Sustainability
My commitment to keeping my art business as sustainable as possible.
Sustainability and being mindful of the earth are extremely important to me. I take into great consideration the impact my art, business and practise has on the environment.Â
I am proud to say that I print all of the art in house. I use an inkjet printer and print on 100% cotton rag paper which is made from cotton linters, a by-product of the cotton industry which is considered a recovered fibre making it naturally sustainable. The ink and paper used are considered archival, meaning your print will last for hundreds of years. This is not cheaply made art that will fade in a few years and be discarded eventually.Â
Recyclable, compostable, reusable packaging
When it comes to packaging, I have very mindfully taken into consideration the environmental cost of wasteful packaging. Each piece of your package has been thoughtfully researched. The clear sleeve used to protect your prints is made from plant matter and can be composted. The cardboard mailer and chipboard have both been made in Canada using post-consumer materials and can be composted, recycled or reused. The tape is plastic free and can be recycled or composted.Â
8x10 and 11x14 prints are packed in a flat hardback literary mailer with a piece of chipboard too, they should arrive safe and flat.Â
All packing materials are a mixture of sustainably sourced, reusable, recyclable and/or biodegradable. I do my best to limit any plastic use. My prints are packaged in plastic free packaging, however, breakable items such as frames have to be wrapped in bubble wrap. I use 'second hand' bubble wrap from galleries and encourage you to reuse it as well!
Locally Sourced Flowers Only
Every flower that I have used to create my art with has either grown on my property, in my garden or been sourced from a local flower farmer or local garden. When I started Fleurdinand, I knew that I didn't want to use any imported flowers as the negative impact those have on the health of workers and the environment is costly. Imported flowers are heavily sprayed with often unregulated amounts of pesticides, fungicides, and herbicides which is something I prefer not bringing into my home or handling. Not to mention, the negative impact those chemicals have on the farmers health in the regions they grow is something I don't support. Imported flowers also have a massive carbon footprint as they must be flown via huge refrigerated cargo planes across the globe.
I'm very lucky to live in North America where many varieties of flowers and trees grow abundantly but for only about 4-5 months of the year. Some of the designs you see available have been sourced on my travels to Europe or elsewhere.
Contact us
I am always open to hearing about what flowers, trees or herbs you might be after! Feel free to drop me a note and I will get back to you on whether it's possible for me to create that design.