, and any flat boarded (not stretched over a frame) canvas's i'll only purchase if the glue isn't animal derived.

Please note: I am going though some old supplies of paints/canvas's which may not be cruelty free - for example I've a few canvas's which I can't identify where they're from to check materials, and some paints i'm still waiting to hear back from suppliers about (i'll update as I know!) but I usually find most paints are ok, just not particular ones. I have never bought brushes with animal fur/hair, but I do have some plastic handled brushes still left (I prefer wooden as plastic is worse for the planet!)

Aim
I want my art to allow people to easily be environmentally friendly without any extra effort; I do all the hard work, and you get wonderful prints to display in your house or give as gifts to those you love!

-----

GIFTS ITEMS & MERCH:

The company I use has a brilliant Environment Policy:

'We are committed to continuous improvement and the prevention of pollution, as a registered waste carrier we ensure all waste is disposed of adequately, recycling and exceeding our customer’s expectations wherever possible.'

-----

TEXTILES:

Made using 100% Unbleached Cotton - no bleaching or polyester (plastic) involved!

-----

Packaging

  • All orders are shipped in packaging which is 100% recycled & recyclable - even the paper tape and sticky labels!
  • All products are packaged PLASTIC FREE where possible, in some cases there may be cellophane bags, but I'm decreasing my use of those and fading them out - where necessary they will be replaced with home compostable plant-based options.
  • Business cards are made from 55% recycled paper and eco-friendly inks (using sustainable vegetable oil instead of mineral oil)

-----

Remember, someone once said:

'We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children.' 

(Quote origin: unknown)