Helping artists make sustainable choices
Being sustainable means making the best decisions in the interests of people and our environment so that everybody can thrive now and in the future.
Being sustainable means making the best decisions in the interests of people and our environment so that everybody can thrive now and in the future.
As a company that produces high-quality paints, materials and tools, being sustainable isn’t easy. But we have a responsibility to act. In fact, our customers expect us to. So, we’re not only committed to finding ways to become more sustainable in our own operations, but also to helping artists to make the right choices too. This means applying our expertise to resolve the challenges around climate change and packaging waste and developing products that are safe to use in the studio, workspace or at home – without compromising on performance. And it means supporting artists in the community and making art accessible to everyone.
We are continuing our mission to make our paints more friendly to the planet. This includes developing colour formulations and offering cadmium-free alternatives, and other unnecessary ingredients that might be harmful to the health of artists and the natural environment. We don’t expect artists to compromise on what helps them to make their art, so these innovations do not come at the cost of the performance of our products.
Packaging is vital to keeping products secure in transit. Where possible, our packaging comes from sustainable sources and contains more recycled content. And as we reduce the weight of our materials, we reduce the environmental impact too. We’ve switched from virgin to 100% recycled plastic for oil colour and watercolour mediums, varnishes and solvent bottles. That’s 352 products in total – a move that will stop an average of 248 tonnes of plastic going into landfill every year.
Energy fuels the production of our high-quality products, but using energy creates greenhouse gases, the emissions responsible for climate change. So we’re doing all we can to reduce the amount of energy used in manufacturing sites and offices, while using more energy that comes from renewable sources. We pledge to deal with waste classed as ‘hazardous’, which is hard to recycle, by reducing it by 50% by 2025. This target will ensure that half of our energy needs will be met by renewables, which will contribute towards making us a carbon-neutral business.e also pledge to deal with waste classed as ‘hazardous’, which is hard to recycle, reducing this by 50% by 2025.
Whether it’s employees, customers or the wider artist community, making sure people are healthy and well supported is our priority. We do this by developing sustainable, safe products and understanding the role art can play in wellbeing: giving artists the support they need to be the best they can be. This year we donated acrylic paint and brushes to the Hospital Rooms charity’s online digital art schools. These go to 50 inpatient mental health units every term to support around 1,800 patient sessions in some of the most restrictive mental health settings in the UK.
As a result of our commitment to people and the planet, Winsor & Newton has been certified as a B Corporation since 2023. Through our efforts to help artists make sustainable choices, we are counted among businesses that are leading a global movement for an inclusive, responsible and regenerative planet. Learn more about B Corp and our mission to build a better world for artists and the environment here.
We’re transitioning the packaging of our watercolour sets to 100% recycled plastic. All new boxes are white, including the Field set which was previously blue, but the contents remain unchanged.
We’re transitioning the packaging of our watercolour sets to 100% recycled plastic. All new boxes are white, including the Field set which was previously blue, but the contents remain unchanged.
Our classic mediums bottles are moving off the shelves to make room for new bottles that are made from recycled plastic. They’ll have a slightly cloudy appearance plus a new white cap, but the medium inside the bottle is still the same great formulation as before. The improved bottles are part of our commitment to helping artists make sustainable choices. We‘re taking steps where possible to resolve the challenges around climate change and packaging waste.
It’s been a couple of years since we launched our Cadmium-Free Professional Watercolour and Artist Oil Colour, which artists confirmed perform on par with counterparts in blind testing. Similarly, our synthetic watercolour and oil brushes perform just as well as our watercolour and sable hog brushes.
We're thrilled to be continuing our work with mental health charity Hospital Rooms. Our partnership aims to enhance mental health environments with installations created by global artists, providing dignity and comfort to patients across the UK. In sponsoring artist Orlanda Broom, we supported her journey at the Kent and Medway NHS and Social Care Partnership Trust.
We’re committed to creating materials that will enable future generations of artists to thrive. We’ve partnered with Waste2Wear, pioneers in innovative plastic recycling, to create a new fully sustainable wallet for our Promarker collection. Using recycled materials, the wallet comes with recyclable belly bands, with no plastic film in sight.
Hero image credit: Rebecca Byrne
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