Sustainability
As responsible members of the Filey community, it is our aim to exhibit and supply beautifully designed and well made artwork, but we don't want this to be at the expense of the earth or the people who live on it.
The works for sale in the gallery are luxury items, and there is really no justification for damaging natural environments or exploiting workers in their creation.
On this page you will find information about our journey to becoming an ethical business.
ETHICALLY SOURCED PRODUCTS
Our primary supply partner holds FSC™ (Forest StewardshipCouncil) Chain of Custody certifications, meaning that we can offer you the added reassurance and peace of mind about the source of the timber in our products.
The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC™) is an international network designed to promote responsible management of the world’s forests. It was established in the mid 1990s. Worldwide, more than 183 million hectares of forest in 81 countries are certified according to FSC™ standards and over 38,000 companies have FSC™ Chain of Custody certification. FSC™ is a global, not-for-profit organisation who define standards based on agreed principles for responsible forest stewardship that are supported by environmental, social, and economic stakeholders.
Dealing with FSC™ certified suppliers gives you the assurance that our suppliers have robust internal processes and ensures a complete chain of custody throughout the supply chain. Both ourselves and our customers are becoming more focused on sustainability and green credentials, and we are well placed to supply the increasing demand for these products.
CARBON OFFSET
As framers, our main inputs are wood sourced material such as moulding, mountboard and rear board, and glass, which is an energy intensive product to manufacture. In recognition of our obligation to preserve the planet for future generations and offset our carbon footprint, not only do we use an 'all green' energy tariff within the gallery, but since the beginning of 2021 we have planted one tree for every length of moulding purchased, through the work of 'Just One Tree'
IMPACT REDUCTION OPTIONS
In addition to using sustainably sourced materials and carbon offsetting, we also offer options such as MDF-free and plastics free framing, removing the use of nylon cord and plastic spacers for example, to further reduce the legacy impact of our activities.
THE THREE R's
'Reduce, Reuse, Recycle' summarises the strategy we follow within the gallery to minimise the amount of materials, resources and energy that we use and the amount of waste which we produce from our business.
REDUCE
Energy
The gallery utilises electricity from 100% renewable sources. In addition, lighting has been upgraded to LED or low energy strip lighting wherever possible.
While it would be lovely to leave the door open in all weathers to welcome customers, in the interests of energy conservation, we keep it closed once outdoor temperatures start to drop. In addition, as you'll be coming into the gallery from outside, we don't overheat the interior, making it more comfortable for you and reducing energy requirements.
We use instant water heating taps in our kitchen and bathroom to eliminate the need to have hot water available all day long and even use a low energy, instant coffee maker.
Materials
We order materials based on requirements rather than in advance, thereby reducing potential wastage. We also ensure efficient usage of all materials by careful pattern measurement and cutting.
We fit recyclable corner protectors to your artwork to protect it and to prevent wasteful rework. We won't routinely wrap your art, unless requested, further reducing waste.
We supply a large range of FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certified mouldings.
Transport miles
All of the artwork in our gallery is by UK based artists (primarily Yorkshire based) and is produced within the UK, reducing the carbon footprint involved in transportation. We also prioritise local suppliers for consumables where we can.
Where we deliver ourselves, or for other travel, we use an electric vehicle wholly powered by renewable electricity.
Packaging
We encourage our suppliers to reduce unnecessary packaging, or substitute packaging materials for more environmentally friendly alternatives.
REUSE
Packaging
As items arrive with us, we ensure that we reuse as much packaging as possible for your purchases. Where we can, we return items such as postage tubes back to our suppliers for reuse.
Off-cuts
Wherever possible, glass, moulding and mount off-cuts are retained so that they can be reused for smaller works in future. Alternatively, we produce standard sized budget frames with our off-cuts to further reduce wastage.
Reusable consumables
We avoid using single-use consumables where we can (eg using microfibre cloths rather than paper roll)
Community reuse
We offer local community groups and artists the opportunity to receive our spare glass, mouldings, mounts etc for alternative uses such as art materials and fuel for wood burners (please contact us if this would benefit your group).
RECYCLE
Where waste materials can be neither eliminated nor reused, they are separated into recyclable and non-recyclable streams by our specialist waste contractor .
Wherever possible, recyclable materials are used in preference to non-recyclable materials (eg. the use of recyclable bubble-wrap, recyclable film wrap and the use of paper bags vs plastic bags).
This approach has led the Gallery to receive awards for Business Sustainability as well as securing supply agreements with other environmentally conscious businesses and organisations including Greenpeace.