Supplies and Materials

Below is a list of environmentally friendly supplies, materials and suppliers for artists. Please be sure to do your due diligence in checking out these companies. Sometimes one part of their product or process may be Eco friendly but there are other parts that can be very harmful to the environment.

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Forest Stewardship Council

Look for the FSC label when shopping for wood or paper-based products, especially when buying things made from wood (including furniture!). Every FSC-certified product you buy - from lumber to furniture, and from paper to tissue - helps promote responsible forest management. 

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Earth Pigments

Non-toxic Pigment, Mica powder and Mediums plus Free Recipes for Natural Paints and Finishes.

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Natural Earth Paint

Award-winning and Gold certified Green America business, Natural Earth Paint, uses natural earth and mineral pigments and organic ingredients to make completely safe, sustainable, and beautiful art supplies for children and fine artists. Earth pigments are clay and mineral earth prevalent in native soils all over the world. By leaving out the preservatives, heavy metal toxins, solvents, synthetics, additives and fillers, our products are of the highest quality - pure, radiant and the most archival and durable paints available.

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Ampersand Panels

Ampersand boards are manufactured using a completely green process: They use FSC certified wood, no harmful chemicals, create no hazardous waste and no gas emissions exist for the artist—and their panels are completely formaldehyde-free

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Strathmore Papper

You'll find a longstanding tradition of environmental stewardship at Strathmore®. From pioneering the industry's first line of recycled artist papers in 1972, to today's first line of artist papers manufactured with 100% certified renewable energy, we continue to develop the finest in eco-friendly products.

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Jerrys Artarama
Linked to their Eco friendly art supply section.
Here at Jerry's we are very aware of our impact on this amazing planet that we all share. We want to make it easier for you to do your part as we will do ours! As you shop, you will notice our "earth friendly" logo next to green products. These items have been chosen based on the following criteria:
- Items that are environmentally and socially friendly because of the way they are formulated, manufactured, or packaged
- Less wasteful and less toxic than mainstream products
- Safe to humans, animals, and the environment
- Uses materials which are relatively benign in their 'extraction' phase, such as: reused, recycled, renewable, organic, etc.

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Blick Art Materials
Linked to their Eco friendly art supply section.
Blick has a long-standing commitment to Being Green. One way we put this into practice is by offering a varied assortment of art materials that are considered environmentally friendly, either because of the way they're formulated, manufactured, or packaged.

Safety


Chemicals, toxins and hazards in your supplies, materials and work-space

Resources about how to avoid hazardous and dangerous materials. It’s important to be familiar with not only the materials you use but also any materials others use around you. If you share a studio with someone or work for another artist, the chemicals they use could pose a risk to you as well.

Are Your Art Materials Making You Sick? – Have you ever wondered, are your  art materials making you sick? This article sheds light on the subject, cites some dangerous chemicals you should avoid, and offers steps you can take to avoid harming yourself.

Getting Your Sh*t Together – GYST provides a huge list of information, data sheets and more. It is imperative that you know what hazards your art materials can pose to your health and safety. Many artists have fallen permanently ill or worse, died from exposure to hazardous materials.

Art and Craft Safety Guide (PDF) –This guide contains three sections. Section I is a general guide for the use of art and craft supplies with children. Section II is an overview of the potential hazards associated with art and craft materials and provides applicable safety and first-aid information. Section III has more detailed information about specific art and craft disciplines and associated materials. A glossary at the end of this guide provides definitions of terms.

Enviro-Health Links: Keeping the Artist Safe: Hazards of Arts and Crafts Materials – Produced by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, this is one of the most comprehensive, well-curated and maintained sites for information on artists’ safety.

Art Inspector is a health and safety resources for safety and personal health when working with art materials. There are dozens of art related diseases and long term health problems that are caused by the artist working environment.

Art Hazards Project  – Resources on how to protect yourself and your studio. Information on what products to avoid and what safety protection you would need.

Chem See is where to go when you don’t know what the effect of a chemical is. If you are using a product and concerned about some of the product materials this would be a good place to start. It describes the chemical, symptoms, treatments of disease and precautions.

The Art and Creative Materials Institute, Inc. (ACMI)  – An international association of about 200 art, craft and creative material manufacturers which seeks to promote safety in art and creative products through its certification program. Many small companies, as well as large ones, participate in the ACMI product certification program. We are very proud of the fact that nearly a quarter of these companies are long-standing members (20+ years) of ACMI.

Disposal

You should never just throw away your hazardous materials and supplies. Examples of these include, oily rags solvent wastes (turpentine, paint thinner, etc.),paints, linseed oil, ceramic glaze, photographic chemicals, acids and bases, sharp implements, lubricating oils, empty chemical containers, spray cans, propane or butane canisters and more. Check out these options for safe disposal.

Most cities have free programs for disposing of these toxic items. Conduct a Google search for hazardous household waste disposal with the name of your city for options.

EPA Household Hazardous Waste Disposal

PaintCare.com – PaintCare plans special, one-day paint drop-off events in some parts of California. These events are open to households and businesses (painting contractors, property managers, etc.) in the state.