Environment

Here at PrintFrameCo we take the environment seriously, great art shouldn't cost the earth. Every step of our printing and framing process has been carefully assessed to minimise our impact on the environment as much as possible. We have carefully selected the materials that go into our framed prints which are only sourced locally from either the UK or Europe thus reducing the amount of miles travelled significantly.

Our aluminium picture frames look stunning and compliment the artwork perfectly, but there is an environmental reason behind our decision. Aluminium is a fully recyclable material that can be recycled over and over again. Approximately 50% of the aluminium used in our frames is recycled. As the energy required to recycle aluminium is about 95% less energy required than that of primary production -  leading to a substantial saving on the carbon footprint.

Our picture frames are also built to last. The aluminium used in our frames is created through the process of extrusion, which is the same process used in the construction industry for doors and windows. The aluminium then goes through the process of anodising which further increases it's hardness, corrosion and abrasion resistance. Finally it is coloured with a powder coating to create our huge range of finishes.

For our wood finished frames, there is an additional step of adding a real wood beautiful veener to our frames. Wood veneers are a renewable resource, the use of veneers results in a vastly reduced demand on solid wood and as such reduces the demand on natural wood resources. Deforestation is a major issue, yet some framers would have you believe that solid wood is the best option. Veneers are a logical choice for so many reasons, not only because they offer the beauty of a real wood finish but because it uses far less wood. When timber is milled to produce veneers, waste is vastly reduced. Solid wood timber will generally be sawn into boards, and there is a great deal of the log that ends up as sawdust: in other words, totally wasted. Conversely, when cutting veneers, there is no waste. Thin sheets are sliced and several are produced from a single log. This significantly reduces the amount of wood needed to produce a picture frame, as well as reducing waste.

We have also meticulously looking into the packaging we use to ensure the highest environmental standards are met without compromising integrity.Our cardboard packaging is FSC certified and climate neutral. It is fully recyclable. Where possible, the remainder of our protective packaging is made from recyclable materials.

The glazing we use conforms to DIN ISO 14040, doesn't release toxins into the environment when made and it's completely recyclable.