Following is a list of ways we at the Carmel Gallery try to reduce the impact of our business on the environment:

Gallery Building: The Carmel Gallery is in a protected historic building that has been upgraded for “adaptive re-use.”  We have restored the interior of this existing historic building, including installation of hardwood floors made from recycled barn wood. We are in the process of restoring the exterior of the building to it’s Victorian era architectural integrity. We are currently constructing a new gallery building on the same parcel of land, as an infill redevelopment project that will contribute to the pedestrian orientation and economic vitality of Truckee’s historic downtown district. We are using green building materials in the construction of this new gallery addition.

Paper : We use 100% Cotton Canvas and Crane Papers which are “tree free”. Cotton fibers are naturally whiter, brighter and more durable and permanent than wood fibers. The beauty of cotton is that it contains very little lignin (the compound that makes tree trunks sturdy) and is alpha-cellulose. This means it requires very little bleaching. Here is a summary of why our Crane Paper is preferable to wood-based paper:

1. It’s tree free – Not a single tree falls to make Crane’s 100% cotton paper.
2. It’s renewable – Cotton is a renewable resource replacing itself in a single growing season.
3. It’s recovered – 100% cotton paper is made from recovered cotton materials including remnants from the garment industry that might otherwise end up in a landfill.
4. It’s recyclable – 100% cotton paper is readily converted into more sheets of cotton paper. It can also be recycled along with other office paper waste.
5. It’s energy efficient – Cotton requires far less water and chemical processing than do papers made from wood and our energy usage per ton of paper is much less than typical wood pulp and paper mills. Using less energy is one of the best ways to preserve our environment.
6. It’s natural – 100% cotton paper is just that – pure enough to sleep on, dream on. No other paper matches the soft feel and elegant texture. And we don’t need to use harmful elemental chlorine to make our paper bright and white because Mother Nature has already done the work for us.

Printer & Inks: We use Epson printers and inks. Epson is a company committed to environmentally responsible business practices. A detailed report on the company’s environmental programs is available from this link: Epson Sustainability Report. We also recycle all of our ink cartridges from our supplier Bytes 2 Print , a company that has an excellent ink cartridge recycling program.

Framing Materials: We have completed an audit of the woods used in our preferred frame moulding materials, and have discontinued mouldings that are made from potentially endangered wood. We now carry frame moulding made by FRAMERICA, which are made in the U.S.A. from recycled wood which they brand as Bonanza Wood. Framerica’s products have earned Environmentally Preferred Product (EPP) certification from the Composite Panel Association of wood manufacturers, and BonanzaWood saves deforestation from solid wood and the oil consumption attributed to plastics. Framerica has used BonanzaWood as the primary core for its mouldings for more than 10 years. BonanzaWood contributes to absolutely zero deforestation, in many instances utilizing wood waste from post-consumer products that would otherwise be destined for landfills When possible, we use certifiable sustainably harvested wood, including Forest Stewardship Council Certified wood for our picture frames and canvas stretcher bars, to ensure that the wood is sustainably harvested. In many forests around the world, logging still contributes to habitat destruction, water pollution, displacement of indigenous peoples, and violence against people who work in the forest and the wildlife that dwells there. Many consumers of wood and paper, and many forest products companies believe that the link between logging and these negative impacts can be broken, and that forests can be managed and protected at the same time. Forest Stewardship Council certification is one way to improve the practice of forestry.

Support for Environmental and Social Justice: We donate thousands of dollars a year in artwork and cash donations to various environmental and community serving organizations. A complete list of organizations we support is on the Carmel Studios website. We are also members of the Sierra Green Building Association.

Eco Friendly Cleaning Products: We have switched to exclusively using the new  Green Works cleaning products in our gallery.

Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle: We recycle all paper, glass, and plastic by products. The majority of our product packaging is from reused materials. We have introduced a new line of shop bags made from compostable corn starch with the brand name Bio Bags.