Should we make polymer jewellery in a world damaged by plastic?

Plastic is definitely one of the bad guys in any discussion of the world’s environmental degradation. There are good reasons for this. The huge quantities of plastic that scar our lands and oceans are the direct result of single-use plastic items, packaging and other indiscriminate use. We should do as much as possible to limit its potential impact on marine and human health.

Polymer clay is plastic mixed with pigments, features that it shares with acrylic paint. We have been challenged about the appropriateness of adding to the world’s plastic burden by making polymer jewellery. We take this question extremely seriously. Like all questions, it contains nuances and relative risks and benefits. We have thought through the issues and believe that our polymer use is principled and responsible.

Plastic waste in Kathmandu. Licenced under creative commons at https://intlpollution.commons.gc.cuny.edu/

Plastic is easily vilified because it is most often associated with single use, disposable materials, and packaging. The problem lies as much in the way we use the material as the material itself. Necklaces made by world-renowned artisans using polymer clay sometimes can sell for hundreds, even thousands, of dollars. True, they can’t be composted but they are not designed to be composted or worn only once. We use this material to make pieces that are designed to be treasured and even passed down from generation to generation.  The funds raised from our art contribute to positive social change in our community and support for many women in difficult circumstances.

All artists should constantly evaluate their impact on the world. We do several things to minimise the impact of the material we use on the environment.  For those interested, these are outlined at the end of this post.

In an ideal world, all art would be biodegradable. However, we do not create our art to be composted. In an ideal world we would not own a car, motorbike or travel in a plane, but many of us do. In an ideal world, our bicycle would have no plastic components, but it does. These things might change with new technologies. When a suitable alternative to polymer clay is developed then we will embrace it!

Many of us share the goal of reducing and eliminating single-use and disposable plastic items. We are not creating these at Samunnat. As with the use of all materials, it is not always possible to make black and white statements about what is and is not a suitable medium. It is our task to chart our course mindfully and thoughtfully through these difficult questions.

Samunnat’s Material Use Manifesto 

1.      We create beautiful, unique pieces that are designed to be treasured, not disposed of.

2.      We use a brand of polymer (Kato) that is phthalate free.

3.      We minimise wastage of clay in the following ways:

We hand mix all our own colours in small quantities, only mixing as much as we need for a particular range or pieces.

We recycle ALL scrap clay. It is either remixed to create new colours or used to create the frame (not seen) of pieces. For example, the core of every single bead we make is made from recycled scrap clay.

We do not cure ANY piece that we are not happy with. This means we are not putting cured clay into landfill but using raw clay as described above. Beads that we don’t consider suitable for the international market are used domestically. If beads crack during curing they are donated for use by community groups.

4. We always cure pieces at the recommended temperature in an open, well-ventilated setting, separate to our work space.