Crafting with Care: My Environmental Initiatives at Nicnacs Crafts

I’m a millennial, so planet preservation has been pounded into my head from a young age. There are many ways I try to reduce my carbon footprint, but what I’m most concerned about right now is waste. There’s so much garbage on this planet that we just don’t know what to do with, and it’s affecting the lives and environments of people in low-income countries most. The inequality of garbage never really came to mind until I watched a Netflix documentary that showed heaps of textiles and tech waste in Ghana and Thailand, polluting natural resources, and harming people both short term and long term.

It’s a big problem, and there’s not a lot that one individual can do in the grand scheme of things… but I like to make changes that COULD have impact if enough people jumped onboard, like buying the majority of my clothing from consignment shops (the Pretty Penny in Moorefield for me, and Teeny Tiny Tots in Palmerston for my kids) and thrifting household items like dishes and decor. We try to reduce food waste and shop local wherever possible, and I can feel good about these habits.

Naturally, I’ve been incorporating these values into my business. Here’s a quick list of what Nicnacs Crafts is doing to flourish in a sustainable way.

Rethinking Packaging

Now that I’m running a product-based business, it has become clear how much packaging is used simply to increase the perceived value of a product, even if that means the materials are thrown away immediately after opening. So I try to use minimal packaging, and any that I do use is compostable. For instance, my cute green mailer bags are from Impak Co. - a small Canadian-owned business that specializes in compostable packaging materials. Another example: my cellophane baggies are from ClearBags Canada and also compostable. I reduce my carbon footprint by choosing local companies (less shipping) AND support the economy of my own country while I’m at it - double win!

An example of simple packaging: a minimal belly band describing the product packaged in a cellophane baggie.

Reusing What Comes In

If you’ve purchased a framed painting from me, you may have noticed that it arrived in a reused envelope or box. I save most of the packaging I receive from my own orders (e.g., cards and fine art prints from my local print shop). It’s not fancy, but it’s functional, and it keeps materials in use longer.

Using Up Scraps

Like most artists, I end up with small offcuts of watercolour paper - little pieces trimmed off after a painting is finished. I’ve started using these scraps for warm-up painting exercises. It’s a small shift, but it means less wasted paper, and it’s become a low-pressure way to start a painting session. I also like to turn them into bookmarks and gift tags that I can give away, or use them for cut and paste watercolour projects.

Tech Tradeoffs

Something less visible than physical trash in the garbage can is the environmental impact of technology - especially data storage. Storing files in the cloud, using AI, and posting constantly all adds up. I always believed that “going paperless” was presented the greener option, but it turns out data farms are a thing and they have real environmental consequences. These systems require massive amounts of electricity and clean water to keep running.

Again, what is one person to do in a meaningful way? Maybe nothing, but I can’t live that way in good conscious. So, I store less on the cloud (keeping only what I really need), use AI sparingly, post less frequently on social media, and use my devices until they are beyond repair. For example on the latter, my computer is entering its 11th year and still going strong! I did a full system wipe because it was bogged down from years of digital clutter, but then worked just like new. Granted, an upgrade will soon be in order due to wear and tear, but even then I might look into getting it fixed the old fashioned way. Stay tuned.

Using my faithful old computer for creating products, organizing sales, and updating my website.

Where This is All Headed

None of these changes are perfect, and I’m still learning. But I believe that every small, intentional choice adds up. My goal is to build a creative business that brings beauty into the world without creating unnecessary waste in the process.

Thank you for supporting handmade, thoughtful goods — and for being part of a community that values care over perfection.

If you have ideas or tips for low-waste living or small business sustainability, I’d love to hear them. Let’s keep learning together!