I probably should have titled this “On Trying to Be Green,” as I am still gaining a healthier respect for the environment daily, and am realizing how unaware I have been about this topic. Now of course I know to recycle and that using/buying recycled goods is a good thing (is that a pun?). I recently read an article by Greener Photography written for the magazine, Professional Photographer. In it they described a few ways to be more environmentally-friendly within a photography studio (or small business in general,) and I found myself realizing I hadn’t given much thought to that issue yet, and that I needed to do so. Being the internet addict that I am, I spent several hours researching for everything from prints to office supplies online. I was somewhat surprised, however, that the options seemed so limited and hard to find.
Even though Greener Photography does have a small list of “green” suppliers on their site, I found that many of those options just aren’t feasible for a small business order. The minimum order of items, like 5000 sheets of recycled paper for instance, is much more than I need at the moment. I did stumble upon the Green Office yesterday and they seemed to much lower minimum quantities and a really good selection of products (ranked by green-ness, even!). I have also bookmarked their “Tips and Tricks” section for ways to be more eco-friendly – I’ll definitely be revisiting that page for more help! Greener Printer deserves a mention as well, as they look like an interesting option for things like business cards and brochures. I received their sample pack recently and was impressed with the different paper options and the quality of their printing.
So, I’m still investigating things like recycled wood frames and albums, as well as photographic printing options. Though I realize not everyone will be interested in those choices, I want to make a real effort to have them available for those that are. I have a long way to go before I can say I’m not leaving any carbon footprint, but maybe it’s at least getting smaller day by day.
