Studio and Gallery Recycling

A few years ago I bought my last box of handled brown craft bags to put our customer’s purchases in.  I resisted getting our logo or name on them, and instead designed my own hang-tag, printed them, paper punched a hole and tied each one on the handle.  For X-Mas I used red and/or green ribbon.  Otherwise, black ribbon.

Then, we ran out, and we needed more and had no money at that moment, and that’s when we made the best cost saving move ever: we recycle grocery bags.  We even use the paper bags used to slip your bottle of wine in (note: many stores have given this up) and the ubiquitous plastic shopping bags.

My family and friends give us all the shopping bags they bring home with other businesses logos on them, so ‘You’re Welcome’ Target, Walgreen’s, Shopko, Piggly Wiggly, Gap, Barnes & Noble etc.  (all copyrighted so no worries).

If we run out we can actually by them from our local grocery store (Thanks Carol @ the Pioneer Store), though we don’t often resort to that,.

Last week a customer asked for a gift box.  With bubble wrap.  And a card.  I told her I could give her one of the boxes we recycled, that I used newspaper to wrap our pottery, and I had a good clean 3×5 card for her to write a note on.

“No gift box?”                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   “No. That’s how I save on costs, which I would have to pass on to you.  And we get to recycle.”
“That’s ok, I don’t mind.”
And then her husband piped up and said, “I like it, it seems more authentic.”

So, he got it.  Free is better.

More recycling stories:
In our pit firings the fuel, sawdust and other combustibles are all almost all free.  We do buy slab wood so we have a consistent source of wood, but everything else is free.  And the wood worker friends we have enjoy knowing their waste is not wasted dumped in the woods, but creating more art.  I know, the sawdust isn’t wasted, but you know what I mean, right?