When you ship art, you want to make sure it arrives safely and intact. You need to find the right packaging and consider the environmental impact of your packaging choice.
An eco-friendly shipping strategy can be based on choosing reusable or recyclable packaging materials, using less plastic, and opting for delivery methods with a lower carbon footprint.
How to Ship Art Sustainably
Here are some ways to ship art responsibly and sustainably:
1. Choose sustainable packaging materials
While it takes up to 400 years for a plastic box to break down, the eco-friendly alternative only takes a few months.
Kraft paper is a great option for shipping soft goods like textiles while reducing waste and saving trees. It is usually made from 100% recycled paper and is reusable.
Degradable and eco-friendly bubble wrap is made from plant starch, not plastic, and can be safely disposed of in a home compost bin after use.
Natural wood is fully recyclable and biodegradable, which makes it a sustainable alternative to foam boards or plastic bubble wrap.
Glassine is used to protect art prints, books, or photographs from damage caused by friction or contact with air and moisture. Although it’s sometimes mistaken for plastic, it is not. It’s made from paper and is 100% recyclable.
Lightweight packaging is made with less plastic, meaning less harmful, non-degradable waste after it’s used. And more importantly, the reduced weight helps decrease the environmental footprint, as carbon dioxide emissions depend on weight.
2. Have custom cartons designed
The more precisely a shipping box is customized to the shape and size of the item being shipped, the less packaging material is needed.
3. Plan and organize your shipments thoroughly
By shipping multiple items at once instead of shipping them individually, you can reduce your ecological footprint. First, fewer greenhouse gas emissions are released into the atmosphere. Second, fewer resources are used for packaging. Also, if the artwork is to travel back—for instance, after an exhibition—reusable packaging solutions are a sustainable option to consider.
Fine Art Shippers isn’t only constantly improving the quality of its fine art services but also keeping up with the latest technological developments in sustainability. We use tested packaging materials that guarantee the safety of artworks and help protect the environment.
Our logistical solutions are also based on eco-friendly principles. Thus, our art shuttles offer artists, collectors, galleries, and museums both a sustainable and cost-effective solution to ship art across the United States.