Our Sustainability Goals as an SME
As business owners, we are very conscious that our output into the world comes with a responsibility. We are aware that we have an impact on the environment and we would love to make that as positive as possible. We have always agreed that Mint + Mabel needs to operate under a set of values, such as staying creative, playful, helping the community where we can and keeping sustainability in mind. That said, we know we are not perfect and we are always looking to improve as we go. With this article, we’d love to open up a conversation with SMEs in both the creative industries and beyond, to discuss how we can all improve the effect we have on the planet.
We are Mint + Mabel, a creative studio specialising in hand painted murals. We design and paint mural artwork for homes, businesses, schools and more.
Our Current Sustainability Methods
We currently use Lick paints to make up the majority of our colour palette. Lick are a B-corp certified company whose paints are eco-friendly, water-based, use low VOC ingredients, and are odour free, which means they have as low fumes and irritants as possible.
When painting our murals we try our best not to waste any paint; we either dip straight from the tin or we use airtight containers to pour out just the amount we need so that we don’t have to throw any leftover paint away at the end of the day.
In order to make sure we don’t spill any paint on our clients’ furniture and surfaces, we use sheeting to cover the surrounding areas. The sheeting we use is recyclable and we make sure to reuse it as much as possible before it goes in the recycling bin.
For some of our murals, we use wooden features (such as 3D typography) to bring a natural element to the design. We use FSC approved wood so we are not harming the environment through our purchases. “FSC forest management certification confirms that the forest is being managed in a way that preserves biological diversity and benefits the lives of local people and workers, while ensuring it sustains economic viability.” - Forest Stewardship Council. We also have a range of wooden earrings in our Mint + Mabel shapes, when creating these we ensured that we made the best use of the wooden sheets and planned the cutouts to leave as little leftover wood as we could.
When going to and from jobs, we usually travel together where possible to avoid unnecessary car journeys.
Inspiration From Others
One of our mural clients is Warden Hill Primary School, who have recently moved into their new eco-friendly building which has had sustainability considered across every area of the new school. From recycled materials to motion sensor lighting, head teacher Georgina Flooks has made sure the plans seriously took into account their impact on the environment. They also get the children involved in learning about climate change through schemes such as the Eco Schools Flag and the children represent their class as Eco Warriors. We loved working with the team at Warden Hill and felt inspired by their consideration for the world we live in.
Our Future Goals
We both previously worked at a design agency called Pink Sky, who were part of a wonderful programme called Ecologi (www.ecologi.com). Ecologi helps businesses to assess their carbon footprint, reduce emissions and fund climate projects through a monthly subscription. The money goes towards projects such as forest protection and rejuvenation, creating renewable energy, and clean water community initiatives. This is something that we hope to be able to invest in as Mint + Mabel grows.
What are your sustainability goals?
We believe that every business can make a difference, even if you have to start small. We hope to continue to improve ourselves as a business and we would love to hear about your tips and tricks for making better choices for the planet. Let us know how you are choosing to make a difference in your workspace or community.