Environmental Policy:

At Nature Makers® we are different from many Art classes by having a greater focus on nature and the Environment both through our activities, learning and use of materials.
Through our art materials we aim to use only Vegan art materials that are as low impact to the environment as possible.

Whist you can’t escape the use of plastic we have a policy of reducing our reliance on tradition plastic and not using any single use plastic made from fossil resources in our activities.
Durable, e.g. reusable, plastics are used in class e.g. tuff trays, but kept to a minimum and where alternatives exist we will use these.

The single use plastic and some of the durable plastics that you see will either be repurposed e.g. reusing plastic consumed by our Activity Providers, may already be recycled or/and it may be made from alternatives to fossil resources such as food plastics which are biodegradable and have a less harmful manufacturing process. Any plastic toys used in class should be of alternative plastics/recycled or repurposed (second hand).

Any waste generated from class is separated into waste that can be recycled as in the case of our paper/wood, and landfill waste is kept to a minimum.
Where an alternative to plastic, single use or otherwise, as in the case of glue spreaders replacing with wood alternatives, is possible then they are used.

 

From time to time we may use food in class as part of the art or in play. We take our responsibility to nature and our community seriously to ensure that we do not contribute to food waste and poverty. We must carefully balance our desire to use these items in class whilst ensuring that food waste is kept to a minimum. Because of this we ensure that where possible foods used e.g. pumpkins, mushrooms, lentils, are out of date (fit for play but not human consumption), are able to be reused in multiple classes and/or are able to be consumed/composted by our Activity Providers.

We are always looking to improve our sustainability so if you have any suggestions for plastic alternatives then please email: faye@nature-makers.co.uk

Using natural objects found by the children for class is also encouraged. This is done in a sustainable way so that each child each week may collect a couple of leaves for use in painting for instance. Some of the natural items may be placed back outside when done as long as any traces of the activity on them are not harmful to animals.
Foraging/collecting natural objects is not done every week and the items to be collected should be alternated.
Ideally items should only be collected from the floor, such as fallen leaves and sticks, i.e. not pulling off plants.

To replace items taken from nature there should be regular sessions involving planting bulbs, flowers and so on either in pots for the children to take home or at the activity locations as long as permission has been sought.

Vegan Policy:

What we mean by Vegan is as defined by The Vegan Society: 

“Veganism is a way of living which seeks to exclude, as far as is possible and practicable, all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, animals for food, clothing or any other purpose.”

We found that many art materials are made using animal products or bi-products and thus not only contribute to a world that we don’t want to be part of but also exclude others from going to Art classes with similar views.

As a result we decided to make all products used within our Art classes suitable for Vegans. Art materials used in class and supplied through the website are suitable for Vegans to the best of our abilities. As many are made of complex compounds whilst we do our best to check with the manufacturer of these products their composition sometimes it is not clear. Where known to be non-Vegan then we will not use them. If we are made aware that products used are not Vegan then we will stop using them and investigate if this is the case and find a Vegan alternative.
Nature Makers® will not be held liable for any loss, damage or injury caused as a result of products used being non-Vegan.

Part of Nature Makers® classes involve foraging for natural items to use in art. This could include feathers and other animal by-products found by the children. The Activity Provider will never set a task of specifically finding these items, but if found by the children then it is up to the guardian of that child to decide if they want to use it.

No explicitly non-Vegan items such as fur, eggs or feathers will be used in class or in our products sold through the website. Items that are naturally discarded such as shells may be used in class as long as they have been sourced in an ethical and sustainable way.

Any food supplied by Nature Makers® is Vegan also. Activity Providers do not have to be Vegan. Activity Providers should not ‘preach’ a Vegan message with the aim of converting people to a Vegan lifestyle as this may exclude other non-Vegans. Likewise, however, no anti-Vegan messages should be communicated by the Activity Providers.

If you are concerned that products used are not Vegan or have concerns over the pro/anti-vegan messages being shared in any classes then please email you concerns to us: faye@nature-makers.co.uk

​

Printing & Uniforms

We are currently working on ensuring that all of our uniforms are made from environmentally friendly materials but unfortunately at this present time, due to various factors, we are not able to guarantee this.

 

We are currently working on ensuring that all of our printed materials used for publicity purposes or used in classes are Vegan and environmentally friendly but unfortunately at this present time, due to various factors, we are not able to guarantee this.

We apologies for any inconvenience caused and thank you for our patience and understanding whilst we look for suitable Vegan and environmentally friendly alternatives. 

If you are aware of any companies that offer suitable alternatives that you think we should be aware of then please let us know by emailing: faye@nature-makers.co.uk   

​

Covid19 specific considerations

We and the venues that we use will provide hand sanitizer as part of our adaptions to keep everyone safe whilst attending classes. We will aim to source Vegan and Eco friendly hand sanitizer, however, we cannot guarantee this. Please feel free to use your own if you have any concerns.

​