Our Environmental Policy
Our Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) policy is focused on these key areas:
The wellbeing of our people
Managing ESG issues in our supply chain
Continuously looking to minimise the environmental impact
of our products
Reducing the carbon footprint of our sites
Supporting the community
The wellbeing of our people
The recruitment, retention and development of talented individuals is key to the ongoing success and growth of our business. In addition to the practical elements of training and health and safety we are conscious that mental wellbeing is a key part of job satisfaction. We encourage our people to seek support from either our in-house mental health coaches or our relationship with the Unum Employee Assistance Programme.
As a family owned and run business, we want to promote values of inclusion and support, and encourage our people to share their problems and have the “tough” conversations.
Managing ESG issues in our supply chain
We work with suppliers across the world and conduct due diligence on all of them to ensure that they have taken steps to eliminate modern slavery, conform to internationally recognised safety standards and are actively trying to reduce the environmental impact of their manufacturing processes. Suppliers that fail these checks and do not take prompt remedial steps are removed from our books.
Environmental impact of our products
An integral part of our product development process is to review ways to provide a high-quality product, in retail appealing packaging, that has the least environmental impact. This involves reviewing the raw materials and production methods of the products, and working out ways to reduce the packaging waste and its plastic content. Where possible, we try to use paper from sustainable sources. Look for our FSC®-certified products (FSC® C154971).
Reducing our carbon footprint
We aim to comply with current UK environmental legislation and work to reduce the impact of our activities on the environment by:
• Using solar panels in both our Plymouth and Verwood sites
• Reducing waste going to landfill by recycling our cardboard boxes
• Raising awareness in our sites of ways to reduce energy consumption, such as turning off unnecessary lights or turning down the heating
Supporting the community
We actively participate in both our local, and the wider art and craft communities.
From sponsorships of art prizes to the donation of free product to local causes, we aim to support our communities and promote the benefits of art and craft on personal expression, mindfulness and community spirit that it brings.