A few things I’ve switched in my studio to minimise waste and avoid unnecessary single-use plastics:
– Paper strips to make 3d models rather than polystyrene.
– Dispa board rather than foam board. It’s 100% recyclable and made from FSC certified paper.
– Avoiding laminated paper unless it’s been specifically asked for by the client.
– Minimising glue usage by using a syringe. I’m on the lookout for a reliable plant based glue… no
luck yet.
– Using a metal tube squeezer to squeeze out every last drop of glue from tin tubes.
– Giving paper I no longer need, to local schools.
– Buying second-hand items for my studio, the joy I get from collecting an item with character which isn’t caked in packaging is immense!
– Buying metal tools from now on. I’ve found in the past when scissors have broken, I’ve had to put
them in the landfill bin because they are a mixture of plastic and metal. If I buy metal scissors, firstly they will probably last a lifetime if regularly sharpened, but if they did break and weren’t repairable they could be collected with metals and put in the metal bin at the local recycling centre.
– Good sized paper offcuts are saved in my scrap drawers (the scrap drawers are for testing, making
mini models and scribbling on). The smaller pieces go in the recycling bin. I’m told by a friend who works at a recycling centre that keeping tiny pieces in an envelope will ensure everything gets recycled at the recycling facility.
– I store packaging that comes into our house in our loft so that when I need to package my artwork
it’s readily available. Bubble wrap lasts for a long time and I love reusing it. I don’t really mind if
things get delivered in reused packaging, it’s charming and comes with a story
– I travel with my reusables and try to pack lunch made from home when I have the time to avoid
unnecessary on-the-go packaging.
– I make my own lemon and vinegar cleaning spray which I clean my studio with.
– I switched to brown paper tape and I genuinely find it works much better than plastic tape!
