Our Commitment to Being an Eco-Friendly Business

We want to share our commitment to being an eco-friendly business. We’re always looking for ways to reduce the environmental impact of our operations, and offset any unavoidable carbon footprint where we can. We’ve spent quite a bit of time researching and adapting to ways of working that protect our environment and are considerate of our surroundings, so we thought our clients would be interested in some of the innovative things we have done in line with our core principles.

As the world temporarily recovers during lockdown, Chrysalis Photography are even more committed to reducing the environmental impact of running a business that still exists. So, with that in mind, here are our tips to show how we are helping to created a better, green environment.

As a small business we have a relatively small carbon footprint, however we still need to reduce our impact as much as possibly.  We choose our suppliers accordingly and constantly make small steps, after all, every step towards a cleaner world matters and they all help. 

Here are our tips on how we are being green and we hope this may inspire you, or your business, to do the same:

Reduce, Reuse and Recycle

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We all know the phrase reduce, reuse and recycle and now more than ever it should be in the forefront of our minds. One way is by simply printing less. Use digital services for invoices and statements, along with digital receipts and household bills. Chrysalis Photography hope to be paperless eventually and have even less impact.

Toilet paper was like gold dust at the beginning of the COVID-19 crisis, disappearing of the shelves at an alarming rate. There’s no denying that we all use it, perhaps a little too much sometimes. To reduce our use of single use plastic we switched to a recycled toilet roll, wrapped in paper. Why not try Who gives a Crap. This company produce Bamboo and recycled toilet paper online. It’s wrapped in paper and they reinvest 50% of profits into third world sanitary issues, each roll helping someone less fortunate to have a toilet. It’s also delivered to your door on a subscription so you’ll never run out again.

Another thing we have swapped to is compostable bin liners. Yes, it may sound like crazy and hardly worth it. However, think about all the biodegradable items you put into a plastic rubbish bag. Then you seal it with a big knot rendering it impossible to biodegrade! Please check out Ecovibe who have some great items to help in the home and at work. And as Tesco say – “every little helps”!!

Finding Your Green Team

Finding your green team is about seeking out suppliers and service providers that have the same values as you do. Our biggest challenge has been customer products arriving from our framers into the studio. The frames were protected with air filled plastic, and plastic packing tape. That is, until now. By encouraging our main suppliers to swap plastic wrap for corrugated card and paper tape, we have reduced both company’s impact. We would suggest using companies that are aware of their impact and doing everything to reduce it.

The Milkman is Making a Comeback

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One of our favourite swaps is with our milk delivery. Not only have we swapped from plastic milk cartons to glass bottles, but we now have it delivered. Not only are we helping the environment, but we are also helping a local business.There are plenty of local dairy’s, why don’t you search online or ask the neighbours. If you struggle we would suggest checking out Milk and More, a great national service.

A Clean Source

We have ditched the lazy disinfectant wipes for a greener method of cleaning. Wipes are made from a form of plastic that doesn’t deteriorate. So instead, by using a dissolvable disinfectant in reusable glass bottles and a washable cloth we are reducing our waste and plastic use. Have a look at a great little company called Iron and velvet have dissolvable pouches to use in glass bottles. They are inexpensive and smell great!!

Renewable Energy

Our studio is located at the stunning Renishaw Hall and Gardens and is owned by Alexandra Hayward of the Sitwell family. Around 3 years ago, they invested heavily in a renewable energy source, and now Hall and Stable Yard is heated by 2 biomass boilers. These boilers use willow chip for burning. The Estate grows the short rotation willow coppice within 2 miles of the Hall just off Staveley Lane, near Chesterfield. The heating is renewable and fully self-sufficient.

With most shops now offer LED alternatives, we have switched our normal light bulbs both domestically and for business use. After all, LED lights are less expensive than traditional and more efficient at the same time. It’s a win, win for us all.

Wake Up and Smell the Coffee!

When it comes to the environment we all need to wake up and smell the Coffee. There is no time to waste and as our love of coffee increases, so does the mountain of coffee pods! We pride ourselves on our Chrysalis Coffee with our fancy mugs and a little tasty treat. After all, we want you as the client to have the best experience with us. So, we have invested in a bean to cup coffee machine using whole coffee beans. In doing so we are saving on around 100 single use coffee pods per week and all without compromising on the taste!

The Most Environmentally Friendly Gift You Will Ever Buy.

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How many times have you left it to the last minute to buy a gift and then purchased something just for the sake of it? With so much available online it is easy to buy a throwaway gift with little thought. Photography is the ultimate in timeless gift. A frame from us with family image will stay in families for a lifetime rather than ending up in landfill like so many other throwaway gifts of today. It must be the most environmentally friendly gift you’ll every buy!

If you would like to see an example of our product range please visit our About page and if you wish to book a family or pet session with an eco-committed photography studio contact us here or call 0114 4040898.