An Earth-Friendly Print Shop...and Why It Matters
With the Pacific Ocean as a neighbor, the screen printing studio was set up to protect the local ecosystem.
Every aspect of the print shop and the printing process is designed to preserve the health of the environment and my customers.
- All Hop Skip Jump textiles are printed with eco-friendly water-based inks that are 100% solvent free. They are intensely pigmented and very durable. The majority of these inks have met the requirements of the Global Organic Textiles Standards (GOTS) for use on organic textiles.
- Water-based inks dye the fibers of the garment allowing the artwork to last as long as the shirt. Many other screen printers use PVC-based plastisol ink which sits on top of the garment and never fully decomposes.
- These water-based inks are vegan, have not been tested on animals and do not contain any animal products.
- All garments and substrates are sourced from manufacturers who value quality and prioritize environmental responsibility.
- Printing on 100% cotton garments eliminates microplastic fibers that are shed when cotton/polyester garments are worn and washed. The shop is working towards a transition to all organic substrates.
- The printing presses are manually operated by humans! Peanut butter and jelly serve as fuel and eliminate the need for electricity.
- Water use is minimized by carefully removing excess ink off of all screens before they enter the wash cycle. Upgrading the water filtration system is a continual process.
- The soy based cleaning supplies in use are 100% biodegradable.
- Cotton cloths and sponges are used and reused to minimize disposable paper towels.
- The print shop is illuminated with sunshine during the day and LED lighting in the evening. This is no 9-5 operation!
- Supplies are sourced from local vendors, ideally within California.
- The studio is organized so supply levels are easily visible. This practice eliminates the purchasing of excess tools and supplies.
- All adhesives are water-based and hand-applied. Ozone and health harming aerosol sprays commonly used in the screen print industry are not welcome here.
- The majority of waste is recycled or composted.
- Single use plastics have been eliminated from the workspace.
- Ground shipping is recommended as the primary delivery method. This reduces carbon emissions and fuel consumption.
- All packaging can be recycled curbside by our customers.