Not only is the material inside helpful, but the boxes themselves can be great for shipping goods in. I once shipped a painting in a box that was from a dog kennel, and another that was a box for a toilet lid. Other times I will cut boxes to fit what I am shipping. By reusing all of this packaging material, you are not only saving yourself money but saving the production of new materials.

This one might seem obvious to many of us but it is definitely worth a mention. Many of us order packages online. Inside of each of those packages, there are usually materials such as packing paper, bubble wrap, air pillows, etc. If you haven’t started using those to pack your packages, start now! I love using the packaging materials in stuff that I send out.

This one isn’t always the easiest in my opinion, but as artists, we can reuse canvases. There may be a painting that you tried that didn’t work or a nice large canvas you see in the thrift store that you would love to repurpose with your ideas. Using a sander and some gesso can make a used painting like new again. I have a couple of canvases in my stack waiting for a coat of gesso so I can repurpose them into something new.

Art supplies aren’t cheap. Paint, brushes, canvases, and frames all cost a lot of money. Framing paintings may just be one of the most expensive parts of creating art. New products are being produced every day, but we already have so much, why should we just add to the landfill. If possible, see if you can find some supplies at the thrift store or online secondhand so you aren’t contributing even more to the supply chain of new products. 

I’ve heard of some artists having a canvas near their work area that they put all of the extra paint they have from a session or other painting onto. Over time they create a new painting with all of the extra paint they have from their main projects. It may not be a masterpiece with its random mix of colours, but it may stretch your mind and allow you to try things that you wouldn’t normally try. If you’ve done this, I would love to see your “Scrap Paint Painting”!

You may have noticed some of your paints have the name “Cadmium” in with the colour. That is because the element Cadmium is used in creating that paint. Over the years the levels of cadmium used have decreased as studies have shown a potential danger to cadmium exposure to humans and animals. Many paint-producing companies are created replacements for the cadmium colours and are simply called Cadmium-Free in the title. Personally, I haven’t done enough research to really know the effects of cadmium as I know there is a bit of a debate around it. However, it’s just as easy for me to pick up the paint tube that says Cadmium-Free on it as picking up the one that has Cadmium in it. Let me know your thoughts below on this issue.

I know this isn’t possible for all artists and mediums but this is something I do with some of my artwork. As some of you may know, or if you check out my gallery, you’ll see some of my artwork combines pyrography and mixed media. When doing pyrography, you only get one chance. If you burn too much, there is no adding the wood back on. In order to decrease my waste and not have a lot of trial and error with this type of work, I create my designs digitally first where I can add/erase an unlimited amount of times. Once I get it how I want, then I take it to the piece of wood. This not only helps me save pieces of wood but also on pencils, erasers and paper as that is how I would do it before. I understand that there could be a debate about using electricity while doing it digitally, however, material-wise, this has helped me out a lot.

When I go to markets, I don’t often take bags for my customers. If I do, I take recycled bags that I may have received over time. I know many of us want the presentation of our products to look nice and uniform, however, I’ve never had a customer complain about using recycled bags or having to use their own bag. I find that many people are starting to just have a reusable bag with them when they go out. 

Not everything can just simply be washed down the sink even though we sometimes think that. Check the labels of what you are working with and learn how to properly dispose of it. Even with acrylic paint that I mainly work with. It says to clean with soap and water, but I don’t like pouring the whole jar down the sink. That can actually cause plumbing issues as well. If you have a bucket with some gravel and dirt in it, you can pour the jar in there, the water will evaporate and leave the little paint residue in the bucket. Over a long time, it can build up and then can just be thrown in the trash. I know that is still going to a landfill, but that is better than getting in the water system in my opinion.

I do not work with oil paint at all, but I do know there are special clean-up steps that have to be taken using paint thinner and other products. Make sure to read the instructions carefully so you are disposing of everything properly.

When cleaning up messes, drying off paintbrushes, etc. I’ve seen many artists use paper towels or some type of disposable towels. I would like to suggest an alternate. If you have clothes or old towels that have holes in them or are worn out that aren’t good enough to donate, cut them up to use as cleaning rags. I have cut up old shirts, pants, and towels that have lasted me a very long time. Once they are full of paint and can’t be used anymore, then I will throw them out. I can’t imagine how many paper towels I have saved by doing it this way though.

What do you use to clean up in your studio?

Do you have a whole stack of paintings in your studio that you aren’t planning to sell? Instead of just throwing them out, donate them! You can donate to a thrift store, local shops, youth centers, etc. Find somewhere that would enjoy some handmade local art!

If you have places you have donated art to, please let me know in the comments below so we can all get more ideas!

If you make prints and other products of your art, does the company you use have environmentally sustainable habits? Do some research and see what they are doing to help have a positive impact. By supporting companies that are doing good things, you are doing your part as well. There are many companies that are doing their best but I will give you an example.

Teemill. Teemill has introduced a circular cycle of products, instead of the regular linear projection where products get made, go to the customer, and then to the landfill, they give the opportunity to have that product made back into something new