Finding a Sustainable Stamp for byGoldenberry
Since starting byGoldenberry I’ve slowly come to realise that I’m a bit of a perfectionist to a fault. I spend too much time researching the best solution and don’t give in easily unless I find what I had in mind. This is bad because often what I have in mind doesn’t exist.
I dread to think of how much time I’ve spent searching for the right kind of stamp for byGoldenberry but I finally found one I’m happy with. I wanted to share the information that I found with you here so that you have everything in one place and can make a quicker decision than I did :)
Why didn’t I want a standard rubber stamp?
Initially, I though that a natural rubber stamp would be, by default, the best option, biodegradable and environmentally friendly. Unfortunately, after plenty of research, that turns out not to be the case. Here’s what I found out.
Deforestation. Rubber trees are native to South America and thus rubber used to be produced there. However, due to various plant diseases, production has since moved to Asia instead. In order to move plantations from one place to another, some space needed to be made i.e. deforestation. Tropical rain forests in Asia are being cleared in order to grow more rubber trees. Not great!
Non Organic. There is still the issue of plant diseases even though the plantations have moved and so the trees are sprayed with pesticides to try to protect the them. Also not great!
Non Biodegradable. This one was a complete surprise. It turns out that the natural rubber that is taken from the tree isn’t the same as the rubber we use to make things with. It is often mixed with other elements to make them last longer, plus it is usually vulcanised which means it is mixed with sulphur and heated. The result being that it is no longer biodegradable!
Noxious Fumes. Making stamps from rubber can emit noxious fumes especially if it is exposed to high temperatures.
What other options are available?
Once I’d discovered that rubber wasn’t all that great I started to look into other options and the only other viable option I found was Photopolymer. Yes it’s plastic. There are a few positives to the production process but are they enough that this option is better than rubber? Here’s what I found out about polymer stamps:
More energy efficient. The production process of manufacturing stamps from polymer uses about 95% less electricity.
Less Waste. There is also 67% less waste material produced.
Less Noxious Fumes. The process of making stamps from polymer doesn’t create any noxious fumes.
Non Biodegradable. It’s still plastic and so also non biodegradable.
It’s Synthetic. Photopolymer is made of synthetic polymers which are usually synthesised using petroleum.
More Oceanic Pollution. I’m unsure how true this is as I am unable to find a reliable source for this but I have read that the process of making stamps from photopolymer can also contribute to the pollution of the ocean. After the polymer plates have been exposed to ultra violet light, the washing of the plates can lead to monomers entering the sewage system. If anyone has anymore info on this please let me know.
So which do we think is better out of our two options? Let’s be honest here, they both seem as a bad as each other. They are both not biodegradable which is disappointing to say the least. Rubber is a natural material whereas photopolymer is man made using petroleum. Having a polymer stamp made is more efficient in terms of the use of raw materials and energy, as well as of waste release but around 330 million tons of synthetic polymers are made every year!
So what did I choose for byGoldenberry?
I was starting to give up hope to be honest at this point. The final decision came down to what I thought was more important. I decided to get my stamp from GetStamped.co.uk who use an eco friendly rubber on a sustainably sourced oak handle. This is why:
Not More Polymer. I decided I didn’t want to contribute to the huge number of polymers being made every year because that number scares me. So I chose rubber instead.
No Hazardous Materials. The eco rubber that Get Stamped uses is made with only organic components. It is not mixed with any materials that are classed as dangerous. Unfortunately it is still vulcanised so still not biodegradable.
Non Toxic. Their eco rubber does not produce any toxic fumes like standard rubber does.
Voting with money. It is also important to me that I support people and businesses who I think are doing something better and helping the world move forward in terms of sustainability and environmental impact.
Please note: This is not an ad for Get Stamped I just honestly believe they were the best option for me and I wanted to share my findings with you.
Conclusion
The conclusion here is that I didn’t end up finding what I had in mind which was a truly natural, biodegradable option that wouldn’t hang around for years and years. There’s a gap in the market! All we can do is our best and make decisions based on what we think is the best option at the time and what is important to us individually.
Do you know of any other options out there that I have missed? A recycled rubber perhaps? Let me know in the comments.
