The Climate Crisis

The Climate Crisis is an emergency, but we’re not acting like it!

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If we don’t act now to keep fossil fuels in the ground, and work to change all of the things that are contributing to the climate crisis, it will only get worse.

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The last four years have been the warmest on record and last July (2019) was the hottest month on record for the planet, according to the U.S. agency NOAA. Then last August, the following month, Iceland lost it’s first glacier to climate change. Icelanders held a funeral for the glacier “Okjokull”, and placed a memorial monument at the site.

Increasing average temperature does more than just melt polar ice. With each fraction of a degree of warming, more energy from heat is built up in the atmosphere, which is then dispersed by bigger and even more destructive weather events.

Our hotter planet is already hurting millions of people and animals, and we are causing irreparable damage. We face the very real possibility of mass extinction, famine, droughts, floods, wildfires, and the spread of infectious diseases, on an unprecedented global scale.

Climate scientists warn that we only have until 2030, that’s just 10 years, to prevent temperature increases from exceeding 1.5°C. However, right now we are currently on track for at least 2-3°C of warming.

If the temperature rises by even 2°C, then the results will be catastrophic for the planet. 2°C of warming is just half a degree over the 1.5°C “safe” limit scientists are suggesting, so the results if we exceed this will be even more devastating and irreversible.

Scientists say that the levels of warming will only continue to increase unless fossil fuel emissions are drastically reduced.

We need to think outside the box and change a system that’s not working or sustainable, before it’s too late.

Our Materials

Our products and packaging are 100% plant-based and 100% plastic-free!

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Our products are always better than traditional plastics, no matter where they end up after use. This is because some of the huge environmental advantages start at the very beginning. One of the most important is that they help to keep fossil fuels in the ground because they are made from plants not oil.

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Our products are 100% plant-based and 100% plastic-free! Our materials are innovative bioplastics that have similar characteristics to traditional plastics, but they are made using components of vegetable origin and biodegradable polymers.

Traditional plastics are made from oil, but ours are made from plants so they help keep fossil fuels in the ground. The materials we use come from nature and are designed to return to the Earth with no release of polluting substances - a true closed-loop.

All of our products and packaging are made from sustainable plants like cassava, corn starch, sugar cane, or beets, whereas traditional plastics are made from oil. The feedstock (raw material) used is always derived from renewable resources that can be grown and harvested in a single season, providing a sustainable material with low environmental impact.

The process of making these materials is inspired by nature and it starts by using greenhouse gases, like atmospheric carbon as a feedstock. Nature does this all the time, it’s what plants, entire forests, and even huge structures like coral reefs are built from.

We take greenhouse gases out of the atmosphere to make our products!

Our Eco-Refill Packaging

Our products come in eco-refill packaging that is plant-based and plastic-free!

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‘Eco refill packs’ are one of the main differences between our products and traditional tattoo supplies.

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All of our products come in plastic-free, zero-waste “eco refill packs”, which are made by the same manufacturers and using the same plant-based, compostable material as our equipment covers.

Refill packaging means eliminating all of the associated environmental impacts of pointless single-use packaging. The idea of zero waste stores, bulk buying, and keeping everything in reusable containers such as jars or tins, is now a familiar one. This is exactly the idea with our products!

Environmental Benefits & Certifications Of Our Products

Environmental benefits of our products and packaging;

Keep fossil-fuels in the ground - our materials are made from plants instead of oil

Plant-based - our materials come from nature and are certified as compostable

Sustainable - our materials are porduced from annually renewable resources

GM free - no genetically modified contents are used to make our materials

All Green Everything! - our materials are light green so you can easily distinguish our eco supplies from regular plastic tattoo supplies

Plastic-free packaging - all of our packaging is plant-based and certified as compostable too

Zero-waste packaging - our products come in eco refill packs so there is no pointless single-use packaging in sight!

Green manufacturing - our products are manufactured and packed in the UK by two green manufacturers who specialise in bioplastics

Low product mileage & no air miles - manufacturing and packing of our products is structured to keep product mileage to a minimum before travelling to you

Green fulfilment - a green logistics company stores, packages and delivers the products around the world

Environmental Certifications

Our products carry many environmental certifications from around the world.

The materials we use to make all of our products and packaging carry several environmental certifications, these are basically the legal certificates that backup all of our claims about our materials.

Some of these certifications detail requirements for biodegradability and compostability. They apply to all components, inks and additives, however they obviously do not take into account any regulations regarding tattoo waste.

The material used to make our ink caps is certified as industrially compostable. The material used to make our equipment covers & packaging is certified as both home and industrially compostable.

Some of the most important certifications our materials carry are those detailing compostability as listed below;
EN13432 (Europe) / ASTM6400 (USA) / AS4736 (Australia) / GreenPLA (Japan)

Compostability is a characteristic of a material that allows it to biodegrade under certain conditions (e.g. time frame, temperature), and break down completely without harming the environment. If something is considered a compostable material, it is capable of decomposing back into natural elements within a matter of months, as long as the specific conditions are present.

Even though many of us may not be able to compost our tattoo waste just yet, the compostability certifications are still really important because to be certified as compostable a material must be 100% organic matter. In other words, if something is certified as compostable, that also means that it is an entirely natural material (plant-based) and does not contain any other toxic materials (plastic-free).

Additional Certifications

In addition to the above, our materials carry other certifications as well, such as those that detail ethical production and sustainability.

The materials we use to make our equipment covers and packaging also carry the following certifications; Compostable CIC, OK biodegradable SOIL, OK biodegradable MARINE, and eLabel! certification for environmental performance.

The materials we use to make our ink caps also carry the following certifications; No Genetic Material Certification by Genescan, Biobased Carbon Content Certification according to ASTM D6866 (USDA BioPreferred - USA and Vinçotte OK Biobased - Europe), International Sustainability & Carbon Certification (ISCC), and Working Landscape Certificates (WLC) from the Institute of Agriculture and Trade Policy (IATP).

Our manufacturing process and partners

Our Manufacturing Process

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All of our products and packaging are manufactured in the UK, using just two manufacturing partners and two materials. The same manufacturers also pack our products, avoiding even more greenhouse gas emissions by being transported to a separate packing facility.

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Unlike many traditional tattoo supplies which are often manufactured cheaply and unethically in countries like China, all of our products and packaging are made here in the UK. We use just two green manufacturers who specialise in bioplastics and we ensure fair wages to all of our workers.

We aimed to reduce the amount of different companies, systems, transportations etc we used in order to simplify the process, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions as much as possible. If everything is manufactured and packed in just two factories, using two materials, then the journeys that the products have to make from source to completion are reduced to a minimum, reducing the overall carbon footprint of our products and your tattooing.

By manufacturing in the UK we are supporting the UK manufacturing industry and ensuring fair wages for all workers, plus we can also confidently promise you that every stage of manufacturing is in line with the high environmental standards and ethics that you expect from us!

Our Manufacturing Partners

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Our ink caps are manufactured in the UK in Daventry, Northamptonshire, by an environmentally conscious company that have a strong ethos on sustainability, and an eco-friendly approach to production.

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Our manufacturing partner who produces our ink caps are committed to reducing their environmental impact and they have been working on a set of “green” measures;

• They have solar panels installed to generate electricity to help power the factory


• They utilise as much scrap and waste materials from the manufacturing processes as they can, by recycling it into other products


• They also recycle the waste from the tooling process, including card, paper and metal


• In-house recycling scheme that is followed by all workers


• In 2018 they replaced all of their lighting with LED to save energy

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“Environmental responsibility is very important to us and to our clients. This is why we proudly offer our environmentally friendly options when working with companies to develop their unique products.

We go the extra mile to provide an environmentally positive approach to manufacturing products. Our eco-friendly practices allow us to assist companies that are consistently looking for ways to improve their green policies and become more environmentally responsible.

The ban on single use plastic bags and straws shows how the plastics industry needs to improve and develop ways to be as environmentally friendly as possible. We believe with these policies in place we are leading the way for other companies to follow suit.”

- Rowan Wilson GCP

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Our equipment coverings and packaging are manufactured by a bioplastic specialist in the UK, in Bradford in West Yorkshire.

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Our manufacturing partner who produces our equipment covers and packaging have a strong interest in environmental concerns. They do not source and buy from other countries, do not employ merchants, and do not ship in containers from the Far East.

Their environmental policies are;

• Save waste by supporting biodegradable


• Save transport by supporting local suppliers


• Save environment by supporting UK manufacturers


• Save Earth’s resources by supporting sustainable features

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“We all know by now, that polythene (plastic) bags can take hundreds of years to degrade, that our landfill sites are overflowing and that our environment needs our help. We believe that we can all make a small change to protect our planet when we use bioplastics.”

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Green Fulfilment

We are proud of our green storage, packaging and shipping!

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With the help of our world-leading green fulfilment partners we are able to store, package and deliver all of our products around the world in the most environmentally conscious way possible. This includes plastic-free, sustainable packaging, a reduction in energy consumption and an offset of CO2 emissions.

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We’re also able to process all orders quickly and efficiently - on average orders are processed and dispatched within 64 minutes of checkout!

Read more about our green order fulfilment partners below.

Our Green Fulfilment Parters

The harmful impacts of eCommerce, such as plastic waste, energy consumption and CO2 emissions are driving a major change in consumer behaviour. Our fulfilment partners are committed to meeting this challenge head on and provide sustainable ecommerce logistics solutions.

Their wide-ranging initiatives include providing 100% plastic-free shipping with their biodegradable packaging alternatives, investment in renewables, a zero waste policy, and a unique stock model and low-emission carriers that enable their customers to reduce and offset the carbon footprint of parcel delivery.

Lorax Project

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“As a responsible business and employer, it is not acceptable to sacrifice our environment in the pursuit of growth. Sustainability and profitability are not mutually exclusive. We’re very confident that the Lorax Project will deliver huge benefits to our company, customers and, of course, the planet. We are putting sustainability first and central to our future.”

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Our fulfilment partners are endeavouring to become the world’s first fully sustainable fulfilment provider with their Lorax Project. By placing sustainability first and central to their future they aim to create a shift-change in the way that online retailers, service providers and consumers view their responsibilities to the environment.

There are severeal key initiatives across which environmental and sustainability progress is tracked; Energy Consumption, Waste Management, Low Emission Delivery, The Community and Biodegradable Packaging.

Energy Consumption

Our fulfilment partners are committed to reducing their energy consumption wherever possible, investing in low consumption heating and lighting across their growing network of locations.

All of their warehouses are 100% LED-lit and powered from 100% renewable energy - reducing their electricity consumption by 50%. This has enabled them to dramatically reduce their carbon footprint, saving 176 tonnes in CO2 emissions - the equivalent weight of 29 elephants!

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176 tonne saving in CO2 emissions - the equivalent weight of 29 elephants!

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Waste Management

Mobile picking devices, waste management and recycling initiatives digitise all internal processes to minimise the use of paper, board and other consumables from our fulfilment partners network of offices and centres.

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“We are well on our way with implementing new effective waste management techniques, installing energy efficient lighting in all our warehouses, introducing green tech and always encouraging our customers to be more sustainable.”

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Low Emission, Electric & Solar-Powered Delivery

Our fulfilment partners integrated carriers consist of the most sustainable providers and combine to form the largest solar-powered, all-electric delivery fleet in the UK. This enables them to make clean, emission-free shipping a reality to their customers. They provide these sustainable delivery options across their network of centres for super competitive prices.

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“The objectives of the Lorax Project are staged and measurable, but success will ultimately be a shift-change in attitude to how retailers, service providers and consumers view the world.”

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Crowd Communities

The Lorax team help incorporate sustainability into all working practices, empowering people to offset their carbon footprint and reduce waste wherever possible. Some of their community initiatives include EV charging stations, a car-sharing system, home-working, social events like Vegan Wednesdays and a tree planting scheme.

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“Our dedicated Lorax community group have been fuelling our productivity by introducing Vegan Wednesdays to our office staff to encourage them to eat at least one plant-based meal a week whilst raising money for the Woodland Trust to protect existing carbon.”

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Biodegradable Packaging

Our fulfilment partners are working to eliminate all plastic consumption from the fulfilment process by 2021, offering sustainable alternatives to all current packaging products. Their environmentally-friendly materials include biodegradable mailers and pallet wrap, recyclable boxes, sustainable void fill and more.

Their eco-conscious alternatives to traditional poly mailers alone have the potential to save a total of 12 tonnes of plastic waste per year from landfill sites all over the world.

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12 tonnes of plastic waste per year saved from landfill sites all over the world.

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End-Of-Life Options

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End-of-life options are confusing, but remember - our products are always better than traditional plastics, no matter where they end up after use. This is because some of the huge environmental advantages start at the very beginning. One of the most important is that they help to keep fossil fuels in the ground because they are made from plants not oil.

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The biggest problem with moving to more eco-conscious ways of managing the waste generated by tattooing, is that contaminated waste must be disposed of safely, and in some places there are laws that must be followed regarding this.

Your best end-of-life option will depend on where you are because there are so many different regulations for tattoo waste around the world, as well as differences in available facilities.

Current Systems

In some countries tattoo waste is classified as hazardous or offensive, meaning that by law you must have the appropriate waste management contracts in place and this often dictates that it has to be incinerated. In other countries there are different regulations, or even none at all.

Incineration or landfill are two of the most common end-of-life scenarios for tattoo waste around the world today.

Incineration - You can find green waste management companies who use waste-to-energy (WTE) incineration. These facilities use the steam/heat produced by the incineration process to generate electricity or heat. The process of modern “clean” incineration facilities, produces residues of bottom ash, which is approximately 10% of the original volume of waste, and lime. These byproducts are collected for various other processes by third parties.

Landfill - Landfill does not offer the necessary climate to compost and it is unlikely that any material will be able to degrade efficiently if buried in a conventional landfill. So, even though the materials used to make our products are designed to be composted and returned naturally to the Earth, it’s unlikely that they will be able to properly break down in landfill, but neither does anything else!

So, which is the best current end-of-life option for my tattoo waste?

If you have the choice between incineration or landfill, which are two of the most common end-of-life scenarios for tattoo waste today, then choosing a green waste management company who offer clean incineration would be your best choice.

This is because the process of clean incineration means that your waste would go on to be used for other purposes, where as in landfill it could still be there hundreds of years later and may even find it’s way out into the environment.

However, if landfill is your only option, then remember that our products are still always better than traditional plastics. This is because some of the huge environmental benefits start at the beginning - they aren’t derived from fossil-fuels, they’re sustainable, and the manufacturing process is less damaging to the environment compared to that of traditional plastic products.

Plus, if these materials do end up in landfill after use they will not contribute any significant quantity of methane formation.

New Ideas

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Current systems have clearly failed us. If we want to help save the planet and create a more sustainable tattoo industry, then we must think outside the box and look for new ideas, before it’s too late.

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At Green House Tattoo Supplies we are committed to finding solutions, and we see the introduction of new products and materials like these as opportunities to reconsider the entire system. We are currently researching alternative end-of-life options for tattoo waste, working with specialists, and focusing our attention on more efficient use and recovery of resources.

There are no perfect solutions to an imperfect system, but there’s room for vast improvements from where we are today.