Environmental & Sustainability Policy

Our Commitment

At Just Art It, green practice and sustainability are at the heart of everything we do. As artists, printmakers, and educators working in a unique coastal environment surrounded by wildlife and water, we recognise our responsibility to protect and preserve the natural world.

We are equally committed to protecting the personal health and well-being of our local community - reducing exposure to harmful materials, ensuring clean air in our studio, and creating a safe, supportive environment for our team, our students, and our wider community.

We are committed to:

  • Reducing our environmental impact.

  • Operating as a non-toxic and zero-waste creative studio.

  • Protecting personal health and community wellbeing.

  • Acting as role models for sustainable practice to everyone who visits our premises.

  • Continuously improving our methods to support both well-being and environmental care.

 

 

Our Environmental & Wellbeing Impacts

We have identified the following areas where our creative business interacts with the environment and community wellbeing:

  • Use of art materials and chemicals (inks, paints, cleaning agents, solvents).

  • Air quality and exposure to toxins in the studio space.

  • Water usage and waste disposal, particularly in cleaning practices.

  • Energy consumption in our studio and shop.

  • Waste generation from packaging, paper, and textiles.

  • Teaching practices that can either encourage or reduce awareness of environmental and well-being issues.

  • Local ecology, given our location in a sensitive coastal and wildlife-rich area.

 

 

Our Practices

To minimise our impact on both the environment and community wellbeing, we have implemented the following green practices:

1. Non-Toxic Studio

  • All printmaking is acid-free and uses non-toxic, water-based inks made from vegetable oils.

  • We do not use harmful solvents. Only odorless white spirit is used in small quantities, with systems in place to reduce, reuse, and recycle it.

  • Oil paint materials are never cleaned in sinks. Waste oil is collected in jars and reused for underpainting, reducing waste to near zero.

  • Careful material choices ensure our studio has clean air quality and minimises exposure to substances that could impact personal health.

2. Waste Reduction & Reuse

  • We have a zero single-use cleaning policy: no blue roll, baby wipes, or disposable cloths. All our cleaning products are eco-friendly to protect the waterways in Galway. We use a natural and eco-friendly concentrate soap as our main shop, studio, and window cleaner, reusing spray bottles and reducing our plastic consumption and waste.

  • Paper is used sparingly in the office and the shop. All stocktakes, reports, cv's, invoices, etc are processed digitally. 

  • We stamp and screen print our shopping paper bags, which are made of recycled paper and sourced from a local business. 

  • All incoming packaging (bubble wrap, boxes, envelopes, fillers) is reused for shop orders and customer packaging.

  • A shredder allows us to recycle unwanted paper (bills, flyers, envelopes) as protective packaging for orders.

  • We reuse postal tubes from our framing service. 

  • Old t-shirts and bed linen are repurposed into reusable rags for the studio.

3. Teaching & Community

  • All classes and workshops use chalkboards instead of printouts, reducing paper waste.

  • Students are trained and informed about our sustainable methods, reinforcing both eco-awareness and safe, non-toxic creative practice.

  • We maintain a safe, clean, and non-toxic studio atmosphere that protects the well-being of students, staff, and visitors.

4. Energy & Resources

  • We minimise water usage by never disposing of paint or solvents down the sink.

  • Our cleaning system is designed for reuse and efficiency.

  • We actively seek energy-efficient ways to run our shop and studio.

 

 

Our Three Pillars

Independent Producers

We hand-pick high-quality art materials from independent European producers and Irish family businesses dedicated to preserving traditional craftsmanship. These carefully chosen products are the very same we use in our own studio and classes.

Artists Supporting Artists

As practicing artists, we actively support fellow Irish creatives, particularly printmakers from the West of Ireland, and collaborate with local crafters. By showcasing and collaborating with these local talents, we help foster a vibrant arts scene that sustains Galway’s cultural heritage and enriches community life.

Local & Sustainable

We run a non-toxic, sustainable art studio and business. With every purchase, our customers contribute to the local economy and the circular economy. Minimising environmental impact - both locally and globally -  is non-negotiable. Our materials are used with care, reused, and reimagined to achieve a near-zero-waste model.

 

 

Our Values

  • Community wellbeing: We create a healthy and safe space for all who visit our studio.

  • Environmental responsibility: Our work takes place in a fragile coastal environment, and we protect it by reducing pollutants and waste.

  • Personal health: By avoiding toxic materials and solvents, we safeguard both our own health and that of our wider community.

  • Role modelling: Every client, student, and visitor experiences sustainable, health-conscious practice firsthand in our studio.

 

 

Ongoing Commitment

We view sustainability as a continuous journey. We regularly review our practices, adopt new eco-friendly solutions, and work to further reduce our impact on the environment and on community wellbeing.

At Just Art It, we believe creativity, wellbeing, and environmental responsibility go hand in hand. Together with our students, community, and customers, we are building a future where art inspires not only culture but also care for both people and the planet.