3 steps towards sustainability
In my recent blog post about re-branding, I mentioned identifying your core values to better establish what your brand image should reflect. One of my new core values is sustainability. I want my clients to know that at the heart of my business and my love for photography, there is also a desire to pave the way for the generations of little ones that come through my door.
I don’t have children of my own, but I have nieces, nephews and God-children whose future I am invested in, and I want to know that I’m doing my very best to leave a healthy planet for them.
There are so many small things that we can all do to help this process, but most of them aren’t convenient. A lot of these changes, however small, will involve adapting or ditching some age-old habits. My husband and I made efforts a few years back to have a more plant-based diet - although yet to be fully vegan, we have cut our meat intake down by 95% and our dairy by 50%. We’ve recently added a composter to our garden, order veg boxes (from Oddbox) instead of plastic-covered fruit from the supermarket. We swapped plastic shampoo and shower gel bottles for soap bars, and we visit local TerraCycle centres to dispose of packaging which can’t go in council recycling bins. Recently, I also swapped out single-use sanitary pads for reusable period pants...the journey really is endless.
I knew my business ethics had to reflect this, so I wanted to overhaul how I deliver products to my clients. My old packaging had bubble wrap envelopes, single-use stickers, ribbon and tags, which had no purpose other than to end up in landfill, so I knew there was work to be done.
Here are my 3 top tips for becoming more sustainable in your business:
#1
I send all my client correspondence over email. Some photographers choose to send printed brochures to their clients when they book and also after their session, and whilst this is a beautiful personal touch that elevates their client journey, it’s not essential to me and my brand values. For the last four years, I have had beautifully designed Session & Pricing Guides, as well as bespoke Style Guides that I email to all clients – carefully curated with handy tips and advice on what to expect from their session along with hyperlinks for online shopping and Pinterest boards. After their session and the info is redundant, there’s no wasted print material going into the bin.
#2
Product packaging with personal touches instead of plastic parts. When I sat down and really looked at it, a lot of my old packaging had special print processes, which made it non-recyclable or contained plastic. I spent considerable time researching my options for alternatives, but only because I wanted to get the very best solution and not settle for the first thing on Google. I swapped out coated, cardboard photo boxes for personalised drawstring bags - because I knew this personal touch could be repurposed and given a second life. I swapped out my bubble wrap envelopes for compostable postage bags, which can be disposed of in the home composter. Yay!
#3
Stay local. If you can, try to source products and packaging from UK based companies. Or even Europe, if the fallout from Brexit doesn’t affect getting it past border control. I have used a fabulous album supplier based in Poland for the last three years and recently decided to find a UK-based business that can offer the same premium quality products and reliable service. This means that not only am I supporting local business, but I’m lowering my carbon footprint. Imagine the miles travelled and manpower used by one single album being made in Poland and shipped to the UK. This is another thing I am trying to implement at home more often, by not using Amazon for every little requirement and trying to make more conscious shopping choices at the checkout instead. Shop local and shop small.
